Nowadays it is easier, more convenient and sometimes cheaper to shop online than to go shopping physically. However, there are many risks for online shopping such as: purchasing goods and not receiving them, buying goods that doesn’t match the description, phishing your account and stealing your identity, misusing your credit card and personal details and many others. Therefore, it is essential to know how to protect yourself and your money when you shop online. Here are some tips that may help you shop safely online:
Buy from Reputable Sellers: When shopping online try to buy from well known, legitimate and reliable companies. Also, make sure they have a physical address and phone number. It is a good idea to read other people’s reviews on the company or products; websites such as Epinions.com or BizRate have customers’ reviews which will help you in knowing about companies and products.
Use a Secure Website: Before entering your credit card details and other personal information, make sure that the website is using an encryption which is a security measure that scrambles data as it travels the internet. You can do so by checking if there is an “s” after http in the address bar, so it should read https://. Moreover, there should be a small padlock visible on the right side of the address bar or lower right corner of the browser window.
Keep your Browser Updated: Internet explorer 7 and 8 provide an extra layer of protection with sites that uses Extended Validation (EV) Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificates.
Read the Privacy Policy Agreement to find out how is the seller is going to use the information you are submitting. When paying, it is better to use your credit card than to use your debit card. Credit cards are better to use because their transaction are protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act, which covers disputes over non-delivered or misrepresented merchandise.
Keep a Record: Make sure that you print and save a copy of your electronic transactions. Also, make sure you write down the delivery date and information in order to keep track on your purchases. Always check your credit card and bank statements to see if there is an unauthorized activity in your account.
Install a Firewall and clean your computer with software that detects spyware.
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