With the Holidays upon us, it is no secret that many of us prefer to get online, rather than to stand in line to make some of our Christmas shopping. It is far more popular nowadays, and as such, it can also become a target for online thieves. To protect yourself from any type of scam while purchasing online, use these best practices to ensure your holiday shopping experience does not turn into a nightmare
– Use your own computer: Avoid libraries, kiosks, or other public terminals to make your purchases. Your credit card and personal information should be used cautiously when using a public computer.
– Practice computer safety standards: Be sure your computer’s operating system is up to date and that you have a solid antivirus and antispyware/malware solution installed. We, at Expert Computer Solutions, can provide a quick scan and evaluation to ensure you have reliable protection.
Additionally, we can clean up your computer if we find any type of malware.
– Pay with a credit card: Most credit cards give you more flexibility when it comes to stopping a payment, or charging back for merchandise that was not received or other reasons. Opt for using a credit card instead of a debit card or checking account as much as possible.
– Use known retailers: Be wary of stores that very few people know about. If it sounds “too good to be true” and you have never heard about a certain online seller, it may just be “too good to risk it”. Look for reviews, feedback, or ask around.
– Check the URL: When you reach a point of entering payment information, look for the “lock” on the bottom of the website and a prefix on the address bar “https”. The letter “s” indicates this is a secure website – meaning they used encryption to protect your privacy as it gets transmitted over the internet.
– Avoid popups: In general, popups can be risky, especially if they offer something “free” or cheaper and it comes from a different source other than the site you are visiting.
– Password security: Avoid using personal information in your passwords, such as your last name, date of birth or phone number. Also try not to use the account name
– Beware of unsolicited requests to verify information: As a general rule, most legitimate companies will hardly ever solicit you to verify personal information via e-mail or text message. This includes passwords, security questions, payment information, mother’s maiden name, etc.
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