In 2023, over 57% of Filipinos surveyed reported that they shopped online every week, making the Philippines one of the most advanced consumer economies in the world. However, the normalcy of online shopping may have led to a misplaced sense of security.

Cybercriminals are now exploiting a lack of knowledge among Filipino consumers to steal private information, often selling this data to other malicious parties.

If you’re a frequent online shopper, knowing how to identify safe online stores is more important than ever. Becoming truly ready for today’s online shopping environments will help safeguard you from fraudsters, identity thieves, and data breaches, ensuring a more enjoyable experience overall. 

Common Threats to Your Safety as an Online Shopper

Before we delve into how to ensure safe transactions, it helps to know what threats to watch out for. Common online threats to consumers include, but are certainly not limited to, the following:

• Phishing scams. Cybercriminals may pretend to be legitimate businesses to trick consumers into providing sensitive information like credit card details or account login credentials. These scams can be set up in several ways, but they most often involve fake websites, social media pages, or e-commerce platform accounts that are made to fool consumers into buying counterfeit or nonexistent items.
• Data breaches. Data breaches can be accidental or the result of hackers gaining unauthorized access to privileged information. Depending on the extent of the breach, these incidents can lead to identity theft, financial losses, and a breach of privacy.
• Counterfeit products and fraudulent sellers. The internet is rife with sellers who are ready to take your money, even if it means intentionally mischaracterizing their offers. While some sellers of counterfeits are open about the nature of their wares, many others will go to great lengths to fool unsuspecting customers into forking over cash for inferior and potentially dangerous products.

Online Store Green Flags

Now that you understand the threats you need to look out for, here are some important green flags that indicate that the online store you’re exploring is legitimate:

1) Secure Website Connection (HTTPS)

Look for “HTTPS” in the site’s URL and a padlock icon next to it. The “s” in “HTTPS” stands for “secure,” indicating that the website’s communications are encrypted. HTTPS encryption, though not strictly necessary, makes it significantly more difficult for hackers to access personal information as you transact on the website.

There are certainly plenty of legitimate “HTTP” websites. However, you should never complete any purchases on them, given that there may be unauthorized parties between that website and your computer who are waiting to intercept your personal information.

2) Clear Contact Information

Trustworthy online stores will always provide clear contact information. At the bare minimum, they should offer a phone number, email address, and physical address. This transparency allows them to be more easily reached and researched before you commit to a purchase.

3) Verified Customer Reviews

Genuine online stores often feature legitimate customer reviews, sometimes verified by third parties to prevent astroturfing (the creation of fake review content). Watch out for astroturfed content and look for signs of authenticity such as language patterns that are more typical of Filipino reviewers. 

4) Presence on Social Media

Reputable online stores will almost certainly have active social media profiles with consistent branding and authentic interactions. Observe how the seller engages with their customers on these platforms to gain insights into their legitimacy.

5) Professional Website Design

Legitimate companies will often go the extra mile to develop and protect their reputation. An aesthetically pleasing yet functional site, with live links that lead to real web pages, can be a good indication that the seller is authentic since building all of these is often too much effort for most scammers.

Just remember, however, that outdated web designs, broken links, or poor-quality images are not always indicative of an unsafe website. All the same, when these are combined with other red flags, they could indicate a lack of legitimacy on the part of the business.

6) No Excessive Ads 

A trustworthy online store will not bombard you with excessive ads, pop-ups, or suspicious links. Even if a seller is technically legitimate, these are often signs of a potentially unsafe website or one involved in a so-called “black hat” industry like online gambling.

7) Clear Return and Refund Policies

Trustworthy online stores provide clear and detailed return and refund policies, often right on the main page. A website that does not have any return or exchange policies is probably not one you can trust.

8) Uses a Secure Payment Gateway

During checkout, check if the site’s payment gateway is legitimate. Look for well-known payment processors like Maya and avoid using unfamiliar payment solutions.

9) Visible Trust Seals from Reputable Organizations

Trust seals from regulators like the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as well as reputable cybersecurity and payment processing companies are a good indication that the site is secure. Make sure that these seals are clickable and lead to the verifying organization’s pages. 

10) Consistent Branding

A trustworthy online store will always maintain the same branding across its website, social media, and brick-and-mortar locations. Inconsistencies in logos, fonts, or color schemes can be a red flag that indicates a phishing site.

11) Realistic Prices

Lastly, scammers will often lure victims with unbelievably low prices. Always shop around to compare prices and be wary if you find an offer that is significantly below typical market rates.

Strengthen Your Household’s Cybersecurity Awareness

With these points, you can significantly reduce your risks of falling victim to scams when shopping online. Your awareness of these can do a lot to improve your shopping experiences with banking products like the Landers Cashback Everywhere Credit Card by Maya. 

Don’t forget to share what you know with your loved ones, as the impacts of online scams can easily affect entire families. Together, we can make the emerging world of e-commerce in countries like the Philippines a much safer environment for all.