7 tips for safe online shopping

But, online shopping isn’t as secure as you might think. It’s easy to forget that you are providing strangers with sensitive information. It’s important to keep yourself as informed as possible on the dangers of online shopping.

One of the first steps to take when you’re considering a purchase is to make sure that the supplier is reliable. There are many reliable online shops to choose from. 

Taking even twenty minutes to find information on return policies, product guarantees, and general performance reviews of the business will go a long way in ensuring that your shopping experience will be a good one.

For online safety, it’s better to use a credit card over debit as many banks and credit companies will offer online fraud protection. This means that if your credit card information is compromised, your provider will reimburse any money taken from your account. 

Most online shopping will require accounts. Yes, it’s a pain having to change all of your passwords every few months. But weak or repetitive passwords can be your consumer downfall. If remembering new passwords is a problem for you, use a password manager that stores and encrypts all of your passwords for you. 

Make sure you keep your transactions in the house, or otherwise on a private, secure connection you can trust. Most public Wi-fi servers aren’t encrypted. This means that anyone who has the right software can intercept any information you send over an open network.

Updating your virus software is so easy to forget. It’s vitally important to make sure all of your anti-malware programs are current and up-to-date, so you can avoid any virtual attacks on your personal information. But if you are forgetful, many of these programs come with an automatic update feature.

It’s always good to periodically check your bank statements. Keeping a regular eye on what’s going in and out of your accounts means you’re likely to notice anything suspicious happening with your credit information. If you see money being taken out of your account, make sure to contact your bank or credit card company as soon as possible.

Obviously, you should never give out details like social security numbers. But you should be wary of any websites that ask you for detailed personal information that isn’t necessary. These include names of relatives, your mobile number, and place of birth. 

Using services, such as Paypal, is an excellent way to counteract potential information theft. Paypal will pass your money on to the retailer without releasing any of your credit or bank details. 

The online world can be a dangerous place. But, consistency with our tips is sure to provide protection from all sorts of threats. Now that you’ve followed our suggestions, we’re sure you’ll feel a renewed sense of security every day.