I'm no stranger to internet shopping. It's often cheaper than buying at a retail store. The convenience of it is what enables millions of people a year to avoid going to the mall, which is so valuable I would actually pay a premium. It's also a great way to find items that may be obscure or otherwise hard to find (Sidebar: Christmas, 1999. Wanted to buy a metal detector to search for buried treasure in the backyard. Used Christmas money and mom's credit card. Found roughly 13 pennies from the 1970s for a total value of 13¢. Total loss: $199.87. Lesson: Don't let your kid buy a metal detector).
With the internet being safer than ever, we have entered a realm where malicious people from all over the world have gotten more clever and more advanced than ever. The most common threat to internet safety now is accessing insecure websites. Be incredibly careful of where you enter your credit card info. Look up in the address bar for Gmail. See the small padlock next to the "https"? Never enter your card info into a website that doesn't have those two items. Avoid websites that look like they were designed in 1999. Stick to the big guys; Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Target, etc. When in doubt, buy local. Pay in cash (if you've dug up enough pennies by Christmas).
List of a few other tips:
Gus McGee is always happy to talk about digital safety. He can give you some examples of the sneaky cyber crimes being committed all over the world. This year, Gus is cutting out the middle man and just asking for buried treasure directly.
January 24, 2017
April 12, 2018
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