The distinctions between Black Friday and Cyber Monday blur into one even though retailers are marking them as individual sale days. With this comes the risks of online shopping; this is because Black Friday isn’t just in-store now; the online deals come thick and fast. At Used Mobiles 4U, we want to share our safe online Cyber Monday shopping tips, because we know how much people rely on these festive sales.

When is Cyber Monday 2021?

Cyber Monday was officially established in 2005, made up by a marketer. However, the phenomenon goes back to the beginning of online shopping. Before home computers and broadband connections, people would return to work on the Monday after Thanksgiving in America and shop from their office computers. Since then, it has become a seasonal shopping event worldwide; this year, Cyber Monday will fall on Monday 29th November. The date changes each year and comes typically after Black Friday; it’s often difficult to say exactly when the seasonal shopping event starts. Retailers will usually start their Black Friday and Cyber Monday weeks prior to the events and continue it throughout the weeks afterwards.

Shop from a secure computer

Security when shopping online is something we all need and want protection from when surfing websites for the best Cyber Monday deals. The data you enter to a website from your phone or laptop is at risk if you haven’t got an antivirus installed on your computer or phone. With your phone, it’s essential that you keep your internet-facing apps up to date with software for security when shopping online.

Shop using a secure connection

A secure connection on a website is the lock in the left-hand corner of the URL bar; this will protect you when shopping online. The HTTPS lock symbol in your browser URL address when shopping online is what you should look for. This is especially important throughout Black Friday and Cyber Monday; hackers will choose these events to target unsecured websites and grab your personal information.

Check each website’s URL

Checking a website’s URL or address is vital; sometimes, scammers will clone the website address of popular shops. It’s not always obvious to spot either; for example, it could be misspelt, which is easy to miss. We would definitely recommend double-checking the website address and look of the website; sometimes, it’s better to type it into Google and click on the official listing.

Plan ahead and don’t rush

Cyberattacks can happen in seconds; sometimes it only takes one click. If you’re clicking into a website from a newsletter email, just check the email is legitimate for your own security.

It can be frustrating to keep double checking websites and emails; however, you don’t want to be caught out by a hacker or scammer. Keep an eye out for more savvy security shopping tips from Used Mobiles 4U.