Whilst the explosion of internet retail has done wonders for transforming the way we shop, recent high- profile hacking cases, such as in the case of the PlayStation network, have called into question the dangers that can often walk hand-in-hand with storing our personal details online.
Many consumers can be forgiven for losing trust in the safety of shopping online, with the entering of personal details a must when making purchases over the internet. However, shopping online doesn’t have to put you at risk. Following simple rules and tips can ensure that your personal details are kept as safe as possible, minimising the risk of putting yourself at the mercy of hackers and internet fraudsters. Here are a few tips to consider, to protect yourself and your payment information:
1) Watch where you shop
One of the simplest ways to protect yourself when shopping online is to use your common sense. If a site looks less than reputable, or there are certain aspects to the site that automatically raise your suspicions, then steer clear. Internet fraudsters often draw people in by creating a site that looks impressive, but falls short of the mark when it comes to information. Confusing contact details or foreign registered addresses often appear, and whilst this may not always be a bad sign, it’s worth making sure that they’re correct before taking shopping further. Always check out company details and purchasing and returns policies before committing to buy; and if you’re still not convinced, move on, as it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
2) Passwords – variety is the name of the game
Most websites will require, or at least ask, you to register before allowing you to shop on-site. When doing so, one of the best ways to protect your registered details is to choose a strong password. Creating passwords with a variety of letters and numbers are often much stronger than simple ‘trigger words;’ and it’s vital that a different password is used every time you register your details on a different website. Most browsers will also now ask you if you want to ‘remember your password’ whenever you re-visit a site; something that you should not allow in order to help prevent easy access to your private information.
3) Never Save Details
Along with never saving your password details on your internet browser, it’s important to disallow the saving of payment information. For ease of use, many shopping sites will give you the opportunity to save your billing, shipping and card details to speed along your next purchase. Unfortunately, whilst saving you time, this can leave you open to the mercy of hackers should the site you’re using ever fall victim. Although it can seem a pain, re-entering your payment and personal details each time you shop will really help to protect you against internet fraudsters – and is certainly worth the effort of doing so.
4) Look out for the padlock
One of the most important things to look out for when making an online purchase securely is a padlock symbol that appears on all secure payment pages. When transferring to a payment page, secure sites should have a padlock symbol appear at the bottom-right-hand of your browser, or alternatively show up as a ‘https’ address in the tool bar. Do not confirm payment unless either one of these secure payment signs appears.
5) PayPal Security
There are several sites you can sign up to in order to further protect yourself when shopping online, storing your payment and personal information separately, meaning you do not have to enter them to separate websites when making purchases. Creating a PayPal account, from which you can make purchases, is a great way to consolidate your personal information; storing it on one secure website, as opposed to every website you buy from. Whilst not every website may necessarily allow you to purchase with a PayPal account, many do; and they’re certainly a great way to shop online, particularly when using auction or marketplace sites.
6) Pay On Credit
One way to protect yourself and your online payments is simply to pay on credit card, whenever you purchase goods online. Credit card providers are jointly liable with the retailer should the goods you order be faulty, or should they not turn up at all. A credit card also gives you time to review your purchases, giving you the chance to contest potentially fraudulent charges should they crop up on your statement.
7) Beware Of Emails
In a world where everyone with an email address is bombarded with spam emails on a daily basis, it may seem elementary to warn against opening them. However, many hackers and internet fraudsters will pose as retailers/ payment companies through email to try to extract your personal information from you. Beware that most reputable retailers will never send you emails asking you to re-enter your personal details, and whilst this may seem like common sense, it is one of the most successful ways that hackers manage to get hold of details to use against you.
Written by: Mark Pearsons, Chairman of MyVoucherCodes
