Shop online safely





















 

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In recent years, online shopping has drastically increased with more consumers than ever now taking advantage of this time and money saving shopping experience. Today, you can purchase just about any item online. The internet is home to thousands of sites offering great deals and quality products. However, there are unsavory characters that prey upon consumers in an effort to steal their money, personal information, and even their identity. If you do not know about the risks of shopping online and how to protect yourself when online shopping, you could become the victim of a cyber criminal.

There are a number of risks you should be aware when shopping online. For instance, there are fake sites that look like major shopping sites that are designed to earn your trust so the cyber criminal can steal your personal and financial information. There are also sites that are used to phish passwords and account names. They will use the information to enter your accounts, purchase items using your financial information, and steal your identity. For the victim, the result can be financially and emotionally devastating. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to protect yourself when you shop online to reduce the risk of becoming a victim.

When you are visiting an unfamiliar website, or a site that is not well-known, it is important to make sure there are business contact numbers, email addresses, and a physical address. As well, make sure the site is a verified seller. There should be a trustmark logo that indicates that the site is secure. It is also important to make sure their payment transactions are encrypted so check for SSL certificates. SSL uses a cryptographic system that uses two keys to encrypt data. Websites that use encryption will have a key or closed lock in the web browser. Also, you should check to see if the payment site address begins with https://. The https indicates that site has a secure server.

When you are on a website, read their security and privacy policy to verify that they do not sell your information to third parties and your money will be returned if there is a problem with your purchase. Keep a record of the transaction and check your credit card statement to confirm that you were charged the stated price. Use a credit card, not a debit card, for online purchases. Using a pre-load credit card is a good choice. As well, never send any personal and financial information through email, including your social security number.

Shopping online allows consumers to locate and buy a broad range of goods and services. It is important to keep security in mind when you are shopping online. If you are visiting a website, it is vital that you make sure it is a legitimate site with all of the essential security features. By practicing safe Online Shopping habits, you will be able to make the most out of your online shopping experience without becoming a victim of cyber crime.

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Millions of people buy online every day without any problems.
With a bit of commonsense and knowledge, you can avoid problems with ecommerce.

Risks

    * Buying goods that aren’t delivered.
    * Goods which don’t match the description.
    * Delays and hassles with online purchases.
    * Poor after-sales service.
    * Misuse of your credit or debit card details.

Deal with reputable sellers

    * Pick good sellers, especially when buying from private individuals.
    * Look for evidence of a physical address and telephone contact details.
    * Don’t judge a person or company solely by their web site.
    * Be especially cautious when buying from overseas companies.
    * Check sellers’ privacy policy and returns policy.
    * Use an appropriate, safe means of online payment to get some protection against non-delivery  
       (see Make payments online safely).

Use a secure website

    * Make sure you use a secure web site to enter credit card information. Look for a padlock symbol in
       the bottom right of the browser window and for the website address to begin with ‘https://’ (see
       Learn about secure web pages).
    * If you are using the latest browser technology and the shop has the latest website security,
       known as an Extended Validation SSL Certificate, your address bar may turn green when you are
       on a secure site.
    * If you get a warning about a certificate be very cautious indeed. However, the padlock is not an
       absolute guarantee of safety and it says nothing about the business’s ethics.
    * Click on the padlock to check that the seller is who they say they are and that their certificate is
       current and registered to the right address.
    * Don’t be fooled by a padlock that appears on the web page itself. It’s easy for conmen to copy the
       image of a padlock. You need to look for one that is in the window frame of the browser itself.

Beware scams

    * If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Cross-check information on the internet and see
       if anyone else has had problems.
    * Beware of work from home scams which promise easy profits but never pay.
    * Buy from reputable companies.
    * Be extremely wary of anything that is offered in an unsolicited or spam email.

Selling online:

If you are a business selling online:

    * Validate new customers and suppliers using published information (e.g. address or phone
       number).
    * Obtain a credit status report before shipping goods on credit.
    * E-commerce businesses are liable for any fraud on cards they accept (unless they are using
       'Verified by Visa' or 'Mastercard Sercurecode'.  These systems can help protect businesses from
       chargebacks that result from fraud).
    * Using the Address Verification System (AVS) and Card Security Code (CSC) checking systems will
       significantly reduce the risks from e-commerce fraud.
    * Authorisation does not guarantee payment and so businesses must do all checks to validate the
       customer and delivery address.

The Above info was taken from: GetSafeOnline.org
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