Who has not ever bought online? In these times, it is difficult to find a person who does not.
It is easy, fast and practical. But it involves certain risks. And one of the most feared – and one of the most common – is being the victim of a scam.
The most common is called “card not present fraud” and occurs when the bank account holder’s data is stolen and used illegally by someone else.
It usually happens through “phishing” emails whose objective is to deceive the recipient by impersonating the victim. Other times, thieves use malicious programs and the theft takes just seconds.
There are some steps you can take to avoid fraud.
- Do not reply or click to links in emails
… especially if they ask for personal information .
Is your bank really the one who sends you that email? When in doubt, don’t answer.
Scammers often use seemingly simple but effective techniques to impersonate your bank, business, or other entity.
Sometimes, they try to make you believe that the person who writes you is one of your contacts or trusted person, or that you received an offer that you cannot refuse.
If you have questions, call by phone to check who sent you that email or try to resolve the issue through the organization’s website.
But, above all, do not click on the links or reveal your information without making sure who is asking for it.
- Confirm that the web is secure and begins with “https: //”
… and delete your browsing data after purchase.
The final “s” is very important: do not buy from websites that do not have the security protocol.
Pay attention to the URL link of the website where you are going to buy. The “https: //” protocol means that the site is secure.
Another detail to take into account are grammatical errors, typical of fraudulent websites.
It is also advisable to delete your browsing data after making the purchase, especially if you made the payment from a computer for massive use.
Another precautionary measure is to disable the “Autocomplete” function within the browser’s configuration options.
This will prevent the machine from remembering your numbers and credentials, and your data will be better protected.
- Use a virtual credit card
… and if you use a real one, enable the “added security” option.
A virtual credit card? Yes, you read that right.
It is a number linked to your real card, but with a spending limit and an expiration date, so that you can make purchases much more safely. After the expiry you can that number from CVV Shop.
There are platforms such as “Privacy”, from Google Chrome, which allow you to place a certain amount of money on your virtual card and even cancel it automatically once purchases are completed.
You can also use services like PayPal, Amazon Pay and Apple Pay, which are more secure than other payment systems, or a smart card (Stratos is an example).
Lastly, don’t forget to enable the added security feature. And remember that it is better to use credit cards than debit cards to pay online, because the level of protection is, by default, much higher.