Compared to other forms of selling, online shopping has increased in popularity and ease of use like nothing else in recent memory. Almost all online purchases in the United States are now made via Amazon or Zappos, two of the fastest-growing online retail corporations. Compared to conventional brick-and-mortar retail, online buying carries a greater risk of financial identity theft and fraud.
According to the Pew Research Center, 41% of Americans say they have been victims of illicit credit card transactions. Here’s where you go to tweet. When you purchase online, the security of your personal and financial information is constantly at risk.
We desire that your Christmas season is filled with joy rather than digital risks and fraudulent activity on your credit card bills. Eastern Insurance has compiled information to assist you in ensuring that you take the correct precautions to preserve and secure your online footprint. The following are seven techniques to shop safely and securely on the internet:
1. Use a secure payment method
Consider using a credit card or PayPal instead of a debit card or online check when your basket is filled, and you’re ready to check out. If a fraudulent charge is made on a purchase, these ways will decrease your culpability. Suspicious activity or fraud detection technology is embedded into many credit cards, and you will be contacted if an unexpected transaction appears on your account. Many credit card issuers.
After you enter your credit card information on many websites, you will be asked whether you want to save that information. If the organization experiences a data breach, hackers may be able to access your personal information.
2.Make purchases only on safe websites
An encrypted connection may be inferred by looking for the padlock icon or the “https://” code at the beginning of the URL. These two symbols are frequent indications that a website is safe. You may also see a “Secure and Verified” emblem on the checkout page. Make sure the information connected to this picture is correct by hovering over it.
A warning sign should be a mismatched badge. Although these security measures aren’t foolproof, the likelihood of your personal information being stolen is significantly reduced due to them.
3. Check your bank statement regularly
Frequently check your bank and credit card statements to ensure you were charged correctly. Be on the lookout for charges from unfamiliar merchants, and notify your credit card provider. Keep your cool if you’ve identified fraud. Following a fraudulent transaction, most credit cards will give a refund and issue a new account number.
Don’t buy anything on public WiFi.
While working in a café, you may be tempted to cross off some items from your shopping list. No passwords are required to use public WiFi networks, leaving your data more exposed to cyberattacks. Known as KRACK, a weakness in the WiFi WPA security protocol allows attackers to access your data while using WiFi. Online shopping is best done on a password-protected network at home.
4. Avoid purchase on public Wifi
Installing the most recent versions of security software on your computer and mobile phone is an excellent way to keep them safe.
To keep your personal information safe, your phone and computer service providers regularly upgrade their security procedures. Don’t let your mobile or laptop computer fall victim to a security breach by downloading any new software updates as soon as they are available. Installing a suggested security patch may have avoided the Equifax hack, which exposed the personal information of almost half of the population of the United States if you’re someone who often skips this critical step.
5. Create a complex password
It is recommended that a password include at least seven characters, including both upper- and lowercase letters, numeric values, and special characters (such as @). Don’t use the same password for all of your online accounts. You should use a different password for each account, including your utility bills, shopping sites, and bank accounts.
Using the same password to access several accounts is a security risk. Changing passwords every six months is also a decent rule of thumb. Even if you plan to shop online grocery in Singapore, it is suggested that you create a password that is impossible to guess.
6. Avoid fake shopping apps or emails
Emails known as “Phishing Emails” are sent to entice the receiver to provide personal information through an unconfirmed source. Some of them may seem to be from a well-known shop during the hectic holiday season, pushing you to take immediate action in return for a free item or substantial discount. Always take advantage of the discounts codes available for that store, you can check all latest discount codes for many stores here.
Fake applications, developed by hackers to persuade users to download and enter their personal information, have emerged as a popular scamming fad this year. These applications are cleverly built to seem authentic, and their warning indicators are often disregarded during this hectic time of year. Make sure you download the app from the official retailer’s website if you prefer to shop on their app. You should read all descriptions entirely if you’re downloading from an app store. The app description of fraudulent applications is littered with intentional mistakes. Verify the app’s legitimacy by looking at user reviews.
You should always verify the source, look for mistakes, and use your common sense if anything seems too good to be true regarding applications, emails, and websites. Whether you’re shopping from an old website or creating a new account on a website, it is necessary that you take the above-mentioned measures before you make your online purchase.