9 Tips for Online Shopping Safety

Online shopping safety is an important part of doing any transaction over the internet. Scrolling through hundreds of products with the best deals and lowest prices and getting them shipped to you with just a few clicks, from the comfort of your home is one of the biggest blessings of the internet. Unfortunately, this gives a chance to fraudulent merchants and phishing websites to take advantage of us. But there are ways in which we can minimize our risks. Here are some consumer safety tips for online shopping safety:

Always Use secure websites
Look for signs that the website you are giving your sensitive information to is capable of protecting it. Secure Sites use encryption, a security measure which keeps your data safe as it traverses the internet. These sites have web addresses that begin with an ‘https’ (s for secure) rather than a plain http. Also look for a padlock sign in the web address bar which is another indication of safety.

Third party approval seal
Many companies can help ensure you are shopping safely online. Privacy enforcement companies like TRUSTe or BBBOnline certify websites that follow a certain code for online private information handling. Look for these links on your chosen site but make sure they link to the given organizations since some fraudulent websites may use these seals without permission.

Use your instincts
Always keep a low threshold of suspicion while shopping online. Most fishy websites may give outrageous offers that are too good to be true such as free gifts and lottery winnings. Some websites do not offer a privacy policy or contact and toll free numbers. Authentic websites always encourage their clients to contact them for queries and problems. Prefer to shop from known websites or those which have shipped for you satisfactorily before.

Keep Proof of your transactions
Always keep record of your online transactions in printed form or electronically. In this way you will have track of all your transaction and shipping details. Also check your statements online if you have been actively using your card instead of waiting for your bills at the end of the month. Shopping safely online means being vigilant and checking and double checking your transactions.

Use credit card
Credit cards are necessary for our daily lives, and while secure, it’s important you take additional steps to ensure online shopping safety. Credit card companies offer compensations for identity thefts and scams, if reported within a certain period. You cannot avail such advantages on a debit card in addition to the fact, that by the time you find out that your account has been misused, your money would have been long gone and for which you might get partial compensation or none at all.

Go to the website yourself
Always find the address yourself by typing in the address bar. Some websites may link to other apparently secure but phony websites that can misuse information you give them. Search engine results can also be rigged to mislead you to unsafe web pages. You must be vigilant when it comes to online shopping safety.

Protect your PC
To shop safely online, always use a good anti-malware or anti-virus software for your computer to protect it from viruses and hack attempts from non fraudulent websites. Also use filters in your web browser which block non-secure sites and pop-ups.

Use your personal PC
Try not to use a public or shared computer for your online transactions where others may get an opportunity to track or hack your private information.

Read the privacy policy
Know exactly what information is being collected about you and how it will be shared and used. By reading the privacy policy you can confirm the authenticity of the merchant. Be cautious, if sensitive but unnecessary information such as your bank account details are asked for.

This article is sponsored by Acmamall.com. Acmamall.com is an international online store selling over a million book titles offering free shipping to Singapore and Malaysia orders. Acmamall.com is committed to providing Safe, Trustworthy and Convenient online retail services for all her customers. To find out more about Acmamall.com, visit www.acmamall.com