Swindon shoppers have a great choice when it comes to picking up presents for family and friends this year with the Brunel Shopping Centre, Parade, and Designer Outlet all enjoying brisk trade.
While these options give you a great opportunity to get out and see items in person, many consumers will want to order online from the comfort of their own homes. This appeals to those who know what they are looking for and want to avoid the busy shops and chilly weather.
However, online security should remain a priority for consumers whether they are Christmas shopping, checking their social media pages, placing a bet on one of the many sporting events taking place this Winter, or simply having a browse.
We will all have experienced different forms of online security including password management, multi-factor authentication, and those annoying systems where you have to select the correct pictures to access a site.
However, with consumers more likely to explore their online options, it is important we maintain awareness. One great example of this is the growing popularity of online casinos across the UK and beyond.
Licensed UK operators must adhere to standards set out by the UK Gambling Commission. This includes operating in a fair and transparent manner, securely storing customer information, and signing up for the GamStop self-exclusion service.
While these regulations are in place to protect customers, they can limit freedom of choice and many look at offshore alternatives with a greater selection of payment methods, games, and betting markets.
Online gambling expert Liliana Costache explains that the flexibility these options offer makes them an attractive proposition for UK consumers, but it is important that they stay vigilant and only visit secure options. Consumers can check alternatives here that provide licensed and secure online betting sites.
One of the best ways to avoid online scams beyond taking recommendations from trusted sources is to be able to identify them. Finding the best betting odds, and prices on products, or services is a priority for many, but there are unscrupulous people out there using sophisticated techniques to run scams.
Some of the key things to look out for online that could identify a potential scam include requests for personal information including banking details. This can take place by email or other forms of contact like social media.
Never divulge information to people who contact you or on sites you aren't sure about. If you are contacted by a service you use, make sure you contact them independently and not by following links or numbers provided by the potential scammer.
Independently contacting the service will help you find out whether the request is genuine or not.
Online consumers must remember that they are the ones in control of transactions and requests for payments, to visit a site, or to make payments in alternative ways including vouchers or transfer services should be met with caution.
If you receive unexpected contact, always check that it has come from a legitimate source and that the message is legitimate. Deals that appear too good to be true often are, and checking online review sites can also determine the legitimacy of a site.
