Online Shopping Security



Online shopping has replaced shopping at the mall. Consumer can now buy everything from groceries to card online. E-commerce has allowed consumer to shop at thousands of online stores from the comfort of their home. E-commerce has also allowed new forms of theft to flourish. A survey by AC Nielsen found that the top security concerns of America's online shoppers are:
  • Not receiving the items purchased, or receiving items different from what was described.
  • Email addresses being sold to third parties.
  • Fears about personal or financial information being stolen.
  • Email scans known as "phishing" or "spoofing" in which consumers receive messages from dishonest sources disguised as messages from trusted retailers or financial institutions.

    Online shoppers need to take security measures to protect themselves. This guide offers advice on how to make your online shopping experiences enjoyable and safe.
    1. Shop at Secure Web Sites
      Secure website use encryption to transfer information from your computer. This encryption scrambles the information that you send in order to prevent hackers from obtaining it.

      How to tell if a website is secure:
      The web address should start with https:// instead of http:// the "s" stands for secure. Normally you will not see the "s" until you move to the shopping cart; this is fine as you are not transmitting information until you reach this point. Some browser versions will also display a padlock or key either at the bottom of the screen or next to the address bar.

      Once the information is received by the merchant it is important to know how they will safeguard it. Be sure to read the merchants privacy policy to learn more about their process.
    2. Make sure the company that you are dealing with is reputable
      Reputable companies will advertise their physical business address and phone number. Call the phone number and ask questions to determine if the business is legitimate. Google the name of the company, if they have made a habit of scamming shoppers or not fulfilling orders it will show up on Google.
    3. The Safest way to pay
      The safest way to shop on the Internet is with a credit card. In the event something goes wrong, you are protected under the federal Fair Credit Billing Act. You have the right to dispute charges on your credit card, and you can withhold payments during a creditor investigation. When it has been determined that your credit was used without authorization, you are only responsible for the first $50 in charges. You are rarely asked to pay this charge. We recommend that you obtain one credit card that you use only for online payments to make it easier to detect wrongful credit charges.
    4. Never Give Out Your Social Security Number
      There is no reason for a merchant to ask for a social security number in order to place an order. If you are asked for one run far, run fast. You have stumbled into a problem.
    5. Shop with Companies Located in the Unites States
      When you shop within the U.S., you are protected by state and federal consumer laws. You might not get the same protection if you place an order with a company located in another country.





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