Shopping online does not come without risks. It is certainly convenient and there is no way that we would all suddenly decide to cease our online shopping habits due to the risks involved when it comes to being defrauded. The advantages of ordering our goods via the World Wide Web are far too great, so the all we can do is manage the way in which we shop sensibly. In this article we will cover some of the safest ways to order services via the internet.
- Only Use Websites That Ask for A Credit Card Password
If you have experience with shopping online, then you will have seen the MasterCard and VISA popup that occurs during a financial transaction with a new website. Websites that do not redirect to this secure MasterCard or Visa page should be avoided.
In fact, if you buy from sites that do not ask for a password set with either of these financial facilities, then you could simply be giving the website owner your credit/debit card details. This could then be passed on to anyone who can now use your card details anywhere on the internet.
- Try to Use E-Wallets Where Possible
The age of the e-wallet is here, and it has become incredibly safe and useful to use them. As long as you are using a trustworthy e-wallet provider, you have nothing to be worried about.
You simply click on the option to pay via PayPal, Skrill or which ever e-wallet it is you want to pay via. The e-wallet’s payment page will come up, and you will be asked to enter your username and password independent of the website you are making the purchase from. The owner of the website will also need an account with the same e-wallet provider.
You also have customer services provided by the e-wallet company. Any issues with you order or any suspicion of fraud can be reported via the support team, and it will be investigated. As such, this is arguably the safest way to shop online.
- Never Make Any Transactions from A Connection You Do Not Trust
Effectively you should never make a transaction online if you are not using the following:
- A device that belongs to you
- Your home WiFi device
Any transaction made outside of these two realms should be made with caution. Even if you are using your 4G connection, you should be careful that your Bluetooth is not turned on and that your WiFi hotspot is turned off. If you need to make a lot of transactions online such as travel bookings because you are away from home often or on holiday, then consider using a free VPN.
You will be able to connect securely from your phone, tablet, laptop or any other mobile device connected to the internet using a secure encrypted VPN tunnel. The VPN server will fulfil the connection between your device and the internet as opposed to using an untrusted router that is at risk of being compromised by a hacker.
