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Shopping online is becoming increasingly popular with consumers of all ages. With fast shipping and websites selling virtually everything, online shopping is an attractive alternative to the hassle of visiting multiple stores.
However, eCommerce safety is a huge issue, and many
shoppers are unaware of how to ensure that their online transactions are safe,
secure and private. Fortunately, there are a number of simple signs to look out
for and changes you can implement to make purchasing items on the Web considerably
safer.
The most common methods used by hackers to steal
consumer information are phishing sites and emails. Hackers may set up websites
that look similar to other branded sites and send emails to potential customers
of those companies urging them to shop through special links. By gaining
consumer trust through having a similar appearance to the original company’s
website, hackers make consumers feel more comfortable about entering their
details into such sites, including credit card information.
Avoiding phishing emails and websites is simple.
Any time a shopper receives an email from a company asking them to shop or
navigate to a website, they should carefully check the domain the email is
being sent from or the URLs of the links they land on. All email addresses and
URLs should contain the company’s official domain.
Having updated antivirus and firewall software is
also necessary. Also, one must ensure that he or she is using the latest
version of the web browser of their choice. Most modern web browsers have
inbuilt mechanisms to detect spoofed websites.
safely shop online
A common trick to watch out for is a minor
misspelling in the domain name that may be hard to pick up without careful
attention. Additionally, some hackers may place the company’s name before the @
symbol in the email address, rather than after, which is where it should be.
All pages, including login pages, asking for
consumer details, such as billing/shipping addresses and payment information,
should have URLs that begin with “https://” rather than the more commonly used
“http://.” The “s” denotes a secured connection and provides encrypted
communication between a shopper’s computer and the receiving company’s servers.
Preferably, the site will also have a verifiable
certification showing that the site can be trusted and that the installed
security suites are up to date. Many sites display a security certification
image link or privacy seal, making it easy to verify their status.
People who decide to shop on websites they’ve never
heard of should ensure that these sites are legitimate. This can be done by
searching for online reviews and confirming that the site is listed as a secure
site with a trusted online security company.
One must be extra cautious while shopping on shared
computers and always remember to not save login information in the web browser.
Logging out and clearing cookies once you are done is also recommended.
Shopping with certain methods of payment and opting
for tracked shipments can also provide enhanced protection. Payment services,
such as Paypal, allow buyers to dispute charges and other issues they may have
with sellers. Many credit cards offer similar protection, and since they aren’t
linked directly to a bank account, hackers can’t drain a shopper’s finances.
Finally, trackable shipping allows shoppers to find out exactly where their
packages are, providing added confidence in the legitimacy of any seller's
services. All tracking information should originate from the shipping service
and be trackable within 24 hours of receiving the tracking number.
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