As technology evolves day by day, the black sheep on the internet also does. Especially when you do online shopping, there is a high risk that you might be prey to scammers and hackers. There are some alarming situations that you have to be cautious with, in order to avoid the scam.
Nowadays you will find a lot of great deals often with low-cost or free shipping, but some of these sites insist and pressurized the buyer to share their personal info which is quite an alarming situation for the buyer.
While shopping online, you simply need some practical advice and have to use common. Here we share the basic guidelines that keep you safe from scammers, so you can shop with confidence.
1. Use Credit Cards
Never use your debit card when shopping online, instead of it use your credit card. As the debit cards are linked with your funds, it's better to switch to secure transactions with a credit card. Also, the credit card has a limit on the responsible amount if your account information is stolen.
Before submitting the transaction information, it's better to verify if the online merchant site is trustworthy or not to share your personal and financial details. Make sure to not give your credit card details in an e-mail because it's not a secure way of submitting your information as it can be easily copied and can be shared with others.
A customer must collect information about the vendor before buying the goods. Through reading the reviews, third parties, and friends. Only if you collect good recommendations from renowned and trustworthy sites and friends, then go for the next step. It is very important to know the information of the vendor and its company background to check the cheating cases history. You just need to take a few more precautions to avoid getting cheated. In case the store has no reviews or no favorable reviews, don’t order from their website.
If you are about to purchase online shopping, start at a trusted site. It is good to shop through a reputable third-party site while shopping online, just like Amazon. These sites lists the merchants on the sites after analyzing the credit worthiness of the merchant.
The hidden cost refers to shipping charges, packaging charges, and additional charges that can push up the actual price of an online purchase. This results in the rise in the final cost of your purchase eventually costing much in your pocket. In the case of overseas shipping, the customs duties, and postage can add greatly to the product's price.
The buyer should analyze thoroughly the hidden cost before purchasing goods through the website. Check the retailer's return policies stated o its website, before proceeding to checkout.
The buyer must check if the site is secured or not before sharing personal and financial information with regard to name, address, or credit card. Always look for the padlock and key symbol at the bottom corner of the PC screen. The secure site keeps your information and detail encrypted that saved in a secure database.
Before making an order, the customer must check the SSL certificates to prevent data access to a third party when it is transmitted over the web. Always check the https URL when you are shopping online. The additional 's' at the end of HTTP ensures that the site you are visiting is encrypted which keeps your private data safe and secure.
It may not be a convenient way to use public Wi-Fi for online shopping as there are many risks. Most of these public connections are not secured at all that, making your information easily accessible to hackers. But it is more advisable to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to be safe and secure. One of the best ways to stay safe online is using an effective internet security product with security features.
Avoid disclosure of information before purchase. Only share what's essentially required and relevant for your purchase while shopping online. Avoid buying from sites that request to share personal or financial information before the purchase of goods. You must be very cautious while making purchases from the internet.
No online e-tailer needs your Social Security number or your birthday as it has nothing to do with business. Most likely needed information to give is name, address, phone number, email, and credit card information. Make sure to just fill in the required information fields that have asterisks(*).
Avoid any offer that feels too good to be true. If you see any offer that pressurize the customer to share their personal information to avail of a special deal. Say a big NO to that site and offer. Any merchant or website that promises too much at too low a price is suspicious. You should also check the competitor's prices to see if the price is actually low or not.
Sometimes a cheap price or a too low-price package returned out to be a damaged piece. Some e-stores may run an absurdly low-price offer and then claim the item is out of stock while you have sent all your financial and personal details and sell you something else in a classic way of scam.
The buyer must check if the seller exists or sells goods physically or not. There are many scammer merchants that only work online, and after collecting personal and credit card information, they disappear. In order not to experience this trouble, always check the proper contact information including postal address and phone number details so in case of any hurdle or query you are able to contact the seller and can get in touch with them. It is advisable to contact the seller before you order, so you can clarify the return policy and after the purchase issues.
It is very essential to keep your side evidence. Always make copies and keep a record of all the transactions and order numbers. It's even better to print a handout of the details from the website with the records of order numbers and billing addresses so you can use them as evidence in case of any litigation.
Keep the evidence of every piece of information that is exchanged between a buyer and a seller, so if any problem or scam arises you will be able to contact the legal authorities.
By following these guidelines you will be able to protect your personal and financial information and be able to distinguish between authentic secure sites and non-secure scamming sites.