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If you are hesitant to do online shopping or payments, I have the best security tips so that you may go ahead and shop online without worry about safety and security of using personal information online. Shop with a credit card, not a debit card – Credit cards always have better protection and support from the card companies, so just in case something goes wrong, the have the authority to stop/cancel the transaction within some time period. On debit cards however, the money goes as you pay. So, even if you have protection, the money is already gone. Use one card for all your online shopping – It is easier to keep track of transactions on one card and you will be able to check your statement easily. Use one computer for online shopping – When you shop online frequently, use same computer and have a login password enabled on it. It is not just for security from unwary users, but also a protection from some viruses. Use newly opened browser for all online shopping or payments – Always close all windows of the browser and open afresh for online shopping. Also do not open multiple tabs for shopping. For surfing, use another different browser. Always close browser window after completing purchase – Close the browser windows once and then open again. This is very important as you may have noticed that even banks ask you to close window after you log out (it is important to close not just tab but all the browser windows). Never click on links in emails – Even if the mail is from someone you know, do not click on links in emails. It can be a potential source of viruses on your PC. Who can be sure if your known contact’s computer isn’t security compromised. Check the site name and URL in the browser address bar – When proceeding to pay for a purchase, always keep an eye on the site name and the URL. Check the third party or payment gateway site before you make payment. Use a latest and updated browser – You may use any operating system like Windows, Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora etc) or mac but use the newer browsers for online shopping. Avoid using older browsers like IE6/IE7. General Precautions as for any shopping – Do get a shipping details and time, warranty info, replacement policy, money back guarantee terms etc. We suggest you to shop online only on reputed sites which are well established. Use price comparison sites for faster and foolproof shopping – This is not exactly a safety tip, but is a smart shopping guideline. Price comparison sites usually present prices from various reputed online shopping stores in one place and you may try them for getting a better deal. |