Safe Online Shopping Practices

Risks in Online Shopping

While e-commerce has become part of daily life, fraud related to online shopping is increasing year by year. According to police statistics, annual consultations related to internet shopping number in the tens of thousands, with increasingly sophisticated tactics.

Major risks include:

• Fake E-Commerce Sites: Counterfeit sites mimicking legitimate brand designs that steal payment. Typical cases involve products never arriving or receiving inferior goods.
• Card Information Theft: Stealing credit card numbers and CVV through phishing emails or compromised payment forms.
• Account Takeover: Unauthorized login to e-commerce accounts via credential stuffing, making purchases with registered cards.
• Cookie Exploitation: If session cookies are stolen, your logged-in state can be hijacked.

How to Identify Safe E-Commerce Sites

Checking the following points before purchasing can significantly reduce the risk of fraud sites.

• URL Uses HTTPS: However, HTTPS alone doesn't guarantee safety. Fake sites can also obtain free SSL certificates, so this is merely a minimum requirement.
• Verify the Domain Name: Watch for domains that differ by one character from legitimate sites (typosquatting) or fake domains that include the legitimate name as a subdomain. Make it a habit to access sites via bookmarks or search engines.
• Business Information Disclosure: Legitimate e-commerce sites are legally required to display business name, address, and phone number. Sites missing these are suspicious.
• Unnaturally Low Prices: Extreme discounts like less than half the market price are a typical characteristic of fraud sites.
• Limited Payment Methods: Sites that only accept bank transfers or request transfers to personal accounts are high risk.

Specific Safety Measures When Purchasing

Making these measures habitual minimizes your risk of becoming a victim.

1. Enable Two-Factor Authentication: Set up two-factor authentication on e-commerce accounts to prevent unauthorized login even if passwords are compromised.
2. Don't Reuse Passwords: Set different passwords for each e-commerce site. Using a password manager is recommended.
3. Enable Credit Card Transaction Alerts: Set up card company app or email notifications to immediately detect unauthorized charges.
4. Use Virtual Cards: Disposable card numbers offered by some card companies let you shop without giving your real card number to e-commerce sites.
5. Avoid Purchasing on Public Wi-Fi: Unencrypted Wi-Fi carries the risk of communication interception. Complete purchases on mobile data or home Wi-Fi.

What to Do If You Become a Victim

If you've purchased from a fraud site or your card information has been misused, follow these steps.

1. Contact Your Card Company Immediately: Report the unauthorized use and request the card be suspended. Most card companies have compensation programs for unauthorized use.
2. Change Your Passwords: Immediately change the password for the affected e-commerce site. Also change passwords for other services where you used the same password.
3. Preserve Evidence: Save order confirmation emails, site screenshots, and transfer records.
4. Consult Consumer Hotline: Call the consumer hotline (188 in Japan) and consult your local consumer affairs center.
5. File a Police Report: For large amounts or clear fraud, file a damage report with the police. Cybercrime consultation services are also available.

To learn more about this topic, see Safe Online Shopping: 7 Tips to Avoid Scam Sites.

Common Misconceptions

Major e-commerce sites are 100% safe

Third-party sellers participate in major e-commerce marketplaces, and fraudulent sellers can slip in. It's important to individually verify seller ratings, review credibility, and return policies.

Convenience store payment is safer than credit cards

With convenience store payment or bank transfers, getting a refund after fraud is difficult. Credit cards have chargeback systems (refunds for unauthorized use), making card payment actually more advantageous for consumer protection.

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