Most of the people do online shopping from their offices. Whether you do online shopping from office or from your home one thing should be care of the identity thieves may be hard work trying to steal your credit card number for a little furtive shopping of their own. You can prevent them by using one of the following online shopping strategies.
Use a fake ID
Now day’s credit cards come with a measure of protection against fraud, making them a great online shopping tool. If there's a fraudulent charge to your card, federal law limits the amount you owe to $50. Many credit card issuers go further, with "zero liability" policies.
Some cards offer an extra measure of Internet security, letting you adopt an alias for online purchases. They will provide you an alternative number generated for a single online purchase or for use with a single retailer against your real credit card number.
These fake IDs allow you to shop online without ever revealing your real credit card number, so you don't have to shut down your entire account if the fake number gets into the wrong hands. Some programs also allow you to put spending limits on transactions using these aliases. Banks have their own methods and programs for their customers.
Bank of America has a program called ShopSafe for its customers. It's available to customers who have a Bank of America credit card and use the company's online banking service. Citibank lets customers who hold certain credit cards generate so-called virtual account numbers for use online. Discover Card calls their fake IDs "secure online numbers."
Check with your credit card issuer to see whether it has a similar program. If not, and if you're a frequent online shopper, consider whether it's worth the hassle to switch to a card with this cloaking device.
Put on your secret decoder ring
Cards that carry either the Visa or MasterCard logo may be eligible for a security program that both companies offer in similar forms. The security features allow users to set up a special PIN for Internet shopping. Once you've signed up, you'll be prompted to enter the secret code when you purchase items online.
Assuming no one else can get their hands on the code (don't write it on the card or keep it in your wallet!), this can block some unauthorized attempts by hackers who try to shop using your good name and credit. Not all online retailers require the code, which limits its protections. Check with your financial institution to see whether the card you carry qualifies.
Use a go-between
If you're purchasing far and wide on the Internet, you may consider using an electronic payment system that handles all your purchases. It can theoretically reduce your exposure online by reducing the number of retailers that have access to your financial information.
The merchants like eBay’s PayPal or Google’s Checkout allow their customers to use an electronic payment system. You might not be able to use these systems at all your holiday shopping destinations.
Put on your invisibility cloak
The first thing to be safe you must keep your computer safe by installing antivirus and anti spyware software so that your financial information secret cannot be hacked by the hackers. Other wise going through all this trouble to hide your identity online won't help if your computer is riddled with viruses sending your private information out to hackers worldwide.
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4 comments:
great blog
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Excellent post.! Well, there are many ways to make our online shopping become safe and secure.
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