There are numerous reasons to shop online especially using home catalogue shopping. The bargains are there. There is a huge selection. You can shop from home and avoid the pushy sales people. Delivery is fast and convenient and returning items you don’t like is easy. Home shopping has never been so easy for the modern consumer.
But what about the bad guys? APWG reports that phishing attacks (where thieves attempt to swindle you out of your login details and even credit card information by pretending to be a real website, or even an online bank) is down. That’s certainly great news — but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
These are nine effective precautionary measures to keep your catalogue shopping transactions confidential and safe, away from online criminals wanting to cut a share from your hard-earned money. Make sure to apply these tips when shopping online.
1. Look for https
The standard URL starts with http, but shopping catalogues that require online payments use https. The extra “s” here stands for “secured.” This is detected by search engines and is recognised to be safe for shopping (with certification verified).
2. Avoid home shopping catalogues with poor design
Catalogues are meant to be fashionable, editorial, convincing, professional-looking and high-end. How can you buy a gorgeous gift item from an ugly-looking website?
Leave a website with copious pop-ups right away because you might expose your computer to malwares and spywares. Legit shopping catalogues know the danger of pop-ups, so they tend to stay away from them.
This same goes for the URL or website address. A URL is a company’s brand in itself. A weird-sounding URL is fishy already, so be wary of website addresses such as ‘www.homeshoppingcataloguediscountbargainsgalore.co.uk’ or something along those lines.
3. Prefer credit card over debit card
Some home shopping catalogues allow the use of debit card when paying for purchases. This is not a good idea. Recovering a stolen amount using a debit card is more complicated (whether it is proven to be your fault or not) compared to when using a credit card. Risking your credit card might mean risking accumulation of debt, but at least you are not risking your whole life savings since debit card is directly connected to your bank account.
4. Make sure your anti-virus program is up to date
Having an updated anti-virus software means increased security against malwares that can steal your credit card or bank information. Otherwise, you will essentially be welcoming fraudsters straight to your computer with arms wide open.
5. Be wary of emails containing direct link offers
Many fraudulent emails contain links directing to a payment page. This means that the webpage that the link in the email takes you to is ready for you to enter your credit card details and password. Bear in mind that this is not a practice of legit catalogues, even if you are registered on their mailing list.
6. Dispute questionable charges right away
Shoppers of catalogues should always check their credit account statements online right after a purchase has been made. Don’t fall into the habit of waiting for the monthly bill to arrive before checking what is listed on your credit account. If there is any instance of something not being correct, be sure to contact the company to let them know.
6. Don’t reveal everything
Some online companies have a habit of wanting to know everything from your shoe size to the colour of your hair. While companies will tend to use this information to send you relevant offers, the more information you provide the more chance that this information could get into the wrong hands. No online shopping store needs your mothers maiden name or your birthday to do business. However, if crooks get them, combined with your credit card numbers or bank details, they can do a lot of damage. The more they know, the easier it is to steal your identity. When possible, give up the least amount of information possible.
7. Use super strong passwords
Don’t fall into the mistake of using one simple password for every website you visit. Get into the habit of creating unique passwords for different account and make them strong containing a mixture of numbers and letters. Also remember to change your passwords on a regular basis. It can be difficult to keep track of numerous website logins, so it can be worthwhile to record them on a secure document somewhere. Better yet, consider using ‘password managers’; applications which store your passwords on your computer. LifeHacker.com has a good article covering reviews of the most secure types to choose from.
8. Avoid shopping from public internet places
It’s generally not a great idea to shop online using a public computer such as those found in internet cafes or the library. You never know what has been installed on these machines which may include software to log your personal login details and passwords. If you must use these facilities, make sure you log out of your accounts when you finish.
9. Be wary of strangers on social media sites
Many online companies use social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to promote their business, but sometimes their accounts can get hacked and you end up being a sent a dangerous message which is designed to look legitimate, but may contain viruses or links to dodgy places. Treat all messages from strangers as spam.
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