We live in a virtual world. One in which a lot of commerce, communications, and social interactions happen online. We provide both personal and public information over the web, and if we are not careful, it could become easy for someone to get access to our most private information. As an online shopper, I am very cautious of where I buy my goods, and where I share my information. If it’s a website I haven’t used before or I’ve never seen, I often check to see if they have a corporate office location, and many times I will call them to make sure that they are legitimate if I have never heard of them.
There are so many online gems out there and so many options to buy great, unique products. Here are some simple tips to make sure you are protected.
1) Make sure they have a secure, encryption connection for your credit card number and other personal information
2) If they are overseas, call them during their business hours. If no one pick up, take your business elsewhere
3) Use big shopping portals like eBay, Etsy, Amazon, PayPal and others to pay. They can put a little boundary between you and someone who is not trustworthy.
4) Go shopping. In a store. Get out of your PJs and go to the mall. You might get a slightly more expensive item, but you might find something else you like and didn’t even know about. You might even get a boyfriend or girlfriend who just happens to like the stuff you do.
Seriously though, it’s important to be cautious about security online when dealing with your personal finances. Be careful you have password protected networks and if it looks to cheap to be true, it probably is. Happy shopping friends!