By Nilesh Jahagirdar
In the run-up to festivals, online carts fill fast, and so do the calendars of fraudsters. Most people picture a hacker breaking into a bank; in reality, a lot of festive-season fraud happens at the last step you take: the checkout page. Securing that moment is less about paranoia and more about a few habits that make you hard to trick and quick to recover if something goes wrong.
The Real Risks Hide In Plain Sight
Today’s scams are designed to look ordinary. A fake site with a familiar logo can rank in search ads. A phishing SMS can deep-link you to a “payment retry” page after a genuine order fails.
Malware-free “skimming” attacks inject a few lines of code into an insecure merchant page and quietly siphon card details at purchase. Account takeovers are even simpler: a recycled password from an old breach lets an attacker log in, change delivery addresses, and use your saved payment token.
Make Your Payment Method Do More Of The Work
Not all tender types offer the same protection. When possible, pay in ways that add a second check you control. In India, most card payments use an extra authentication step (OTP or app-based approval), which is a strong defence.
Credit cards typically come with clearer dispute rights than direct bank debits. UPI is safe when you pull money by scanning a verified QR or paying a known handle; be cautious with collect requests you did not expect, and always confirm the merchant name in your UPI app before approving.
Many banks also offer virtual cards or per-transaction limits; setting a low cap for online use lowers the stakes if a number leaks.
Treat Your Accounts Like House Keys
Attackers love reused passwords because they let them walk in through the front door. A password manager removes the need to remember dozens of logins and makes unique, strong passwords the default.
Turn on two-factor authentication for your primary email and your most-used marketplaces; those are the keys to everything else. If a site offers app-based prompts instead of SMS, take it; SIM swap and SMS forwarding scams do exist, and app prompts are harder to intercept.
Shop From Destinations You Control
How you arrive at a checkout matters. Type the store URL directly, use your own bookmarks, or go through the official app from a trusted app store.
Be careful with search ads for brand names. Small telltales help: inconsistent spelling, odd subdomains, payment pages that don’t match the site’s look and feel, or a checkout that asks for details no legitimate merchant needs. If you feel rushed, step back; a genuine deal will withstand two minutes of basic checks.
Keep Your Device And Network Boring
Boring is good in security. Update your phone and browser; most drive-by attacks rely on old software. Limit browser extensions, especially coupon “helpers” that read every page you visit. Avoid public Wi-Fi for payments; use mobile data or a private hotspot.
If you must use a shared machine, check out as a guest and never save credentials. A clean device turns many high-risk tricks into low-risk annoyances.
Slow Down At Failure Screens And Callbacks
A lot of theft happens after a payment seems to fail. Fraud pages mimic legitimate “retry” flows to capture card or UPI approvals on the second attempt. If a payment fails, don’t follow links in pop-ups or unsolicited emails; go back to the order in the official app or your account page and try again from there.
Likewise, if you receive a call claiming to be customer support, never complete a payment during that call. Ask for a ticket number, hang up, and reach the brand through a published channel. Real companies won’t ask for OTPs, remote-access apps, or to “approve a ₹1 refund request” to verify your account.
Leave A Paper Trail You Can Use
Good hygiene after checkout makes recovery easier. Turn on real-time bank and card alerts so you see unauthorised activity quickly. Save invoices and order confirmations in one folder. Check statements during the sale season; small test charges are often a prelude to larger ones.
If you spot a problem, act fast: freeze the card in your banking app, dispute the transaction, and change the password on any account that was involved. Speed is your friend; banks and merchants respond better when you report early with clear evidence.
Enjoy The Sale, Just Change The Defaults
The point of the season is to celebrate, not to stress. A handful of defaults, strong unique passwords, two-factor on key accounts, cautious navigation, safer payment choices, and quick reactions to anything odd, eliminate most checkout-stage risk without slowing you down.
When each of you does the simple things right, festive shopping stays exactly what it should be: joyful, fast, and forgettable, for all the right reasons.
(The author is the Co- Founder & VP of Marketing & Solutions at [x]cube LABS)
Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs, and views expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this website are personal and do not reflect the opinions, beliefs, and views of ABP Network Pvt. Ltd.
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