With the arrival of Carnival in March, the volume of online and physical financial transactions with the use of credit/debit cards by proximity and Pix increases, increasing the risk of fraud and scams. Among the most common situations for companies and consumers are card cloning, fraudulent bank transactions with online data theft, and fake websites.
According to Monisi Costa, director of Payments & Banking at Vindi, “protection measures are essential for both companies and customers. Online and in person, it is essential to exercise extra caution to avoid sharing data on fake websites or unauthorized proximity payments.”
The Vindi specialist, a financial solutions hub from LWSA, has put together 12 essential tips for companies to protect their e-commerce sites and for consumers to prevent fraud.
Companies: protection for e-commerce and clients
- Utilize an anti-fraud system: careful investment in security is necessary. Use solutions with artificial intelligence to analyze buying behaviors and identify suspicious transactions.
- Have security certifications: certificates like SSL are important for encrypting customer data, keeping them protected. Moreover, sites with “https” are more trustworthy and convey security to consumers.
- Avoid payment redirection: have a simple and secure checkout, avoiding redirects that could expose customers to fake sites. Transparent checkout, for example, allows the completion of the purchase in the same environment, making it more secure.
- Monitor transactions: Real-time monitoring is essential to identify possible frauds such as purchases with unusual patterns, like multiple consecutive high-value purchases or orders coming from suspicious IPs.
- Payment and return policies: Your e-commerce needs to maintain, in easy access, a page with clear information about exchange, return, and order cancellation policies by the customer. This way, disputes are avoided, and consumer confidence is strengthened.
- Comply with security standards: It is essential that your e-commerce adheres to security regulations like PCI-DSS, as this ensures the protection of customer financial data and avoids penalties and reputational risks to your company.
Consumers: avoid scams and frauds
For consumers who will enjoy Carnival in the streets or indoors, it is necessary to double-check wallets and phones to prevent theft and unauthorized use of their cards and phones for payments and transfers.
- Street safety: Avoid using your phone and carrying numerous payment methods during street blocks. Check receipts and charged amounts when making payments with POS machines, in addition to being cautious about unauthorized payments by proximity of the phone or card. One option is to disable this payment method.
- Theft / Loss: In case of card and phone theft or loss, contact your bank and mobile operator and immediately block everything, in addition to filing a police report.
- If buying online: research the store’s reputation, if the company has a CNPJ and service channels. Be suspicious of very appealing and advantageous offers with products priced well below the market. It is also worth checking for complaints on sites like Reclame Aqui.
- Passwords and accesses: use strong passwords, block your phone and apps, have two-factor verifications and other security measures to prevent misuse of your phone and apps, as well as password changes by third parties in possession of your phone.
- Secure networks, sites, and links: avoid making purchases and Pix transfers through public Wi-Fi networks and always use devices with updated antivirus. Verify if the site or link you are going to access is secure before entering financial data. Sites with the “https” domains and Security Seals are more reliable.
Keep receipts and monitor transactions: saving or printing receipts for online purchases is essential, especially if there are any issues later on. In addition to keeping these receipts, monitor your bank movements after making online purchases to detect possible unauthorized charges.
