12 Tips to Avoid Carnival Fraud: Protect Your Business and Your Online Purchases

With the arrival of Carnival, in March, cresce o volume de transações financeiras online e físicas com o uso de cartão de crédito/débito por aproximação e Pix, increasing the risk of fraud and scams. Among the most common situations for companies and consumers is card cloning, fraudulent bank transactions with online data theft and fake websites

According to Monisi Costa, Payments & Banking director at Vindi, "protection measures are essential for both companies and customers". Neither online nor in physical form, it is essential to double the care to avoid sharing data on fake sites or contactless payments without consent.”

The Vindi specialist, financial solutions hub of LWSA, gathered 12 essential tips for companies to protect their e-commerce and for consumers to prevent fraud

Companies: protection for e-commerce and customers

1. Use an anti-fraud systemit is necessary to have a careful investment in security. Utilize artificial intelligence solutions to analyze purchasing behaviors and identify suspicious transactions. 
2. Have security certifications:certificates like SSL are important for encrypting customer data, that way they are protected. Furthermore, sites with "https" are more reliable and convey security to the consumer. 
3. Avoid redirecting payments:have a simple and secure checkout, avoiding redirects that may expose customers to fake sites. The transparent checkout, for example, allows the completion of the purchase in the same environment, becoming safer. 
4. Monitor transactions:real-time monitoring is essential to identify possible frauds such as purchases with unusual patterns, such as several consecutive purchases of high amounts or orders coming from suspicious IPs. 
5. Payment and Return Policies:your e-commerce needs to maintain, easily accessible, a page with clear information about exchange policies, returns and order cancellations by the customer. In this way, they avoid disputes and strengthen consumer trust. 

• Be compliant with safety standards: it is essential that your e-commerce follows security regulations such as PCI-DSS, because of this way, ensures the protection of customers' financial data and avoids penalties and reputational risks to your company. 

Consumers: Avoid scams and fraud

For consumers who will enjoy Carnival in the street or in enclosed spaces, it is necessary to double the care with wallets and cell phones in order to avoid theft and improper use of their cards and cell phones for payments and transfers. 

1. Be careful on the street:avoid using a cell phone and carrying numerous payment methods during street blocks. Check receipts and amounts charged when making payments on card machines, in addition to being careful with unauthorized payments by tapping the phone or card. One possibility is to disable this payment option. 
2. Theft / Loss:in case of theft or loss of cards and cell phones, contact your bank and mobile operator and block everything immediately, in addition to filing a police report. 
3. If you are purchasing online:research the store's reputation, if the company has a CNPJ and service channels. Beware of very attractive and advantageous offers with products at prices well below the market. It is also worth checking complaints on websites like Reclame Aqui. 
4. Passwords and accesses:use strong passwords, lock the phone and apps, two-factor authentication checks and other security measures can prevent misuse of your cell phone and apps, as well as password changes by third parties in possession of your cell phone
5. Secure networks, sites and linksavoid making purchases and transfers via Pix through public Wi-Fi networks and always use devices with updated antivirus. Check if the website or link you are going to access is safe before entering financial data. Sites with domain“https” and Security Sealsare more reliable

Keep receipts and track transactionssaving or printing the receipts of online purchases is essential, mainly, if there is any problem later. In addition to keeping these receipts, monitor your bank transactions after making online purchases to detect possible unauthorized charges