It is easy, it is fast and you never have to leave the comforts of your own home. Only problem is neither do the thieves that are out to get their next victim, which may just be you. You don’t just have to worry about the thieves but the deals and how much you spend. You can easily spend a lot more then you expect to pay when you visit one site or five and sometimes you forget that there is shipping and handling fees attached to those purchases. By the end of the afternoon you’ve went over your budget and don’t know what to do.
Shop Certified Sites
If you visit a site that isn’t certified someone can be stealing your information. You can find out if it is secured by looking for the lock at the top of the page or the certificate at the bottom. The url will also begin with https instead of just http, the s shows that it is a secure site. Once you see it is secure you know you can give them your social security number, credit card information and address. When a company is secured it offer protection against thieves, which means your information is safe.
Antispyware – Antivirus – Firewalls
Make sure your computer is safe from hackers and viruses. You can do this by making sure you have the latest antivirus/antispyware software and firewall when you visit sites. This will keep you from downloading things you do not want to download. Watch out for those emails that come to your inbox after you’ve made a purchase. Just because they say they are from a site you know check the URL before you ever click. One click could give your computer a virus or open the door to a hacker. Make sure the product you are purchasing meets the description; otherwise, you may be getting something else in the mail. If you believe, the price of a product is too good to be true it is probably a knock off. If you found a Louis Vuitton handbag for below $100 chances are it is a fake and you don’t want it.
Use Paypal Instead
When purchasing products online it is safer to use a credit card over a debit card because you give out less information, which means your identity will be harder to get stolen. Credit cards offer protection against thieves, whereas debit cards do not. Watch your credit card statements to ensure no one is using your cards and making purchases. This is a great way to spot a thief within 30 days and be able to shut off your card immediately. Another safe way to purchase items online is to use a Paypal card because you can always dispute any purchases made on the card. After you have made your purchase be sure to log out of that website, you don’t want someone else coming up on it next and your information still being there and they order a bunch of things through you.
