Greek Police Issue Guidelines for Online Shopping, Payments

In view of the summer season and in efforts to protect travelers and residents, the Greek Police Cyber Crime Unit has issued guidelines on how to ensure secure online transactions, including booking ferry or air tickets, hotels and car rental.

With regard to online bookings:

-Do not pay in advance to a company, tourist office or any other related entity,
-Search for information and related posts on ways the online entity addresses customer complaints,
-Request a receipt or written proof of purchase,
-Be wary of enticing offers, or when being pressure to finalize the purchase.

Concerning online transactions:

-Avoid carrying out transactions on public computers or wifi,
-Keep your software and virus protection up to date,
-Go directly to the address of the corresponding website,
-Proceed with payments-transactions only on legitimate and secure web pages as indicated by the symbol on the top left corner of your browser,
-Ensure HTTPS protocol is listed on said webpages,
-Change your passwords frequently,
-Use prepaid cards for payments,
-Before making any transaction through a website, contact the online shop via phone.

In cases of mobile phone transactions:

-Keep mobile phone software up to date as well as all other connected devices,
-Lock your mobile phone and use strong passwords,
-Make sure to check if apps are legitimate before downloading,
-Be cautious when connecting to Wi-Fi hotspot networks,
-Do not respond to messages (SMS) from unknown senders.

The Greek Police Cyber Crime Unit can be contacted by phone on 11188; by e-mail at ccu@cybercrimeunit.gov.gr; through twitter (@cyberalert); or through the Feelsafe E-Commerce app (iOS-Android).