If you’re planning on doing a bit of your holiday shopping online, there are a few tips you should keep in mind to keep you safe. In fact, many experts are actually recommending that holiday shoppers use their credit cards exclusively when making holiday season purchases online – for the exact same reason I’ve been pushing the use of credit cards: added purchase protection.
First of all, make sure the site you are shopping on is secure. I don’t care how great of an offer the company has – if the site isn’t secure, don’t give up your information. You can easily tell if a site is secure or not. All you need to do is look at the URL in the address bar. If the URL in the address bar starts with “https” you are in fact on a site that can safely and securely conduct credit card transactions. If there is no “s” after the http in the address bar, the site is not secured for safe transactions.
You might also want to exercise a bit more caution when shopping at online bidding sites. During this time of the year, there’s generally an increase in people putting up bogus offers for sale and absconding with the money. So, if you are planning on shopping online, try to stick with those sites that have built a reputation that you know you can trust.
You should also use just one credit card specifically for your online shopping. By using just one card for that purpose, you can properly track your purchases and you’ll have less information to worry about floating around in cyberspace.
Although this is certainly the season of giving, it is also the season of taking when it comes to identity thieves. So, be extra vigilant about being smart, but above all, safe while conducting business online.
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