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Website Security Rules of the Road
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| Wednesday, January 7, 2009 |
In 2004, consumer spending online is at a record $ 65.1 billion. More and more people are attracted by the ease of online shopping and spending higher amounts. Unfortunately, the chances of becoming a victim of Internet fraud are also increasing. The National Internet Fraud Watch reported that the average loss for victims and for the first six months of 2005 was $ 2579. This is compared to the average of $ 895 for the full year 2004. Complaints relating to purchases of goods (goods never received or poorly) represented 30% of Internet fraud complaints, shopping and auctions (goods never received or bad) tops the list to 44%.
Although many e-commerce sites are reputable and have taken appropriate security measures to protect you, it never hurts to always proceed with caution. If you shop online with these simple steps:
1. Use only a credit card, preferably with a low credit limit, making online purchases. Avoid using an ATM or debit card.
2. Beware of unsolicited offers by sellers. The Internet National Fraud Information Center Watch reported that the e-mail as a method of contact by Internet scammers was up 22% in May 2004.While the offer is legitimate, spammers use this tactic to avoid sites trusted to ensure the protection of consumers shopping online.
3. Use only reputation of e-commerce sites that list an address and phone number in case you need to contact them directly.
4. Read the privacy policy of the website. Some websites May reserves the right to sell / give your information to third parties. See the document to see if they allow an opportunity to "opt-out" to receive special offers from third-party providers or for permission to share your personal information.
5. Arrival of a padlock symbol in the status bar at the bottom of your browser window. Also, do not provide your personal information if the website address should not begin with "https" (a sign that the site uses a secure server).
6. Choose only verified sellers. Check if the seller is a member of a third party verification, such as the Better Business Bureau, VeriSign, or Guardian eCommerce. These third-party sites to help online consumers will be protected when buying or conduct e-commerce transactions.
7. Verify that the delivery date shown is reasonable. If you have not dealt with the supplier on a regular basis, be wary of any Web site that said the shipment will be delayed 20 days or more. Delivery dates of 7-10 days are more common.
8. Keep a written record of all transactions online. Print a copy of the transaction and keep it on file for future reference.
9. Beware of sites that offer sound too good to be true. The Internet is littered with get rich quick scams and false advertising claims. Investigate thoroughly all applications before proceeding.
10. If you do not get what you paid for, and the seller would not return your e-mails or calls, contact your state's Department of Consumer Affairs for help. |
posted by neptunus @ 8:14 PM
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