Brought to you by Bank of Ireland
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are upon us…
Once a phenomenon confined solely to the United States on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday has gone global in a big way in recent years.
So big has it become, in fact, that it has spawned a sequel, Cyber Monday, where there are even more deals on offer for consumers just three days afterwards.
When you put those two days together and consider that both fall within a month of Christmas, it’s not hard to see why this week will probably be the busiest for online shoppers all year.
Convenient at any time, online shopping is going to be even more popular ahead of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas due to the impact of Covid-19 this year.
And while it’s certainly exciting and satisfying to bag a bargain or two or get the Christmas presents wrapped up well in advance, it’s important not to lose sight of the dangers that come with shopping online in the coming days and weeks.
Those dangers are explained in greater detail here and on the Bank of Ireland security zone, a one-stop-shop to help you learn how to protect yourself from fraudsters, spot common scams, and manage your payments and accounts with confidence this festive period.
To summarise, here are some easy tips to follow to ensure your online shopping experience is as safe as possible and to spare you any regret further down the line.
- Beware of texts pretending to be from your bank asking for online banking or card details, AKA ‘Smishing’. Bank Of Ireland will never send you a text with a link to a site that asks you for your full 365Online PIN or one-time passcodes.
- Beware of unsolicited calls claiming to be from your bank, asking for online banking or card details, AKA ‘Vishing’ calls. Bank of Ireland will never call and ask you for your full 365Online PIN or one-time passcodes that they’ve sent to you in a text.
- Beware of illegitimate websites – always type the website address into your browser rather than clicking a link in an ad.
- Buy from reputable brands or from websites that you know and trust.
- Avoid identity theft by clearing information from a device before you sell it or give it away and avoid sharing personal information on social media.
Bear all of the above in mind and your online shopping experience this Black Friday and Cyber Monday will certainly be a safe one.
Whether you end up satisfied after getting all you need, on the other hand, is entirely up to you!
Security Zone is Bank of Ireland’s online hub for information security and a point of reference in the delivery of communications.
The dedicated security zone is one of a number of initiatives to raise customer awareness by Group Information Security, including brochures and engagement with social media and business digital teams
For more information, visit www.bankofireland.com/security-zone.
Brought to you by Bank of Ireland
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