Consumer Awareness and Online Commerce Safety Tips

Most people are aware of the reasonable nature to shop online; the number one reason is to help consumers save money!  JUST LED US has taken into consideration that some people are unaware of certain issues consumers face when they are purchasing items online.  Be aware of extra costs when shopping or ordering items online, look out for extra shipping charges, duties, taxes and customs brokerage fees to bring goods into Canada.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) is the central agency in Canada that collects information and criminal intelligence on mass marketing fraud (telemarketing), advance fee fraud letters (e.g. West African), internet fraud and I.D theft complaints.

Should you recognize a scam, believe that there is a potential for a scam or become victim to a scam, report it and stop it!  JUST LED US endorses safe online shopping as the consumer’s experience should always be a safe one from the first click on the net and throughout the life cycle of the purchased products.  If you are viewing a website never click on a link you did not expect to receive, if in doubt block the sender.

Please go to the following link at the Canadian Anti Fraud Center (CAFC) for any and all concerns arising from the nature surrounding prevention and awareness for such matters. For American consumers please go to the following link RSA Online Fraud Resource Center.

Spam is considered to be any unsolicited commercial electronic message. It is often a source of scams, computer viruses and offensive content that takes up valuable time and increases costs for consumers, businesses and governments.  There are many preventative measures to which you can take to protect yourself, your computer and your email address from spam but please be aware that no law will eliminate all spam, including that from overseas!  Run more than one email account.

Think about who you have given consent to send you electronic communications.  Indexing and keeping an accurate record is sometimes considered to be a lengthy and drawn out process, but when compared to the downfalls associated to potential threats your records may shed some light should you have the need for handy reference.

Depending on your social stance (personal or business) you can categorize this reference into the areas of customers, clients, associates, donors, supporters, volunteers, members from the past two years, websites I have visited, and memberships and logins I have created for myself on the web. Generally there are added layers of protection in social media sites as per their policies and protocols but consumers should still educate themselves and make themselves aware of apps that share information with their parties.

Think of the pros and cons about your post or tweet and how you share information!

Passwords

You should be highly concerned if you are using a shared computer or allow others to use your mobile device or tablet. Make sure, if you have an app installed for purchases, that your device is protected with a password.  Use different passwords on different sites and never reuse your main email password and always consider using a non-sequential element as a password!  In-app purchases may be the cause of unexpected costs. When using such features to make your everyday on line experiences fluent we suggest that you do not share your mobile device as unauthorized purchases sometimes create hardships that are often difficult to reverse.

Secondly, be aware of how much info your apps can access and share.  Lock your apps so only you can open them, and hide or show apps based on who’s using your devices.  The amount of information which apps are now collecting for the developer is phenomenal ranging from things like Identity, location, photos/media & files, Wi-Fi connection information and device id & call information, location data as well as accessing your camera and microphone.  Some of this information is very personal.  Question the intention of the release of information and ask yourself, “Why does this app need to use one or more of my files from my device such as an image, video or audio?”  “Does the developer of this app list their information, or is it third party?”  These are important questions which relate to your safety and your children’s safety.

Consumers should know of the places that they have identified themselves including information such as your name, your business name, numbers, addresses, and the name of anyone you are speaking or writing on behalf of, email address or web addresses.

Ultimately it is up to the user to maintain the care, control and confidentiality of your user names(s) and password(s) that you use to access anything in this technologically advanced society, including your mobile services.

If you do not require the service or wish to disregard past services for whatever reason, request to “unsubscribe” but make sure to keep your records.  For further detailed Glossary items relative to types of electronic awareness please see, ‘Fight Spam‘.

There are a vast number of ways that you can protect yourself including using a credit card, as credit card companies have robust protection provisions against identity theft, but don’t assume that credit card companies or banks will pay you back.

There are important safeguards that you need to take to help protect your information and prevent loss, including;

•never carelessly or improperly handle, store or disclose your user name(s) or password(s).

•never voluntarily let another person use your computer, mobile device or tablet.

If you have lost your device, have been a victim of theft, have misused or compromised your name, password, mobile device or tablet or if you suspect unauthorized activity has occurred contact your carrier, provider, institution immediately and be sure to ask for help.  JUST LED US, be safe.

Internet Safety

You can also get a separate credit card with a low credit limit to use online, which will further limit your possible losses.  Or you may opt to have a disposable card or gift card but generally making purchases with this type of card limits the user’s ability to make large purchases.

Make sure your data is encrypted. Your web browser will let you know if you are shopping on an encrypted site.  The closed padlock icon or the prefix “https:” are intended to let you know that your transaction is secure (this does not, however, mean that your data is secure at any other times, only during the transaction itself).  JUST LED US uses the prefix “https:”. Only shop online on secure sites!  Don’t let links fool you, protect yourself from risky emails, texts, and codes even on social media sites.

After purchases, print a copy of your transaction receipt or save it to your computer as a PDF. Then clear your browser’s cache to remove evidence of your transaction. Another option for privacy protection (minimal, but your history will not be saved), you can also use something called “Incognito mode”, if you are using Google Plus, or “InPrivate”, if you are using Internet Explorer.  But, in any case, be wary of public Wi-Fi, never provide personal information while using it as it may not be secure.  Only install Anti-virus & Anti-Malware software from reputable companies and only install mobile applications from your mobile device’s or tablet’s app store.

Some security issues arise out of having older versions of software installed on your system when in fact they aren’t needed at all.  A lot of vendors of software will distribute tools to see if your system is running outdated software that is no longer needed.  It is important that your computer be updated with the latest security features and bug fixes.  Security software that keeps your computer free of malware will help keep it safe to send your financial information over your computer.

Loss prevention and data storage security are fundamental concerns for safety and when it comes to mobile devices and the likelihood that they may become misplaced, lost or stolen, a piece of advice that we would like to pose is lock your phone or tablet device.  If you have a “wipe your phone” feature, you should set it up; add a DNS service to protect other devices; enable two-step verification to your services and most importantly, realize that Macs are as vulnerable as PCs.

On shared computers, it is important to get into the habit of clearing the information you would otherwise leave behind. It is also important to actually log out (via a “log out” or “exit” link) of online stores so that subsequent users don’t have access to your accounts, purchase information, and payment methods.

As with all online businesses, governmental policies require consumer safety policies to be in place.  From time to time they must be updated.  When these updates occur so must the user review and update their account settings, so it is wise to monitor your profile, particularly if the design of a social media platform like Facebook, Twitter, You-tube, etc has changed.

It is wise to remove your home address, phone number, date of birth and any other information that could used to fake your identity.  Similarly you might want to delete or edit your “likes” and “groups” the more hackers know about you, the more convincing a phishing email they can spam you with.  Facebook apps often share your data, so delete any you don’t use or don’t remember installing.

Typically new businesses start up every day and they offer great products, customer service and satisfaction overall.  Of these new businesses most have dedicated a great deal of time and effort and they are honest and ethical, hard working individuals and companies. Before buying from a website or doing business with another user, look into who you’ll be doing business with. Marketplace sites typically have user ratings and you can do a web search for reviews of products and services before making a purchase.

Items can be described in various ways and the language used can sometimes alert you to what’s actually being sold. Words like “refurbished” or “like new” are just ways of saying “used” (this isn’t a bad thing, but it is worth knowing what it is you’re buying).  On some sites, scam artists will go so far as to state that an item is not actually the item in the photograph.  JUST LED US think!

If you are buying merchandise, make certain it is licensed and not counterfeit. There is a huge market online for counterfeit versions of high-end designer goods.  Not only are counterfeit goods illegal, but they are usually of shoddy workmanship.  It’s not impossible to find good deals online, but you should be wary of deals that make you want to run for your credit card.

We encourage you to be aware of potential fraudulent behavior by malicious parties. Some of the fraudulent behaviors that we have observed is companies that are using a similar name who sells LED lighting and of which that do not follow Electrical Standards for Manufacturers and Importers (8th Subtitle down the page of JUST LED US vs the Competitors ) Buyer Beware! If you are shopping on a website/e-store who claims they have an approval by CSA or UL ask for it and reference the directories provided on those given websites, do not hesitate to acknowledge this information as consumer safety is important to all of us.  If you are shopping on a website/e-store and you see a company using a name similar to JUST LED US Inc, make sure that you check the given certificate information closely so there is no rise to confusion when it comes to the company you think you are buying from.

Buyer Beware

There are many avenues and vendors which offer products on the internet and some are very tempting but be aware that some goods may have been stolen or otherwise acquired illegally.  These deals are often covers for scams because the vendors know you’re unlikely to report it as fraud and after all, a victim is far less likely to report being swindled to the police if the item they were purchasing was a music album that hasn’t been released yet, or a DVD of a movie that isn’t even playing in cinemas.  Even if the items are real, you could be breaking the law by buying stolen goods.  Be careful on auction sites. Unfortunately, items are listed on public domains that enable vendors to list items with very little information about themselves.  Although, it is not at the fault of the organization or company hosting such a service such as kijiji, Ebay or Amazon; they are not responsible for the posts or offers of articles that may exhibit the extent of such behaviour and this is an extension of security which may deliver unsatisfying results to people where they become a victim.