Five Steps to Safe Online Shopping

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States, making it not only the most popular for criminals but one of the most debilitating to its victims. According to two studies done in July 2003 (Gartner Research and Harris Interactive), approximately 7 million people became victims of identity theft in the prior 12 months. That equals 19,178 per day, 799 per hour, 13.3 per minute! Victims now are said to spend an average of 600 hours recovering from this crime, often over a period of several years. Three years ago the average was 175 hours of time for recovery, representing an increase of about 2470%! From this data it is obvious that individuals need to protect themselves in the ever shrinking technological world. Here are five tips to safe Internet shopping that can help keep you safe while benefiting from the wonders of the web.

1) Research Privacy Policies

Before you begin shopping do some research into both your credit card provider and the company you are purchasing from. When purchasing from a website, check to see if they have a privacy policy in order to determine just how your personal information will be handled. Save or print any check verification information provided after making your purchase. Keep track of these records and follow your credit card billing statement carefully making sure that you don’t have any unauthorized purchases.

2) Use a Virtual Credit Card

One of the fears of purchasing on the web is the question of whether or not your information will be kept safe. A virtual credit card number gives shoppers the option of using a credit card number that can be used once, hence protecting them from potential thieves. Since the number is only valid on the site that you made your purchase, the number will be useless to hackers trying to steal your information. Many credit card processing companies are developing this option for their clients making the web more approachable for skeptical or concerned users. They most likely use a virtual terminal or online credit card machine which helps provide a secure, reliable, and cost-effective system for both you and the company. If at all possible, try to do some research into the company’s technology and equipment before giving out your important, private information.

3) Use a Virtual Check

If you do not have a credit card this might be the best way to go in performing online transactions. A virtual check is an electronic data exchange that results in the producing of a paper check in the Treasurer or Tax Collector's Office after the transferring of your money occurs. Only the Tax Collector or deputized tax supervisor will have access to your personal information so you don’t need to worry about it being stolen. Businesses most likely will use a card service in order to process your information, transferring the payment electronically from your account to the merchant’s account. This method benefits the business as well in that it lowers costs through programs such as check guarantee and check verification, ultimately resulting in your safety and their cost-improvement.

4) Make sure your Transactions are Encrypted

Hackers will sometimes try to lead you into a site very similar to one you might be looking for in order to steal your information. One method to avoid this is to make sure that the site you are entering is secure. Secure sites will have "https:" (Note the "s") at the beginning of their Web address instead of just "http." If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer, you will also see a security lock image in the bottom right of the browser window which can be very helpful. If you are unsure of a site, do some research or use your virtual credit card.

5) Avoid Purchasing from a Spam or an unsolicited e-mail Offer

If you get a spam offer in your email account you might be best off to simply delete the message without even risking the viruses that might be coming with it. By avoiding entering these risky sites you will be much better protected. To avoid unwanted messages, guard and protect your primary email address so that spammers can't hack into and steal it. Also, bear in mind that some unscrupulous people sell email addresses to bulk mailing companies. This is especially important when visiting unfamiliar Web sites: consider whether you really want the information enough to risk divulging your email address. The key is to protect your information, don’t ever give it out without adequately researching the consequences of your choice.

By Trent Williams, a Client Account Specialist for 10x Marketing an Internet Marketing Company. If you would like to know more about secure merchant accounts go to Verus Credit Services for a Free Savings Analysis.