Online Shopping Safety Tips to Better Protect Your Identity

With constant advancements in online shopping, you can easily find everything you need with just the click of a button. However, online shopping can come with some risks, and hackers are always looking for a way to access your personal information. These online shopping safety tips will help protect your information while you’re browsing those great online sales.

Don’t save your credit card information online


Some companies allow you to save your credit card information on their site. This may seem convenient, but it makes it much easier for hackers to access your information. Reentering your credit card numbers for each new online purchase is a bit more time-consuming, but it will keep your financial information more secure and less vulnerable to hackers.

Avoid public Wi-Fi


Many businesses nowadays offer free public Wi-Fi to their patrons. While this is very convenient, users should be aware that public Wi-Fi is not as secure as private, password-protected Wi-Fi. With the right software, hackers can easily access any data you enter online, including any financial information used for online shopping. Public Wi-Fi networks will often warn users that their information isn’t protected and may be accessible to others, and it’s a warning you should always heed.

Use trusted websites


One of the most important online shopping safety tips is to only shop on trusted and secure websites. To easily recognize a secure website, look for URLs that begin with HTTPS instead of just HTTP, or simply look for the padlock symbol in the left corner of the URL bar. These indicate that the website has a secure sockets layer encryption installed, which will more effectively protect your information from cybercriminals.

Regularly check your bank statements


It’s imperative that you regularly check your bank statements to ensure that your financial information hasn’t been stolen. If you do accidentally buy something from a scam website with a credit card, call your card company to report the fraudulent charges immediately so that they can reimburse you. Additionally, by regularly reviewing bank statements, you’ll discover fraudulent charges sooner and can tell your bank to freeze your credit card.