Stay Safe When Shopping Online
With online shopping becoming commonplace in recent years, the need for safety precautions when making online purchases has also risen.
Many people are unsure of how to stay safe, protect their identity and credit cards while buying from online stores and vendors. And websites are working to create better methods of online protection for consumers. Online shopping doesn’t have to be dangerous, as long as you know what to watch out for, let me explain.
Using a secure method of payment is always the best option. Look for websites that use PayPal or BidPay, or show https:// on your browser when checking out. These sites are specially designed to prevent fraud and protect both the buyer and the seller from potential problems. The advantage of Paypal and Google Checkout is the vendor never gets your credit dard information.
If you are using a credit card, you are at risk for theft every time you give out your card number. Although experts agree that using a credit card is far safer for online shopping than a debit card (credit cards hold extra protection against fraud, but debit cards don’t), you still need to take care. One way to avoid problems in this area is to buy a virtual credit card. These prepaid gift cards are the best way to go because they come with a preset limit, which you have already paid, whether that be $10 or $500. There is no way for anyone to spend more than the limit, even if they steal your number. Virtual cards also offer special online shopping protection.
Bank account numbers, passport or other ID numbers and passwords should never be kept on your computer, unless encrypted. Some websites utilize spyware to enter your computer and search out this information to be sent back to unscrupulous people, allowing them to rob your identity. Instead, keep this information on a burned CD or a USB memory
stick which you can remove easily. Better yet, just write it down in a handy notepad that you keep beside your desk. Hackers haven’t yet figured out how to get to offline materials!
When paying for something during your online shopping spree, avoid using services like Western Union or any other direct payment method where you are not protected. With systems like PayPal or Google Checkout, if you don’t receive the goods after sending payment, you have ways to reclaim your money, whereas with a check, or certain other payment methods you have no proof. Some companies will ship C.O.D but tht is not that safe because it could be a rock or anything in the box, except if you had paid by a regular check you can cancel the check.
Make sure there is a privacy policy on the website. This should just say that they promise to keep your information safe and will not sell, rent or give it away to anyone else. If there is no privacy policy, do not submit your information since it will then become public property.
Of course some well known sites like Amazon can be trusted, so you don’t have to be too paranoid.
Also, when doing your online shopping, you should always have an anti-virus and an anti-spyware program installed on your computer and running. Online shopping while unprotected is a very dangerous venture! You can pick up all sorts of nasty problems while searching for that perfect Christmas gift!
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