There’s every reason in the world to go online Tampa shopping. The bargains are great. It’s convenient. The shipping is fast. The return policy is mostly good. Shopping has never been easier, thanks to the hundreds (thousands?) of ecommerce websites that offer free and fast shipping and secure payment options.
But alas, there’s a downside to this. Shopping online means providing your personal and credit card information, which may fall to the hands of hackers and phishers, looking for data to collect and use for their own good.
Use familiar sites
Instead of searching for the item on search engines and being led to fraudulent websites, go directly to the ecommerce site like Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Home Depot, Macy’s, Walmart, Neiman Marcus, etc. These sites have iron-clad security systems, and they can guarantee that your information won’t fall on bad hands. Just make sure you type in the right domain address.
Look for the SSL symbol
If the site is secured, there’s going to be a lock symbol just beside the https://. There’s always going to be a “Secure” label written beside the address. Oh, and it’s https:// and not http://. Be careful with that. This means that the site has SSL or secure sockets layer encryption installed.
Don’t give all your information
Giving your full name, address, and credit card details should be enough for any ecommerce website. That’s all they need to know to deliver your items to the right address and to process the payment. You are not required to provide your social security number for your purchases, so be careful when a website asks for that information. Remember that the more websites know about your personal details, the more hackers can steal your identity.
Check your credit statements
Don’t wait until your cutoff period to check your statements. Make it a habit to check it online, so you can dispute any fraudulent charges, even from trusted sites like PayPal. If you see something wrong, call the credit card company immediately and dispute the charge/s. You only have 30 days to dispute the charges. After that, you will have to pay for it even if it’s not yours.
Install security software
You will feel safer knowing that your computers are protected against malware and viruses. Install an anti-virus software and make sure this is regularly updated. Look for extras also that can help detect if there’s another software trying to hack into your system.