With the increasing rate of online purchases day by day, there is a significant reason to be cautious while making online purchases and transactions. This is because the trouble ranges from credit card frauds to people scamming you by making fake claims for a product to try to get your valuable personal details. These offers are typically too good to be true.
Identity theft and Credit card fraud have been on the rise, with studies showing up to an 18.4% increase in the United States of America in the year 2018 alone.
Today we look at five tips that can help you secure your online transactions, benefiting you to have a safe and carefree shopping experience on the world wide web.
Use Reputed Websites
With the number of online stores rising day after day, your financial details are at risk if you are clueless about which website should be trusted or not.
Such Websites provide you with deals that are too good to be true just to attract attention from the customer, but in turn, they end up stealing your bank details and your credit card information.
It is a good practice to only deal with websites that provide you with flexible ways to pay for the product you have purchased. Websites like ezpay.com can be used to help you get a secure online shopping experience.
The advanced security measures taken by them will keep your financial details confidential and give you a theft free experience.
Anti-malware Programs
Making online transactions without having a strong anti-malware program installed on your device can be threatening for your personal information.
Using an anti-malware program on your computer or mobile device can be a great way to secure your transactions when purchasing any sort of items online.
Some malware programs are designed to find vulnerabilities in the security of the operating system and the internet web browser of your computer. They eliminate any chances of somebody stealing your precious personal data and financial details.
These malicious programs also attack your home network and usually steal personal details of all the devices present on the shared network. People usually don’t bother having anti-malware programs installed on their devices, but it is a good practice to install at least one from a reputable brand.
These anti-malware programs run a check on the security certificate of the site you have accessed and block unwanted malicious threats that may be present, negating any form of financial detail theft.
Also, be sure to keep your operating system and web browser up to date. Use anti-malware programs from trusted companies like Norton Or Avast to reap full rewards.
Passwords
Setting a strong password on your account could be a good way to secure your information online as it would be harder to crack. It’s even better if you add multiple passwords and security questions.
Usually, it is safer to make a complicated password, which includes upper case letters, symbols, and numbers to avoid it being compromised.
Also, frequently changing your password every 2 to 3 months can be beneficial for you. It is imperative to not share passwords on untrustworthy websites as your connection might be monitored and at risk of being stolen.
Never click on any website asking for your personal or credit card details to avoid any hackers. If you have your bank’s online banking signed in, sign out of it when you end the session.
Alternate Paying methods
You don’t need always to use your credit or debit card to pay for online transactions. There are many other modes of payment available if the website offers them.
You can purchase prepaid cards and load the amount of money on them. Usually, these cards contain some code that can be used in the majority of online stores.
Paypal can also be used to avoid the use of a credit or debit card. If the website allows it, it is usually the safest way to send money to the seller you are purchasing the item from. The seller never sees your financial details as PayPal is a very reputed website, and they handle all the securities.
It can be a huge advantage if you use such a method to keep your financial details secret from the seller.
Don’t Use Public Computers
Due to the rise of internet cafes and public libraries, people usually don’t bother getting personal computers. Still, it is an advantage to have your laptop or computer device to make such online transactions.
In order to maintain safety and to avoid any type of security issue, it is better to make these online transactions using your personal device.
Don’t use computers installed in internet cafes or public libraries for cash transactions, as these computers can be easily manipulated. If you don’t have an option to use your device, you should make sure that any form of the anti-malware or security program has been installed on these computers.
But the best solution still would be to buy your device and avoid putting yourself and your financial details at such a high level of risk.
Final Word
If you suspect that your credit or debit card has been misused, inform your bank and have the situation sorted out immediately. Staying safe online and keeping your bank accounts free of fraudulent activities plays an essential role in personal finance.
The sooner you report these fraudulent activities, the better it is. Keep track of every type of transaction you do. It is a good practice to keep written records of every transaction. Be it using online shops or physical ones.
The ways mentioned above should be utilized to avoid such mishaps, be it using other ways to pay for your purchases or use anti-theft programs for your device.
Using credit or debit cards instead of cash is the way of the modern world, and as it moves forward, more online stores will provide you with amenities that were once being offered to you by physical stores.
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