| How will you react if you get a call one fine day from | | | | convenience and affordable prices. So how does one |
| the collection agency stating that you are liable for | | | | shop freely online and without any worries about |
| charges on your account that have not been made | | | | being robbed? The best way is to shop from a |
| by you? You will definitely get angry, lambast the | | | | reliable and 'secure' site. Go for a website which asks |
| credit card company and take the legal course. The | | | | you to re-enter your personal details every time you |
| damage however will be done by that time, and your | | | | shop rather than the one which recommends you to |
| credit rating will have taken a beating. What you will | | | | store the information for convenience later. The |
| be doing is losing your time and money pursuing a | | | | extra effort of re-entering details is agreeable for the |
| legal case, while the person who has scampered with | | | | privacy of your personal information. |
| your credit card money will be making merry and | | | | 3. SSL technology: Secure Socket Layer (SSL) |
| waiting for his next strike. | | | | technology is the best security online. The shopping |
| Identity theft is an emerging crime where some one | | | | and business websites online are kept secure due to |
| gets hold of your private information and assumes | | | | a program which encrypts the data in such a way |
| your identity. He applies for a credit card in your | | | | that only you can make out what you are doing on a |
| name and wreaks havoc with your credit file and | | | | given page. It is encrypted in a machine read level |
| personal finances by using the card for purchases and | | | | which cannot be comprehended by any other person |
| online transactions. He can even process an address | | | | besides you and the computer. Your credit card |
| change, ask for a credit line increase, do balance | | | | details are extremely secure and there is no way for |
| transfers in your name and mess your credit rating. | | | | anyone to get any access of your valuable |
| In the end, you are the one who has to pay, literally | | | | information. To find out if your online shopping |
| speaking. Taking care of your credit card and keeping | | | | website has the SSL technology is by looking at the |
| confidential information private is really your | | | | URL or the webpage address. If it begins with " |
| responsibility. Here is how you can ensure that your | | | | instead of the usual " you know that the page which |
| credit card information is kept secure and confidential: | | | | you are keying in your details is secure. The extra "S" |
| 1. Subscribe to a credit monitoring system: This is the | | | | in the https stands for 'Secure.' |
| best bet against any kind of identity theft. For a | | | | 4. Verification code: The three digits at the back of |
| nominal amount, you get a service which alerts you | | | | the card above the signature panel on most credit |
| of any possible untoward changes which happens | | | | cards make it known to the online retailers and |
| with your credit file. For example, Citicard has started | | | | tele-shopping representatives that the card is with |
| with the City Credit Monitoring System which alerts | | | | the right person. |
| you of any changes or discrepancies in your credit file | | | | 5. Shred vital information on paper: Make it a point to |
| so that you come to know that the change like an | | | | shred every bit of credit card information, pin |
| address change or an application of a credit card has | | | | numbers, promotional mails and checks after you |
| been initiated by you and not somebody else. This | | | | have used them or made a note of them. This will |
| way you can be secure that your credit rating is not | | | | ensure that your credit card information is secure. |
| affected and you stay clear of any identity theft on | | | | 6. Authorization code: You get an authorization code |
| your account. | | | | for every payment or shopping that you do online or |
| 2. Online security: The online route is another way by | | | | over the telephone. This code is something which |
| which miscreants can cheat you by using your credit | | | | only you have knowledge of. |
| card number and expiration date to make an online | | | | 7. Make sure that your unused accounts are indeed |
| purchase. At other times, a nasty hacker can sneak | | | | closed: Check with the credit card companies and |
| into the online store's website and steal your credit | | | | credit reports to ascertain if some of the credit card |
| card information either as you key in the details or | | | | accounts that you do not use have indeed been |
| from the customer database. However online | | | | closed. If they are still lying open, they can be a |
| shopping is the best place to shop in terms of | | | | potential source for identity thefts. |