Online shopping is an easy and fun way to buy the things you need without leaving the comfort of your home. You can explore an endless array of products and brands, score the best deals, and get them delivered to your doorstep. You can also exchange and return most items hassle-free, which makes online shopping the best option for many.
But you must think beyond the coolest deals and discounts while shopping online. The products must reach you on time, be of high quality, have a comprehensive warranty, and the brand must offer excellent customer support for your concerns. Your shopping experience must also be secure to protect your private data from cybercriminals and other malicious parties.
Here are our seven top tips to ensure a safe online shopping experience:
1. Make Sure to Shop From a Secure Connection
When shopping online, it is important to ensure that you have a secure connection before placing any orders. Consider using a proxy server for added online safety. Proxies act as intermediaries between your device and the websites you visit, providing an additional layer of security. By using a proxy, your data is protected from threats such as phishing attacks, as it is routed through the proxy server, keeping your personal information secure.
Use antivirus software to keep your computer and other devices safe from intrusive ads, malware, viruses, and ransomware. This will protect your passwords, financial information, and other data from theft.
Do not purchase any items or even browse while on public networks—your browsing activity, passwords, and financial information may be compromised. These networks are highly vulnerable to hackers and cybercriminals.
2. Know Thy Merchant
Another important tip while shopping online is to know the merchant you’re buying from. If you know them, you can be sure to have a safe and reliable shopping experience in their store. Also, if you face any issues while placing orders or after receiving your items, you can easily reach out to their customer service team for help.
Moreover, if you know about the positive experiences of other customers with the store in question, you don’t have to worry much about its product quality.
If the merchant is unknown to you, do your due diligence. Read reviews from reliable sites and learn about other customers' experiences. If there are no reviews for the store or it lacks positive product feedback, it’s best to look elsewhere.
3. Check the Security of the Site
Before you share your financial or other personal details with a shopping website, check if its web address starts with “HTTPS” and not “HTTP.” The extra “s” means that the site is encrypted and will keep your data safe.
4. Avoid Online Stores That Ask for Unnecessary Information
It is common for online stores to ask you to share personal details like your shipping address, email address, contact number, and preferred payment method. But if they ask for other data that is not necessary for placing an order, take a minute to reconsider. It might be best to click away and shop on other reliable sites.
Never share highly personal and sensitive data like your driver’s license number, bank account information, and social security number. Even if some sites ask you about your hobbies and interests, these questions are optional and marketing-related, so you can opt not to answer them.
Protecting your personal information is crucial, and reading a website's privacy policy to understand how your data is being used and shared is an important step in ensuring information security.
Usually, online stores assure in their policies that they don’t share customer data. But a few of them may state that they own your data and can use it however they choose. Stay away from such sites and buy only from those that prioritize consumer privacy.
5. Create Strong and Unique Passwords
Most online stores ask you to create an account with them for ease of use and marketing purposes. This requires you to make a password for logging into your account.
You can avoid creating an account, especially if you don’t plan to visit the site again. But if you’re a regular shopper and wish to create an account, protect your data by creating a strong and unique password.
Do not reuse the ones from other accounts or email addresses, as this compromises your online identity.
6. Use Secure Payment Methods
Once you’ve added your products to your shopping cart and proceeded to checkout, you will see various payment options. These include credit and debit cards, online wallets, cash-on-delivery (COD), and pay-on-delivery (POD). If you don’t wish to pay for your products in advance, choose the COD or POD option.
Avoid using debit cards or checks as they are lacking in security measures in case you face an issue. These payment options make it easy for cybercriminals to compromise your data and take money from your bank account.
Credit cards are a safer way to make online payments. If you get scammed or your data is stolen, the Fair Credit Billing Act restricts your financial liability to no more than $50 of unauthorized credit card charges. You can also ask your bank to reverse the transaction and investigate fraud.
You may designate a credit card exclusively for online shopping. So, if that card is compromised, you can close it quickly without affecting other transactions.
7. Check Your Bill Statements Regularly
Regularly check your bank, checking account, and credit card statements to keep track of your online transactions. This is especially important during the holiday season when you may shop online more often.
Check if there are any fraudulent transactions that you did not authorize. If you find a suspicious financial activity, take action immediately by calling your bank or credit card company and informing them about the issue. Settle your credit card bill only if all charges are legitimate.
Activate email and SMS notifications from your bank and credit card company for all of your transactions.
Conclusion
Taking precautionary measures when shopping online protects you from fraud and other malpractices. Follow the steps above and enjoy a seamless, happy shopping experience.
