Most of us have heard about identity theft and all the security risks that can involve online shopping. Despite that, the convenience of buying goods online outweighs the possible disadvantages, so the majority of shoppers are going to continue using websites like E-Bay, Amazon, and so on, regularly. Still, knowing how to avoid online scams is priceless, so we’ve prepared these four simple steps to lower the chances of anyone becoming a victim. Take a look and always keep them in mind.
Make sure you are shopping from a reliable supplier
It takes less than $5 monthly to own a web-store, can you imagine how many scammers take advantage of that? Make sure that the web-store you’re visiting is a legitimate one before you type in your card info. You can usually find a trace of a scam in the domain name. If the name of the store is strangely similar to other suppliers’ but slightly misspelled – it’s usually a scam. For instance, E-bay is a well trusted online web store, but if someone is to make an E-baay web-store could make a perfect way to scam people. However, there is a website called The Better Businesses Bureau that grades businesses based on the records of customer relations. Using the schools grading method, you can easily spot which web-stores you shouldn’t trust with your card or bank information. Make sure you use it if you notice that anything’s off.
Look at the web address
Even legitimate suppliers sometimes increase the chance of you becoming a victim of identity theft without even knowing it. This happens when their encryption isn’t good enough to add your payment method. If the beginning of the network isn’t “https://” (Accent on the ”S”), it wouldn’t be wise to type in your information. The thief could receive your info when you are submitting it to the supplier.
Beware of suspicious e-mails
No respectful business will ever require that you send your card information using email. Knowing that, in case you receive this kind of email, even if you own an account on their website, do not reply or open the links in that email. You can instead open the original site of the supposed supplier and contact them to find out whether they have sent it or not. Most businesses don’t know what’s going on and besides, you might be saving countless others from this scam.
Do not shop impulsively
On the other hand, rather than stealing your identity, businesses usually design their web-stores in a way that makes you always more than planned. Even the grocery store down the road works the same, the sugar and the coffee are always put side by side, reminding you that they can’t go one without other. Our last tip is to avoid impulse shopping online. Before you checkout, keep your items in the shopping cart for 15 minutes. Take your mind off of it. When 15 minutes pass by, take a look at your cart and remove the unnecessary items.