One reason why people may be sceptical about doing internet shopping is the possibility of identity theft, and this is perhaps one of the scariest things that can happen to someone. This occurs when someone gets a hold of your social security card, credit card, or bank account information. They then use your purchasing power to buy goods or even get credit cards or loans in your name. In the end, you accumulate more debt than you could ever imagine. And it is for this reason that you need to be careful when shopping online. Personal information needs to be protected so thieves cannot impersonate you or use your credit card.
To avoid this situation from ever happening to you, here are five simple tips to help keep your identity protected.
The first and maybe the most important is how you choose your password. The password for your computer should be different from the password you use for internet shopping. When choosing a password for any of your financial institutions, make sure you use a creative password. It is ideal to use combinations of at least five number, letters, and or symbols when allowed. You should also be careful when responding to any emails, phone calls, or letters from people that require you to provide them with your passwords, social security number, date of birth, credit card number, or any personal information. Online businesses do require this information, and requests of this nature may be a signal of a thief.
The next thing you should remember when internet shopping is to verify that the stores you want to purchase from are legitimate. It is wise to do a little research about the store, and check for customer reviews and opinions, which can help you determine if the company is real. Also pay, attention to third-party seals of approvals on the site, which may be given by the Better Business Bureau and TRUSTe, since most companies have to abide by standard rules of ethics to receive such approval.
Encryption is also another important factor you should consider, especially when using your credit card or give important information over the web. This is a security measure that scrambles data as it traverses the internet. Check to see if the address of the site begins with http or https. The ending “s” stands for the word secure, or even the little lock icon on the browser’s status bar.
Another thing to remember is a company’s privacy policy. When internet shopping, most sites have privacy policies posted on their site. Make sure that you double check their methods like if they collect any information about you, why, and how will this information be used. If the privacy policies are nowhere to be found on the site, then you are better off looking at another site.
Lastly, before finalizing your purchase, make sure to review the company’s return, refund, and shipping and handling policies. If necessary, print all the policies, terms, conditions, warranties, item descriptions and any other company information and keep it with your records.
Internet shopping has many benefits. Unfortunately, there is also a downside, which is why ensuring safety online will protect you from identity theft.
Author Resource:
Dixipay Ltd is the author of this article on Online payments .
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