Online shopping has become increasingly more popular, which is why learning how to protect your credit card information when online is more important than ever.
Shopping online is a fun, easy, and hassle-free activity, but convenience doesn’t equate it being 100 percent safe. Unfortunately, those who are comfortable whipping out the handy credit card to purchase online may very well become the victims of theft and fraud. While shopping from home is a great way to eliminate battling the parking lots and crowds at the shopping center, everyone needs to know how to protect their credit card information when shopping online.
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First, while it is easy to click on that e-mail advertisement for a great sale, always proceed with caution. Ideally, you should shop only with those retailers with which you are familiar. Sometimes, those enticing e-mail ads direct you to a site designed to capture your credit card information to sell or use illegally. Before you know what hit you, the thief who has stolen your identity may have already racked up several thousand dollars in debt.
Fortunately, because of certain protections offered by credit card companies, the maximum amount of liability you will incur for unauthorized purchases is $50. However, many people are not prepared for these occurrences and therefore may not know how to handle their accounts once their credit card has been stolen. Such lack of knowledge is potentially devastating to your finances. That’s why learning the policies of the companies supplying your credit cards is essential.
Secondly, never make credit card purchases from a public computer because of the potential of keylogger software. While this software and hardware devices are helpful for organizations to monitor employee activity and troubleshoot technical problems, the software can also be used for malicious purposes. Because it records your keystrokes you could potentially give away personal information, including log-in and password codes as well as credit card and bank account information. Thieves whose livelihood depends on the lack of knowledge of millions of computer users around the globe are more than happy to ransack your accounts.
A final important recommendation to keep your credit card and personal information safe is to make sure you shop only on websites that are identified as secure. Most legitimate retailers use SSL encryption technology designed to safeguard the information transmitted. A secure website can be identified by “https” and a lock icon in the Web address bar. SSL encryption scrambles the information you submit, thereby rendering it nearly impossible for hackers and thieves to obtain.
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Shopping online can be fun and exciting as it brings a world of fantastic products right to your door. However, don’t let shopping from the comfort of a seemingly safe environment fool you, as danger can lurk behind friendly e-mails, phenomenal sales, and awesome advertisements. Thieves are technologically smart and they know what entices you. Proceed with caution and know how to identify potential scams. These are the best ways to keep your credit card information and finances safe.
Kristen Gramigna is Chief Marketing Officer for BluePay, a provider of ecommerce payment processing. She brings more than 15 years of experience in the bankcard industry in direct sales, sales management, and marketing to the company and also serves on its Board of Directors.
How Can You Protect Your Credit Card Information When Shopping Online? was originally featured on Quizzle Wire
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