As the holiday shopping season nears, forecasts predict online sales to grow to historic levels as retailers turn to e-commerce to reach customers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and consumers opt to shop online for added safety.
According to Forrester, online retail is expected to grow 18.5% this year. In preparation, Jewelers Mutual Group cautions jewelers that an increase in online shopping can also pose a risk of increased cybercrimes to their businesses.
Common cybercrimes jewelry retailers should be aware of include:
- Identity theft using phishing techniques such as email or a phone call.
- Setting up fake accounts that mimic those of a company’s suppliers, and then asking for payment to that account.
- Taking over a store’s mailing system to obtain private information from its customers.
A few safety tips include the following:
- Add security and anti-virus software with increased levels of intrusion protection systems and firewalls to any computer connected to the internet.
- Update anti-virus software weekly or even daily.
- Take extreme caution when opening and downloading email attachments unless you know exactly what it is and that it is a reliable source.
Additional cyber security tips and information can be found in Jewelers Mutual’s Clarity blog.