12 Tips for Safe and Secure Online Shopping

1. Always compare different products. Do not buy without making comparisons.
2. Always check a website before browsing their offers. Don’t buy unless you have sufficient reason to believe the credibility of the site. One good indication of a credible site is positive feedback from past customers.
3. Read a lot of reviews before making a decision.
4. Always make sure your anti-virus, anti-malware, and anti-spyware systems are up and running.
5. Take note of security guarantees offered by search engines.
6. Check out the privacy policy before you provide any information at any website.
7. Do not use a debit card for Internet purchases; stick to credit cards and still handle with care.
8. Always review your credit card statements every month to check if there are any unauthorized online charges.
9. Do not provide your social security number. Ecommerce sites only need your name, email address, credit card number, address, and some other basic information. But there is no reason for them to ask for your social security number. This number is most often used in identity theft.
10. Protect your passwords carefully.
11. Print out final order forms or online invoices and keep them in a file.
12. Ask your credit card company for a virtual card or virtual credit card number. These are temporary credit card numbers you can use only once for purchasing online. After buying once, the number becomes invalid. This way, your real credit card number is protected.