How to shop safely online?

Posted by Administrator
October 9, 2006
 

Online shopping is rapidly growing due to lower prices, broader choice, and convenience of shopping from home, but we are still concerned, rightfully so, about safety and privacy. Here are some excellent tips from Gill Fisher, President of 1 Contemporary Furniture on how to watch out for fruad on the web:

    Make sure the company name, physical address, and telephone number is posted on the website. If not, do not purchase from that website. The company could be located in Nigeria for all you know. Adopt this rule: “If you can’t find them, then don’t do business with them.”
    Never give your social security number or date of birth over the Internet. If your date of birth is required to purchase or participate like in the case of a dating service, lie about it or don’t buy. For the dating website provide a false month and day you where born, but use the correct year so that your prospects will not feel deceived about your age. Never lie to a law enforcement official even on the Internet. Police have a right to ask you to identify yourself. But don’t give out your personal information to anyone that you don’t know, other than a law enforcement official. Always make certain that you are talking to a real law enforcement official before you give out your DOB. Ask him to identify himself. Check on him by calling the number he or she provides. You may also be required to provide the date of birth and other private information when you apply for visas, green card, and passport online. Just make sure that you are on the right website.
    Sign up for one of the credit notification and protection services offered by the three largest credit reporting agencies. It does not cost much (under $100 per year) considering that it really works to help protect your credit and your identity.
    Contact any ONE of the three major credit reporting agencies and have a security watch placed on your account. Make things difficult for anyone attempting to obtain your identity (social security number or date of birth) through a credit report without your knowledge or consent. People are getting private information on you right now through credit reports without you even knowing about it. The faster you stop them the safer you will be.
    Be careful of all e-mail offers. If you see “Click Here” make certain that doing so has directed you to the real web site of the company. For example, you may receive an e-mail requesting that you update your account information at eBay or Paypal or online banking or online trading accounts. Do not click on these links – no bank will ask you to do that. If you need to access any of the accounts online, go there directly.
    Remember that people who do NOT use the Internet are victims of identity theft too. For example, recently a computer was stolen with all the private information of American veterans. Most of the veterans never made an Internet purchase. So watch out for identity theft since it could be due to someone else’s fault.
    Keep in mind that your credit card is not all that the Internet thief wants today. He knows that if he uses your credit card he most likely will get caught because you will know about it soon. Today it’s your identity (social security number and date of birth) that the contemporary thief really wants. He wants to use your identify to apply for credit in your name, without your knowledge or consent. You need technology to catch him.
    Look for the Better Business Bureau seal. The seal must be a hot link direct to the BBB. If there is no hot link to the BBB, or you are directed to another web site other than the official BBB site, there is a good chance the seal has been stolen and the merchant is not a member of the BBB.
    Do not store your identity on your home computer if it is connected to the Internet and always protect your computer. Use a personal firewall at all times.
Personal finance

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