Safe online shopping
Online shopping safety tips – It is Christmas Season and people are on a massive shopping spree, buying gifts and other useful items for their loved ones. Since COVID-19 is still at large, people prefer buying almost everything online. Buying online is not only safe but at times it is rather useful as well. You do not have to stand in long queues or go through the aisles to find out that your desired items are out of stock. This information is displayed clearly in realtime, whether your required item is in stock or out of stock.
One of the best ways shopping online helps you is getting discounts and get you acquainted with deals that can help you save a lot of money and get items shipped to your address. Also, if you think that your required item is not up to the mark, then you can even file for returns as well. But there is one dark corner that you must have a look at.
Safe shopping tips – Shopping online might run you into a scam or a phishing attempt. You can use one of the secure internet services like Spectrum and CenturyLink internet. If you want to have a look at affordable and high-speed internet, the CenturyLink internet plans will get you the best bet for your internet needs. Also, it gets you a secure way of using the internet for shopping and other purposes. For people who love to shop online, here are a few guidelines that you should always keep in mind:
Use A Strong Password For Your Account
When you are using an online shopping platform, you need to use a strong password. Also, you must have different passwords for different accounts that makes it very difficult for hackers or crackers to hack into your account or any other accounts that you use. Use the most difficult passwords that comprise of alphanumeric characters and symbols for different accounts and save them using password managers or password vaults to use and save passwords.
Use Online Stores That You Are Familiar With
You should always use popular websites. In this regard, you should not depend on the search results on search engines as they might be rigged as well so that malicious elements can mislead you as well. If you are aware of popular eCommerce websites and online shops, then there is a lesser chance that you can come across a rip-off. Non-reliable online shopping platforms can be identified by having a look at spellings or their domains. So don’t get enticed by all the flashy words and deals offered but act smart and shop safely.
Look for the Padlock In Your Address Bar
Never buy anything from a website using your credit card or if you do, use a website that has SSL encryption installed. If you want to know if the website you are using is SSL secured, you can look out for the URL and it should start with HTTPS and a locked padlock appearing mainly on the left side of the URL. That depends on the browser you are using.
Don’t Share Your Personal Information
Online shopping websites have nothing to do with your Social Security number or any of your personal information to do business. So it is a good idea to run away from such platforms or refrain from clicking on their landing pages. If you provide such information, many malicious elements can cause a lot of damage. Give out as little information as you can because many eCommerce websites and shopping platforms get hacked all the time.
Check Statements Regularly
You don’t need to go through your financial statements when the month ends. You can always look back at your statements online. This will help you keep things within your budget especially with the Christmas holidays and the holiday season at hands. During this season, there can be many fraudulent activities including fraud and theft incidents caused by checking accounts, debit cards, and credit card charging. Make sure that you keep a check on your accounts and the amount that gets billed in your name.
Key Takeaways
It won’t be wrong to say that people in the current digital age have new opportunities and some new threats when it comes to using online media. Especially when it comes to dealing with money matters, people stay very careful when using online banking, using eCommerce websites to buy and sell goods and services. One of the biggest reasons for this is the ever-growing rate of incidents where many people and organizations lose a lot of money because of a little negligence.
