Online purchasing has in recent years skyrocketed into a massive industry with millions of purchases being made online everyday from a vast variety of online retailers. however, this massive influx of internet purchasing has brought with it a vast increase of online credit card fraud and fraudulent sites. Thousands of online shoppers have their details stolen online and as a result loose thousands of pounds to fraudsters. but how can these thieves be caught out and how do you protect yourself?
In the online marketplace it's a little more complicated than someone lifting your wallet out of your back pocket and there are no 100% methods of ensuring you're completely safe. there are however steps you can take to reduce the risks.
First and foremost ensure that the sites you are using are secure. It's always better to use a site that you know a friend has been using successfully for some time or a site that is advertised widely such as Amazon or Play.com. these are large sites with thousands of users, so they will have to provide the most secure methods possible for transactions. If you come across a site you haven't heard of before then make sure you check up on it before providing your details to them.
You should NEVER provide details by email. Any respectable site will have a secure customer accounts process and won't resort to emails. Emails are easily intercepted by fraudsters so you should never put your card or personal details in an email whether to a business or a friend.
If you are using your card online then try to make sure your bank or credit card provider offers fraud and credit card theft cover and insurance. there are a variety of credit card companies such as Egg who provide cover specifically for online shopping.
When creating an account with a company make sure that you provide a secure email that only you have access to. also, when choosing a password, ensure that it contains both numbers and letters and is over a certain length (the minimum length for most respectable sights is over eight characters). Ensure that you do not pick anything too generic or easily guessed and don't let other people use your site.
Respectable online retailers use secure payment gateways for online credit card processing making them more reliable and secure. With these methods and some well applied common sense your online shopping can be more secure allowing you to browse with some measure of confidence.
Online Credit Card Fraud and How to Avoid It
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