Black Friday is but a few days away and consumers are preparing to hit the online shopping strip.<\/p>\n
As with any increased spending period, consumers are urged to remain vigilant and alert when transacting at a point of sale or online.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re in the festive season and are feeling carefree, but that does not mean that criminals and fraudsters have taken the day off as well.<\/p>\n
Data from eCommerceDB shows that South Africa<\/strong> <\/a>is the 37th largest market for eCommerce<\/strong><\/a> with a revenue of US$4 billion in 2020, placing it ahead of Portugal and behind Nigeria.<\/p>\n The South African eCommerce market’s growth of 29% contributed to the worldwide growth rate – also of 29% – in 2020.<\/p>\n Online shopping is one of the fastest-growing retail platforms in South Africa, and thousands of consumers opt for online shopping to avoid long queues at malls. It therefore makes sense to update and familiarise oneself with the necessary safety features and measures while shopping.<\/p>\n After all, you would not enter your card pin with someone leering over your shoulder while paying in a shopping queue, so why expose yourself similarly online?<\/p>\n \u201cWe urge consumers to remain vigilant of scammers who are looking to steal your money and personal details in the real world and the virtual world,\u201d said Nelisa Zulu, Head: Card and Payments South Africa at Standard Bank.<\/p>\n