Paypal: 'Cheap bargain hunters risk online security'
Online shoppers should make sure their payments are safe, according to one company.
While the internet is a popular tool for snapping up cheap bargains unavailable on the high street, Paypal, the online payments transfer service, has warned consumers to make sure the sites they use are secure.Office for National Statistics research has shown that 27 million people plan to do their Christmas shopping on the internet, but Paypal has revealed that only one in seven online bargain hunters check that the site they purchase items from can be trusted.
The firm is warning shoppers to be extra vigilant as they use the internet to buy presents and other items to celebrate the festive season in order to avoid turning the holiday into a disaster.
Garreth Griffith, head of risk and security at PayPal, said: "Shoppers will be able to get some great bargains online this Christmas but there is no need to sacrifice security in the hunt for a great deal.
"There are some simple steps to safe shopping online and if the deal looks like it is too good to be true then just take a minute or two to check it out."
The steps include looking for the padlock icon, checking when it comes to entering details onto a site that it begins with 'https' and making sure the company is who it says it is.
A seperate report from PayPal recently revealed that the majority of people living in the countryside are using the internet to do their shopping and pick up online bargains.
Some 94 per cent of village residents said that they are taking advantage of deals available on the net, with 42 per cent claiming that choice and convenience are the reasons why travelling to the high street is no longer the best option.
Written by Tobias Bluth
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