For the past few months, this Christmas has been announced as a mobile affair. PayPal saw a tremendous jump in mobile sales in the US and similar numbers are expected for Europe. The payments giant took it to its UK blog to advise its customers on how to stay safe while shopping on a mobile device.
The first of PayPal’s tips is fairly basic: lock and password protect your phone. This is one of the easiest steps to protect your phone, yet 48% of smartphone users do not use passwords on their phones.
Secondly, you should pay attention to suspect numbers and links. ‘Smishing” is a form of mobile phishing whereby cyber criminals send a text message to request personal information. PayPal recommends that users not call the number or click a link on the message. Neither your bank nor PayPal will ever request information via text or email. The company also recommends that you check your statements regularly – both your bank’s and your PayPal account. If you are on top of your finances, you will know if someone has hacked your account.
When buying through your desktop or mobile device, check the site’s address. To be sure the site is secure, it’s address should start by https instead of http. A small lock icon should also indicate the page is secure. PayPal also recommends that you double check public WiFi networks and update your mobile devices promptly.
With criminals moving their attacks to the mobile channel, it is important that shoppers know the basic steps to protect their accounts.
To read PayPal’s original blog post click here.
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