It’s almost time for the two very exciting shopping days – Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Many people keep an eye on the discounts since midnight to grab their favourite tech gadgets, cosmetics, or furnishings cheaper than usual. Most of them, however, may not even have a clue that shopping during these days hides a considerable risk of fraud and theft. Both online and in-store shopping can lead to troubles such as a cracked account, personal data theft, or robbery.
Nevertheless, we have good news! With iCard, you can rest assured that you’re protected at the highest level. Today, we’ll tell you about how we take care of your safety, and we’ll let you know how to protect yourself from fraud. Keep reading also to find out what you should be aware of while shopping!
Cybercrimes and how to avoid them
Let’s start with online scams, which are the most common cybercrime attempts on the Internet. The most recognisable ones are phishing, spear phishing, smishing, and vishing. These include fake phone calls, misleading emails, and text messages sent by people posing as representatives of big and well-known companies.
The written content always has a URL for you to follow, and doing so can cause irreversible consequences. Cybercriminals can also make phone calls (vishing) by presenting themselves as employees from recognisable companies and asking for your personal data. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are excellent moments for similar scams, so never trust suspicious calls and notifications.
How to shop safely online?
You might prefer online shopping on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. To feel safe and secure, we recommend using a virtual debit card. It offers complete fraud protection because it doesn’t exist physically. The virtual card is developed for online payments only, but it’s as functional as every plastic debit card – it has a unique 16-digit number, CVV code, cardholder names, and expiry date.
With iCard Digital Wallet, you have two free virtual cards – Visa and Mastercard. You can manage their limits anytime and freeze or unfreeze them shortly before or after you use them for your online purchases. You also have a complete overview of each transaction because you receive an in-app notification to confirm the operation, thanks to the integrated 3D Secure system.
Moreover, check whether the domain of each website you visit is protected. You can use additional tools that can verify the legitimacy of each site. Also, don’t trust those who don’t offer the necessary security while surfing – look for a lock next to the hyperlink to make sure the website is safe. If the site’s name is misspelt, this also signals that something’s wrong and certainly doesn’t guarantee your security while shopping.
When creating an account in any online store, make sure you use more complex passwords that include small and capital letters, symbols, and numbers. After you create your account, most websites let you add any product to a wishlist – we advise you to add your favourite products and keep track of their prices before the big days arrive. By doing this, you’ll be able to figure out whether the prices were initially increased on purpose and then drastically lowered for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Social media can be a great place for fake advertisements and product discounts, too. Don’t rush into following any URLs from unknown or even well-known websites – check their authenticity first because there’s always a risk of fraud by some fake accounts of big and small companies.
How to shop safely in-store?
Do you know that we created a new debit card that brings you greater security? All iCard Visa data is on its back – the 16-digit code, CVV, cardholder names, and expiry date. Now, you’ll be safe from theft of your personal data and funds at a maximum level. At the same time, you can enjoy its minimalistic design with a holographic effect.
We kept all its previous functionalities that you can manage through the digital wallet – freeze and unfreeze your iCard Visa; set its limits; add it to your Apple Pay, Garmin Pay™, or Google Pay™ to pay anywhere easily.
Each transaction in your digital wallet also shows you the place you paid, and the amount you spent. This way, you can track if there were any suspicious activities in your account. If you find something wrong or receive a notification for a purchase you haven’t made, you must freeze your card and contact us.
Final steps
Now that you know how to stay protected while shopping and what to look out for, we end this blog post with a few final steps to guarantee you safe and fun shopping days with discounts. Just create a list with everything you want to buy, determine a budget and set some spending limits.
Don’t forget to keep enough money in your iCard account to rest assured while shopping. There are various ways to fund it – with a stored debit/credit card, with Google Pay™ or Apple Pay, and by requesting money from another iCard user. You can pick the fastest and most suitable way for your needs.
The only thing that’s left is to enjoy your shopping – iCard remains by your side in storing and managing your money every day!
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