So...I got asked this question recently and thought I would put some thoughts in writing. Hope this helps you keep from being scammed!
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The Internet has made shopping incredibly easy for almost everyone. Whereas shopping used to be something that was only done in person and in-stores, today, you can literally buy almost anything from the comfort of your own home...even in your pajamas.
But shopping online does have some unique risks. While buying something over the Internet is generally safe (thank you Paypal and Amazon!), there is still a big difference between going to a store, buying something, and taking it home with you and clicking on a web page and entering your credit card number. Yes, it usually works out just fine...but you still need to be careful.
Step 1: Only shop at reputable websites. This may seem the most obvious of all the advice, but it is easily the most important. The Internet is a huge place, and not every website can be trusted. In fact, setting up a website and collecting credit cards is very easy. Stick to only websites you know. And when that doesn’t work? My advice? When in doubt, shop Amazon.
Step 2: Check that the website is validated by Verisign or another trusted company. Verisign may not be a company that many people know, but if you have shopped online you have probably seen their logo when checking out or buying something. Basically, Verisign’s job is to ensure that a website is in fact, legitimate and that your information (and credit cards) is safe. Companies pay for this privilege and you benefit from it.
The Internet has made shopping incredibly easy for almost everyone. Whereas shopping used to be something that was only done in person and in-stores, today, you can literally buy almost anything from the comfort of your own home...even in your pajamas.
But shopping online does have some unique risks. While buying something over the Internet is generally safe (thank you Paypal and Amazon!), there is still a big difference between going to a store, buying something, and taking it home with you and clicking on a web page and entering your credit card number. Yes, it usually works out just fine...but you still need to be careful.
Step 1: Only shop at reputable websites. This may seem the most obvious of all the advice, but it is easily the most important. The Internet is a huge place, and not every website can be trusted. In fact, setting up a website and collecting credit cards is very easy. Stick to only websites you know. And when that doesn’t work? My advice? When in doubt, shop Amazon.
Step 2: Check that the website is validated by Verisign or another trusted company. Verisign may not be a company that many people know, but if you have shopped online you have probably seen their logo when checking out or buying something. Basically, Verisign’s job is to ensure that a website is in fact, legitimate and that your information (and credit cards) is safe. Companies pay for this privilege and you benefit from it.
Step 3) Always use a credit card. Credit cards come with a multitude of protections that protect you from theft and misuse. While you may be fearful of your credit card being stolen, the fact is, unless you are significantly remiss in your behavior, you will not be held liable for any misuse of your credit card or unauthorized purchases above $50. Sure, you will have the hassle of replacing your credit card if it is stolen, but beyond that, credit cards are the safest way to buy something online.
Step 4) Never use a debit card. Using a debit card to buy online is actually a bad idea. While the odds are that nothing will happen, when something does, your liability is much higher. In fact, if your debit card information is stolen and someone raids your account, you have only two days to report any misuse to have the same $50 protection that you automatically get with a credit card. And what happens after two days (and up to 60 days)? Well, you could be liable up to $500. Beyond 60 days? You could be on the hook for everything...or never see your money again.
Step 5: Shopping from a public Wi-Fi hot spot: It seems that Internet hot spots are sprouting up everywhere. On the plus side, these public hot spots make browsing the Internet from almost anywhere very easy. On the downside...these public hot spots are also the places where a hacker can most easily access your personnel information and steal literally from “thin air.”
If you absolutely must use a public hot spot...use it only for Internet “window shopping.” Wait until you get home before you buy anything on line.
Step 6: Never wire money to pay for something. In the pre-Internet days, wiring money was about the only way to send cash from one person to another without sending cash or a check. And just like those days have passed, so have the days or wiring money to pay for items. In fact, if you buy something on line (e.g. Ebay) and the person on the other end asks you to wire them the cash (instead of using Paypal, etc.) odds are you are about to get scammed. Don’t do it. Ever.
DANGER: Never, ever click on a link in an unsolicited email. Even if it looks legitimate. Sending email out to redirect you to a bogus website is one of the most common scams on the Internet (often called Phishing, or Spear Phishing). If you see something in an email that looks interesting, rather than clicking on the link, retype the website address in your web browser. (ending at .com or .biz, etc.) That way you can usually be safe in your browsing.
Here are a couple of other good How Tos I recently saw. Check them out too!
1) How to Spend Less Money and Save More: http://www.ehow.com/how_6042890_spend-less-money-save.html
2) How to Get Your Credit Card Debt Under Controlhttp://www.ehow.com/how_5493185_credit-card-debt-under-control.html
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