Keeping your card numbers safe on the Internet
To say that the Internet has changed the way we shop for every day goods would be an understatement. When you toss in mid-ticket items like computers or furniture, the Internet has revolutionized the way most people shop around and price check, even if they end up making their final purchase in person in a brick and mortar store. But for every amazing bargain on the Internet, there are unscrupulous retailers who will steal your card number and sell it to the highest bidder. Follow these tips to keep yourself safe on the Internet when you are shopping for deals.
The overwhelming majority of transactions gone bad online have nothing to do with genuinely dishonest stores stealing credit card numbers. That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, but most times, it is because of incompetence, not outright maliciousness. To make a transaction secure on the Internet, a web page needs to be encrypted. The higher the amount of encryption, the safer it is. With many small-time retailers, it can simply be a case of the wrong kind of encryption being used and hackers being able to gain entry into their system. That’s why, when it comes to Internet shopping, bigger really is better, or at least safer. Online monsters like Amazon.com have almost unhackable security systems that ensure the safety of every transaction you make. That’s not to say that smaller retailers are completely unsafe to use. You can check the encryption level of most “check-outs†on your favorite websites by looking at the read out on your browser. Remember, the higher the level of encryption, the safer your credit card numbers are.
Another helpful tip is to check out a retailer before you order from them the first time. Most experienced Internet users have developed a kind of sixth sense when it comes to web pages. They can smell a rat a mile away. If you are a newer user, try calling the website in question and requesting information about their company. Most companies will be more than happy to send you a catalog or some kind of information through the mail. If your phone call is met with anger, consider that a red flag and move on to another retailer who will value your business. If, for some reason, you can’t find a phone number and the only thing listed on the site is an email address that doesn’t return questions in a reasonable amount of time, don’t use that website.
Our next tip is to be aware of phishing scams. Phishing is a popular Internet scam that tricks people into completing transactions on pages that look identical to pages we all use on a regular basis. They usually work like this. You get an email from “Amazon.com†that announces a limited time only 80 or 90 percent off sale, but only until the end of the day. You click on the link and you are taken to a site that looks exactly like Amazon, but if you look in your browser’s address window, you’ll notice that the address there isn’t Amazon. This is a phishing scam. The site creator will try to get you to enter in your credit card number and then steal it. If you get an email that seems too good to be true, simply visit the site that is advertised directly, not through the link in the email, and see if it is legitimate.
A majority of people these days have computers of their own in their own home. But in many regions, high speed Internet connections are either far too expensive or just completely non-existent, so people choose instead to use public computers in places that have higher speed connections like libraries, college and university campuses and community centers. While using public computers to shop around on the Internet is fine, you should never, ever enter your credit card or any personal information, including things like email passwords on a shared computer. The reason for this is that most public computers contain viruses or have been infected with what are known as keyloggers. Keyloggers are programs that run secretly in the background of some computers that log or remember every key stroke that is typed into them and on what page. Later, the person who installed the keylogger can go back on that machine and see who typed what on what page. If you entered in your credit card, you could easily be the victim of credit card fraud. Stick to your computer at home for purchases.
So, now you are back at home using the safe and secure home PC. You’ve found that perfect gift and you want to pay. But how? These days, some of the best websites take everything from online checks to credit cards, debit cards and even services like Pay Pal. Are some transactions more secure than others? The answer is yes! If it is at all possible, pay with your credit card. The system that processes credit card transactions is the most secure of all of the above choices and while there is never any guarantee that your transaction is 100 percent safe, you have the best chance of a secure transaction using a credit card.
The final tip is to use common sense. If you are looking around on a site that looks like it was designed by an eight year old, you might want to keep looking. If a site is looking for more information then they really need, such as your social security number or your date of birth, keep on surfing. If you believe that you entered your credit card number into an unsecure site, call your credit card company and let them know to be on the look out for a rash of strange looking transactions. Also, if a company online asks you to email them your credit card information or asks for it through an instant messenger service, it would be a good idea to end the transaction right there. An overwhelming majority of credit card theft is done because the victim just didn’t think before acting. Only in the case of phishing scams are the cons well done. Even some Internet veterans have fallen for those, but the majority of scams are just plain silly.
The best advice is to trust your gut. If you feel that a site is on the up and up, then they likely are. If a site you are shopping on gives you a queasy feeling, then keep going and don’t look back. You can always shop around more later.