Joanna James
Online shopping is here to stay, with the number of online shoppers increasing daily, and why not; it's convenient, fast and a great time saver. But if you still have nagging doubts about using your credit or debit cards online, not to worry; read on and follow the given tips to stay safe online.
Instead of going with a search engine and choosing any random website, start with a site that's verified and known. Today, online shopping in Sri Lanka is very popular and there are a number of local websites which are well established. Many like Clicknshop, offer convenience and a wide variety of choice. Everyone knows sites like Amazon or eBay; hence, when shopping for local delivery too, you can look for a recommended site used by people you know. Keep in mind that the further down you drift on a search engine list, the less verified the sites are going to be.
That's right, there is a lock to let you know the site you are about to shop with your credit is secure. This is known as SSL (secure sockets layer). You can identify if a site has the SSL encryption by checking to see if it starts with HTTPS://, if it's just HTTP:// then the site is not secure. To make identifying a secure site easy, a symbol of a padlock will appear at the top of the status bar or typically at the beginning of the URL.
It is not necessary to give out all your personal information; for instance, an online store will not need your birthday or your social security or Identity card number. This has no bearing on you making a purchase with your credit card. Keep in mind that this information combined with your credit card number will help crooks to cause a lot of damage to your bank account through online transactions. As such, make sure that the only information you give out is that which is required to make a purchase online.
If you constantly make online purchases or for that matter use your credit card often, don't wait for the statement to come in at the end of the month to check your account; instead, get online and check the status of your account, make sure that all transactions listed are verified. Even purchases shown via trusted sites such as PayPal warrant a double check as fraudsters are constantly coming up with new 'tricks'.
The swindlers of today are smart, they don't hang around waiting for a chance that you may give out too much information, instead, they will find methods to hack into your PC or laptop and gather information stored there. Prevent this by installing good spyware detection tools and a firewall. While you do get paid internet security software, do look for a brand that is well established with a proven record and solid firewall.
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