| Whether you have been burned in the past by online | | | | of small merchants or you have worked with larger |
| fraud, or you are simply interested in never being in | | | | retailers, this is usually an inside job, so be aware of |
| such a situation, you will find that the more good | | | | where you use your credit cards. |
| information that you have under your belt, the | | | | 3. Know what you are buying |
| better. Online fraud can take many forms, and you | | | | One of the most common types of online fraud is |
| will find that the consequences can range from being | | | | where you will simply buy something and what you |
| mildly inconvenient to being extremely damaging, so | | | | receive is not what you expect. In this, your only |
| take some time and make sure that you have | | | | defense is to be a savvy consumer. Read up on who |
| protected yourself as best as you can. | | | | you are buying from, and figure out what their track |
| 1. Be aware of phishing | | | | record is. While you can and should read their |
| Phishing is a technique that is used by many people | | | | testimonials, spend some time researching them |
| who are attempting to scam money online. You will | | | | online as well. Are they trusted merchants, and do |
| receive an email that seems completely sincere that | | | | they deliver what they say that they will? When you |
| will direct you to a site where you will enter your | | | | are on auction sites, always check their buyer |
| bank information, credit card information, Social | | | | reviews. |
| Security Number or some other designation. The | | | | 4. Shopping securely |
| truth is that while some of these attempts are quite | | | | Whenever you are on a page that asks for your |
| crude, others are extremely sophisticated. They | | | | personal information find out if it is secure. A secure |
| might pretend to be from your bank, or from some | | | | page is one that is protected from incursions by |
| another trusted source, like a business that you have | | | | non-authorized persons. An indication that the page is |
| previously dealt with. Whenever you are asked to | | | | secured is a small lock icon somewhere on the |
| divulge information like this, contact the organization | | | | address bar and a URL that begins with "https" |
| and ask why. | | | | rather than "http." If the page is not secured, find |
| 2. Check your bank balances regularly | | | | another way to order. |
| One way that many people become victims of fraud | | | | Take some time and make sure that you are dealing |
| is when their credit cards are skimmed. Skimming | | | | with a reputable party. The more that you know |
| involves someone taking the numbers from your | | | | about the people that you are dealing with, the |
| credit card and using them in online transactions. Stay | | | | better off you are going to be. A little bit of |
| up to date on how much money is in your account | | | | knowledge goes a long way, so be sure to be as |
| and figure out what you have been spending your | | | | safe as you can when you are shopping. |
| money on and where. Whether you trade with a lot | | | | |