Sam Qam asked:




Online purchasing has in recent years skyrocketed into a massive industry with millions of purchases being made online everyday from a vast variety of online retailers. However, this massive influx of internet purchasing has brought with it a vast increase of online credit card fraud and fraudulent sites. Thousands of online shoppers have their details stolen online and as a result loose thousands of pounds to fraudsters. But how can these thieves be caught out and how do you protect yourself?

In the online marketplace it’s a little more complicated than someone lifting your wallet out of your back pocket and there are no 100% methods of ensuring you’re completely safe. There are however steps you can take to reduce the risks.

First and foremost ensure that the sites you are using are secure. It’s always better to use a site that you know a friend has been using successfully for some time or a site that is advertised widely such as Amazon or Play.com. These are large sites with thousands of users, so they will have to provide the most secure methods possible for transactions. If you come across a site you haven’t heard of before then make sure you check up on it before providing your details to them.

You should NEVER provide details by email. Any respectable site will have a secure customer accounts process and won’t resort to emails. Emails are easily intercepted by fraudsters so you should never put your card or personal details in an email whether to a business or a friend.

If you are using your card online then try to make sure your bank or credit card provider offers fraud and credit card theft cover and insurance. There are a variety of credit card companies such as Egg who provide cover specifically for online shopping.

When creating an account with a company make sure that you provide a secure email that only you have access to. Also, when choosing a password, ensure that it contains both numbers and letters and is over a certain length (the minimum length for most respectable sights is over eight characters). Ensure that you do not pick anything too generic or easily guessed and don’t let other people use your site.

Respectable online retailers use secure payment gateways for online credit card processing making them more reliable and secure. With these methods and some well applied common sense your online shopping can be more secure allowing you to browse with some measure of confidence.

Jacqueline

Joseph Kenny asked:




With the economies and companies going global, there is an enormous rise in the number of the virtual stores. More and more people are beginning to shop online rather than going to the market and wasting hours. Now the product of your choice is just a click away. You can compare similar products offered in different market deals. Most of the payments for these online transactions are made through credit cards. This has raised an important question. Is online credit card usage completely safe? However, there are many experts who feel and find using the credit card online safer as compared to its usage at the places like petrol pump or restaurants.

The reason given for this is that the bank or the credit card company, which makes it more authentic, only views the transactions made. But many discourage this theme by saying; it is very difficult to trust the retailer as he might use those details. Internet shopping is the boon in disguise for many but it is accompanied with the threat of credit card theft too.

Few steps should be taken into consideration while shopping on internet and they are:

First and foremost step is to check the authentication of the shopping site. The vendor with whom you are dealing should be reliable enough and using the secured browser.
Check the details of the vendor prior to any transactions in order to avoid any forgery.
Shop on those sites that place a security icon when you’re making any payments and transactions.

Shop on those website which are approved by the third-party and carry the seal of authentication.

Before revealing your card details do call up the vendor in order to check their authenticity.

Use your personal computer for the shopping and make sure it is updated with latest anti-virus software and firewall. Avoid using the computers at the cafes for shopping purpose.

Keep your credit card’s account number and PIN a secret, as genuine vendors will never ask for them unless it is essential for transactions.

After buying any product online do check your card statement in order to cross check the actual amount to be paid. It is advisable to keep the printout of the dealings you made.

If you have any doubt on the company’s authentication prefer some other methods of payment.

Despite many odds associated with internet shopping with your credit card, it is gaining popularity and is becoming a frequently used option.


Frank

elementaryfinance asked:


With increasing frequency and intensity it’s happening and your credit is at risk. The attacks are getting more and more sophisticated and the thieves are becoming more widespread. They are working hard to stay a step ahead of law enforcement and they are largely successful. Your money, your credit, and your identity are at risk of being compromised by online credit card theft.

Did you know that more than 15 million people per year are victims of identity theft? Did you know that it takes an average of 600 hours of work for you to recover from identity theft? Did you know that online credit card theft costs our nation 500 million per year?

It’s clear that your identity and credit are at risk and the only way to protect it is to take actions on your own part. Here are five ways that will help you not fall victim to online credit card theft:

Only buy from companies with an actual mailing address- Websites come and go all the time and because of that, it is very easy for a scam to be executed and your money stolen and the website shut down very quickly. Businesses that sell merchandise have addresses. You should also verify this address.

 

Enter your credit card number in to secure websites only- Secure websites always start with HTTPS rather than HTTP. Your internet browser will also have a picture of a lock or some other graphic that will show you that you are in a secure environment.

 

Say no to work at home schemes- A lot of people are looking for work at home, get rich quick schemes and they are willing to give their credit card number to anybody promising quick riches. Online credit card theft often happens on the websites of thieves playing to the emotions of the average person.

 

Don’t give your credit card information as a response to an e-mail. No company will ask you to provide your credit card number through an e-mail. If a company e-mails you pointing you to a website to pay for something and it could be legitimate, don’t click on the link. Instead, go to the website and log in to your account.

 

Get an online identity theft prevention service. Online credit card theft can be prevented by paying a small monthly fee for identity monitoring. A company that you know and trust like Equifax is the perfect place to get this service.

 

The thieves are going to keep attacking and you may be next. At the very least, an attack would be less than convenient. At worst, it may wipe out your child’s college savings that you have contributed to for years or your retirement money. It’s easy to prevent by enrolling in a protection service like Equifax.

 



RYAN