Is Shein Safe? Risk Assessment and Actionable Tips

Shein security measures  

Despite numerous doubts about Shein security, the marketplace uses a range of security measures:

🔐HTTPS encryption. It’s a standard method that uses SSL encryption for securing data transmission between your device and the Shein website to protect your personal information and payment details.

🔐Secure payment gateways. Shein offers payments with bank cards, PayPal transfers, and other online payment services such as Venmo and Afterpay.

🔐User account protection. Shein requires you to keep your account secure by using strong passwords while requiring an extra layer of security checks with 2FA.

🔐Privacy policy. The site describes in detail how it collects user data as well as how it’s stored and protected.

🔐Fraud prevention activities. With the help of fraud detection tools, Shein regularly detects and prevents any cases of scams, phishing attacks, and other fraudulent operations on the platform.

So, іs Shein safe for real? Although the Shein app uses the security measures outlined, it does not mean that it takes the right approach to your online safety and can be considered a legitimate online store. That’s why we must talk about security risks and Shein disadvantages before you go shopping on this online marketplace. 

Shein safety concerns and potential risks

Shein has several security flaws that you should pay attention to if you want to use the platform safely:

⚠️Data privacy issues. Even though Shein has a privacy policy that clearly states its data collection practices, you should remember that Shein operates with a lot of your personal information that can leak when a data breach happens. No company has full protection against hacker attacks, which means you still risk your privacy when you share your sensitive information with the platform.

⚠️Vulnerability to data breach. In addition to quite aggressive data collection practices, Shein appears to be vulnerable to data breaches. For instance, the Shein data breach in 2018 affected millions of customer accounts, including credit card and personal details. This highlights a serious security lapse and raises concerns about the company’s ability to protect user data. Such cases are an alarm signal for many customers who share online a lot of their personal information.

⚠️Phishing attacks and scams. A vulnerability common for all e-commerce platforms doesn’t omit Shein, which is why you’re likely to get messages with phishing links and see Shein scams with fake product listings with too-good-to-be-true offers.

⚠️Product quality. Shein faces a risk common for many companies inside the fashion industry: product counterfeits and low-quality clothes, often made of toxic materials, are frequent on this marketplace. A relatable product listing may have pictures of a good-looking item, but in reality, clothing quality may turn out to be different from what you’ve expected to get due to inconsistent sizing and other issues.

⚠️Unethical labor practices behind items production. Additionally, you can never be sure about Shein’s supply chain transparency that raises ethical concerns. In fact, the business practices of many fast fashion companies often violate the labor rights of their workers and harm environmental sustainability by improper handling of textile waste. While some customers report receiving exactly what they ordered, concerns about overall quality and reliability remain prevalent.

⚠️Intellectual property issues and counterfeit risks. Shein has been embroiled in allegations of intellectual property theft, with accusations of using designs from independent artists and small businesses without permission. The company has also been accused of selling counterfeit items, including imitations of popular brands.

Taking into account the main security concerns related to the Shein app and Shein products, you may think it is an unsafe online store you don’t want to visit. But there are several effective ways you can secure your online shopping on this platform. Bear with us, we’re going to share these actionable tips with you!

How to shop at Shein safely 

So, is Shein safe? Definitely not. But Shein’s low prices can be a reason why you still want to do online shopping exactly with the Shein app despite ethical implications and issues with Shein’s privacy policy. When buying from Shein, it’s important to be cautious and consider the ethical implications of your purchases. Follow these steps to safeguard yourself when shopping on Shein:

🛒Use strong passwords. Create complex, hard-to-guess passwords to avoid a breach of your Shein account with brute-force password crack. The more complex your password is, the better.

🛒Enable two-factor authentication (2FA). With 2FA enabled in your account settings, gaining unauthorized access to your profile becomes almost impossible as nobody can log in your Shein account without your confirmation even if they manage somehow to get your login credentials. On top of that, you’ll notice suspicious account activity when you get a login confirmation request.

🛒Pay only with platform-supported methods. Use only secure payment methods that Shein operates with like credit cards or PayPal. Also, don’t save your payment information in your Shein account . In such a way, you’ll compromise your Shein credit card safety because your payment details may also leak into the wrong hands if a data breach occurs.

🛒Don’t click on suspicious links. Any odd-looking link or strange message sent from anyone is a big red flag signaling you’re one step ahead of falling into a phishing trap.

🛒Track your orders and understand return policies. Make sure to keep an eye on your orders and familiarize yourself with Shein’s return policies to avoid any issues. Understanding shipping options and timelines is also crucial to ensure a smooth shopping experience.

🛒Use a virtual private network (VPN). By using a VPN, you can conceal your identity online and protect your network security. A VPN app passes all your Internet traffic through an isolated “tunnel” to a remote server, so nobody can see what you do online. Even if hackers somehow intercept your traffic, they’ll read a bunch of meaningless symbols impossible to decipher without a special decryption key. However, beware of free VPN apps that don’t encrypt your data enough and sell your personal information to third parties. Instead, try VeePN — a premium VPN application that can guarantee you a solid Internet privacy. Keep on reading to learn more!

Why choose VeePN for secure Shein shopping on a public network

There are a bunch of sound reasons why VeePN is your go-to cybersecurity solution for safe Shein shopping online:

🛡️Top-tier encryption protocols. VeePN uses a military-grade encryption standard that makes reading your personal information impossible. Hackers will need thousands of years to decode your sensitive information.

🛡️No Logs policy. We commit ourselves to a policy of not gathering and selling your sensitive information for commercial purposes.

🛡️High connection speeds. Even though VPN apps are believed to slow down connection speeds, VeePN offers a stable and high-speed Internet connection thanks to the WireGuard® protocol and a vast range of servers in 89 countries. You’ll shop with your Shein account with your regular connection speed but solid online security.

🛡️Breach Alert. In case your sensitive information leaks and appears in databases of stolen data, you’ll get an instant alert to take action and safeguard your identity.

With VeePN activated, you can calmly consider Shein a legit fashion online store. You can use one VeePN subscription to secure up to 10 devices simultaneously. Download VeePN right now and enjoy a 30-day money-back guarantee! 

Written by VeePN Research Lab VeePN Research Lab is dedicated to provide you latest posts about internet security and privacy.

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