While shopping online is easy and convenient, it can leave you vulnerable to scams. To protect your account and identity, follow these six tips whenever you shop online:

Use strong and unique passwords
Don’t create passwords that can be easily guessed, like your date of birth, initials, and home address.

As much as possible, never use the same password in different websites and apps. If one account is hacked, it’s easy for hackers to guess the login details of your other accounts.

Review the privacy policy
Know where and how your information is used by the website or app.

Download shopping apps from official app stores only
Make sure to download apps from official platforms like the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

Be mindful of the access you allow on your apps. If an app asks to sync with your contacts or track your location, you can disallow it.

Check if an email or SMS is legit
Fraudsters mimic companies to trick customers into giving their personal information through email or SMS. Whether you’re asked to confirm your delivery address, or claim a reward or voucher, think before you click. Check if the sender is legit and go to the company’s official website to find out if an offer is real.

Use a secure payment service
When paying for anything online, check if the merchant has logos like “Mastercard ID check” and ”Verified by Visa” on their checkout page. These tell you they are 3D secure compliant which means a One-Time Password (OTP) will be sent to your mobile phone to authorize a transaction. This acts as an extra layer of security for your protection.

Activate account notification
Some banks notify you via SMS or email whenever there is a transaction on your account. It’s best to enable these when they’re available so you’re alerted in the event of a fraudulent transaction