In a rush to snag those holiday deals? Not so fast. During this time of year, stores send out deal notifications and coupons to entice buyers to get their online and offline business. Before you click on that great deal, take a look at the the sender section of the email to see who sent it to you. If the email address doesn’t match the store’s website, err on the side of safety and don’t necessarily use the link. This season is rife with scammers hoping to capitalize on those doing their holiday shopping online.

Here’s how to stay safe.

Link to a Great Deal

If you use a suspicious link to a great deal and the website asks that you log in, entering your information is highly risky! If it’s an imposter website, you could be giving your private information to a scammer. (This type of scam is known as phishing.) Check the address bar (scroll up if you’re on a mobile device and the address bar is hidden). Does it match the store’s website? No? Don’t enter any information and close the tab/browser!

To get the great deal (if it’s legitimate!) and avoid entering your information through a suspicious link, log in to the site on a separate tab and then come back to your email to use the link. Your browser should recognize that you’re already logged in. If you’re prompted to log in again, WATCH OUT! You’re probably being scammed (phished) for your information.

This advice also works for any scenario where an email may provide links to websites that require a login, such as to a work web portal.

Coupon Code

If you’re provided with a coupon code, you can go to the website directly (or the app) and just type in the code. This way, you avoid using the link entirely.

At Cyber Safe Workforce, we like great deals as much as the next person. We’re here to help you be an aware online shopper.