101 - Excellent Tips

Online Shopping has become a part of our lives. And with the increase in the online stores, the frauds that are happening inline have also increased. As a consumer, you need to be alert when you provide important details like credit card numbers or social security numbers or any other sensitive information.

• Make sure the website is the same which you intended to provide this information. There are a lot of phishing sites, which try to grab your vital details by making you believe that the site is the original. Phishing sites are sites which resemble the original sites and have some similar domain name.
• Whenever you are providing any sensitive information like credit card details, check the page URL. The URL of the page where you provide information should begin with https:// and not http://. https:// means the information exchanged between your computer and the merchant’s server is encrypted.
• You should also look for a closed padlock symbol on the bar at the bottom of your browser screen. Double-clicking on the padlock brings up details about the site’s security certificate. Check to be sure that the “Issued to” name matches the name of the site you intended to visit. By performing this check, you may be able to detect a “spoofed” (fake) site, since the names will differ.
• If your browser indicates that the SSL is expired, it means, the information that will is exchanged between your computer and the server is no longer encrypted. Take this warning seriously and avoid providing sensitive information

You can learn more about safe shopping at http://www.bbbonline.org/consumer/