Beware of Black Friday sales! You can lose money; use these tips and tricks to stop fraud

Black Friday sales pose a danger to shoppers. To stay safe, check out these tips and tricks from Microsoft that will help you stop fraudsters.

Stay safe while shopping online during Black Friday sales. Check tips and tricks here. (Pixabay)

Black Friday sales saw shopping levels zoom sky-high. However, online shoppers should know that fraudsters have an eye on these shopping trends and they are targeting shoppers with the intent of stealing their credit card, debit card and other data details. They look to lure people with outstanding deals that are fake. Bargain hunters are especially targeted. To make online shopping safe, Microsoft has issued certain tips and tricks that will stop fraudsters. According to a recent Microsoft survey, at least 63 percent of holiday shopping will be done online, hence the suggestions to keep your card details safe are quite timely.

According to Microsoft's survey, price and availability are the two most important things shoppers are considering this year. 54 percent of people report they are worried about supply chain issues. And one in five are willing to go to a third-party seller, like auction or resale sites, to get their must-have holiday gifts. While less than half of those surveyed say they consider the safety and security of their personal information when shopping online.

If you also feel that safety and security are one of the most important things to consider when you shop online then you can go through the below mentioned tips and tricks to avoid online scams and ensure that your money stays safe. A few simple things that can set us all on a path to a safer shopping experience are mentioned below:

1. Keep your password strong: Weak passwords are the entry point for most attacks and there are a whopping 579 password attacks every second!, according to the survey. Therefore it is advised to keep your password strong.

2. Turn on multi factor authentication: If an account or service offers multi factor authentication (MFA), turn it on. If someone else tries to log into your account, you will be able to thwart the attempt when you are notified with a text, email, or other chosen method. MFA can block over 99 percent of password attacks.

3. Use free, trusted tools: Microsoft Edge offers several free features to keep you safe while shopping online. Should any of your saved logins become compromised, Password Monitor will notify you, allowing you to quickly change your password with the new one-click Easy Update feature in Edge. Password Generator automatically generates a strong, unique password suggestion each time you need one, as you create accounts to get all those great holiday deals.

4. Delete your password altogether: Where possible, remove your password completely and choose an alternate, more secure form of authentication.

5. Don't fall for too-good-to-be-true offers: With so many people worried about availability, we all need to be extra vigilant about scams that may prey on our desires to get the gifts our loved ones want. The offers might be tempting to go for but keep in mind, most offers that seem too good to be true are just that.

6. Avoid clicking on unexpected links. Go to the official website and log in instead.