GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Cyber Monday is just days away. Shopping in the comfort of your home instead of braving the cold can sound like an easy call.
Online shopping dominates holiday spending plans. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), 57% of people are heading to the web to buy gifts.
Norton created a cyber safety checklist ahead of Cyber Monday, which shoppers should look over it before Monday.
"I just took the link from Instagram and I ordered, like, $50 worth of swimsuits, and it was, like, a total scam," Caroline Richards said.
Richards, like many others, is heading out this weekend to shop. She also plans to shop online by Monday.
"I shop online a lot," Richards said. "I don't always buy it online. It's like window shopping, but I, like, add it to [my] cart."
The NRF estimates that 183 million people are planning to shop this weekend.
"Definitely plan on shopping, spending more money, but saving more, saving more with online deals, hopefully," Brooke Derosia said.
Around 72 million will be online shopping on Cyber Monday, according to the NRF.
"I already started my Amazon shopping for the holidays for everybody. So it's already started, and I do plan to shop on Monday," Kallie Nevins said. "A lot of online shopping for gifts around the holiday season."
Norton, a cyber-security company, knows the internet has made it easier for buyers but has also opened it up to more scammers.
"I went in my email, and I clicked on the website that was connected, and it took me to a whole 'nother website, and eventually, like, a website that didn't even exist. So I got totally scammed," Richards said.
Norton put a list together of what to watch out for:
- Shop trusted retail sites and use apps directly from retailers.
- Use a strong password and shop password-protected sites.
- Monitor accounts and use credit cards for better fraud protection.
- Track shipments or send packages to a secure spot.
- Install an antivirus software.
"When I shop online on Amazon, I scroll down, and I see who the manufacturer is," Derosia said.
Richards adds she will pay closer attention to where she shops this weekend.
"I'm gonna, like, search up the brand myself and then go from there," Richards said.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) also offers similar tips. Use a credit card for better fraud protection.
The BBB adds when online, look for small but big details in your web browser.
Experts say to look for HTTPS in the website URL. The BBB explains that it’s a more secure website than one with just HTTP.
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