How to see if a website is reliable to buy
When we enter a website to buy Something, whatever it is, we have to look at some things that will help us find out if it is reliable or not. It does not mean that it is something exact and only with that we should dispense with certain safety recommendations, but it will certainly come in handy to reduce the risk.
General site content
First of all, what we have to do is analyze content well of that web page. See what it looks like, how the content is distributed, whether or not it adapts to what we expect from that website, etc. For example, if we have entered a website to buy cycling products, it would be strange to see other things that have nothing to do with it.
Therefore, this is the first clue we can get. Also the way in which the images, sections, text are displayed … Basically everything that would make us doubt if this site is really the one that corresponds or we may have mistakenly entered another false page.
See if it has encryption
This point must be taken with caution, as it does not mean that an encrypted site will be 100% secure. However, it is one more help that can come in handy. We mean to be HTTPS, which is the protocol that will allow our data to travel in encrypted form, as if it were through a tunnel.
If we get to a page that is HTTP we have to flee. We should never buy anything on these types of sites, nor should we enter personal data or log in. All of this could be exposed and end up in the hands of third parties who record the information and use it for profit.
Search information on Google
Another issue to take into account is the possibility of carrying out a google search. If we want to know more about a web page where we want to buy something, we can see comments from other users and possible reviews that tell us that it is a scam or that there is something strange.
This can also be applied to social networks or any Internet forum where other users have been able to post something related to the site. In many cases, the best way to detect possible fraud is to analyze the purchases that others have made before.
See company details
Any page that is reliable to buy online will have Company data. It is usually at the bottom of the site and we will find information about the physical address, who is responsible for that website, as well as general information that shows us that we are really facing a safe site.
In case we enter a page where none of this appears, we should doubt that it is safe or avoid buying there. Even if we see that there is information but it is diffuse or does not appear clearly as it should to confirm that it is really reliable.
Payment methods
We also have to analyze very well what payment methods do you accept. It is important that it allows you to pay with bank cards and PayPal, for example. They are methods that have protection in case of fraud. We are covered if the product does not arrive or it turns out that it is not what it should.
Instead, we should avoid pages that only allow payment via bank transfer. In this way we will have less guarantees that we are really in front of a reliable website to buy online and we could have problems.
How to buy online safely
Beyond taking into account some aspects related to the website itself, we must also control some recommendations to avoid security problems. This will help us to buy without complications and without being the victim of a scam.
Have the equipment protected
Of course, something essential is to have your computers fully protected. This means that we must have a good antivirus that allows detecting security threats, such as malware, that may reach us when buying from an unreliable web page.
A good antivirus is Windows Defender, but we can also count on others such as Bitdefender or Avast. Whichever option we choose, we must make sure that it is up to date and that it complies with everything necessary for its full operation. Also, we can add a firewall or even browser add-ons which will also help improve safety.
Keep everything up to date
Another important point is to have everything updated. This is essential to correct possible vulnerabilities that may appear in the system. These flaws are sometimes exploited by attackers to sneak malware and put security at risk. Therefore, having all the patches installed will be essential.
But we must also apply this to any program we use. For example the browser, which we will use to buy online, as well as any specific application for it. In this way we will be able to increase the security of the device.
Use only official apps and sites
When we go to make an online purchase, it is also very important that we only use official programs and directly access the sites of that store. For example, it would be a mistake to install a third-party application, since they do not have the same guarantees and our data could leak or end up buying something fake.
With this we will avoid making a payment from a site that is not really reliable. We must look at all times that the URL matches what it should be, as well as the application that we have installed on the mobile or any other device.
Common sense
But one essential piece of advice is common sense. Must avoid making mistakes, such as downloading a file of a supposed discount code that we have received by email without really knowing if it is reliable or if it is a scam that could contain malware.
The same when we go to make a payment. We must always avoid giving more data than necessary or entering websites from third-party links that we have received through social networks, WhatsApp or any other independent page.
In short, these are the main points to take into account to buy online with total security. It is necessary to keep the system clean, updated and use official applications. But so is maintaining common sense and not making mistakes.
