So, here we are, living in the age of technology where you can do almost anything from your desk or sitting in your bed with a laptop propped up on a pillow. We can research manuals or guides to do almost anything, stay in contact with our long lost friends and, of course, buy things!! We can just type in our credit card information and poof! We are on our way to Bermuda, learning a new language, customizing the perfect outfit, keeping the electricity going without buying stamps and about a million other things… But, there is that lingering worry of credit card fraud! We have read all about it, it has happened to our friends and family, we are constantly being cautioned to beware of the downside of this very powerful tool.
We have been told by Spiderman and by Voltaire that with Great Power comes Great Responsibility. I am so grateful for this leisure of buying things with a couple clicks but we must be aware of how we can put our minds to rest while doing so. Online credit card fraud can happen anytime we give our credit card details to someone we don’t know, when our cards are lost or stolen and/or when elaborate schemes are planned out and mail delivery is obstructed by the devious. Lucky for us, there are things we can do to prevent this and go on in peace in the wild world of internet purchasing!
First, memorize your PINS! Try to not make them your birthday or the first line of your address because that’s just obvious. Get a bit creative with this, it could be ANYTHING! So make it something that is not so easy to guess.
Secondly, check the websites that you are using is secure. To do that, just look for the notification that it is encrypted by finding a the symbol of a lock in the bottom right corner of your screen and the "https" at the beginning of the web address. Having a website be encrypted means that if there is a criminal that is trying to tap into your internet connection in order to obtain your confidential information, he or she can only see nonsense. On a typical website which is non-encrypted, information that has been entered is at risk of credit card fraud.
Third, Always remember to log out and don’t have your passwords saved in your online devices. These things are not too difficult to end up lost or stolen and once that has happened, it makes it rather easy for the thief to steal more! Some people even change up their passwords and logins, to be extra cautious.
Fourth tip for preventing credit card fraud, be aware of pop ups that may mimic websites that you frequent, such as a bank or business. Do not click on pop ups, just type in the website of your known and trusted site.
Lastly, get in the habit of checking your online bank statements. If you check once or twice per week, it will only take a moment and you will be able to catch any credit card fraud quickly, as recent purchases will be fresh in your mind.
Good luck out there in the world-wide web! Together we can aide the decline of credit card fraud, as we follow a few simple steps on how we can protect ourselves.
We have been told by Spiderman and by Voltaire that with Great Power comes Great Responsibility. I am so grateful for this leisure of buying things with a couple clicks but we must be aware of how we can put our minds to rest while doing so. Online credit card fraud can happen anytime we give our credit card details to someone we don’t know, when our cards are lost or stolen and/or when elaborate schemes are planned out and mail delivery is obstructed by the devious. Lucky for us, there are things we can do to prevent this and go on in peace in the wild world of internet purchasing!
First, memorize your PINS! Try to not make them your birthday or the first line of your address because that’s just obvious. Get a bit creative with this, it could be ANYTHING! So make it something that is not so easy to guess.
Secondly, check the websites that you are using is secure. To do that, just look for the notification that it is encrypted by finding a the symbol of a lock in the bottom right corner of your screen and the "https" at the beginning of the web address. Having a website be encrypted means that if there is a criminal that is trying to tap into your internet connection in order to obtain your confidential information, he or she can only see nonsense. On a typical website which is non-encrypted, information that has been entered is at risk of credit card fraud.
Third, Always remember to log out and don’t have your passwords saved in your online devices. These things are not too difficult to end up lost or stolen and once that has happened, it makes it rather easy for the thief to steal more! Some people even change up their passwords and logins, to be extra cautious.
Fourth tip for preventing credit card fraud, be aware of pop ups that may mimic websites that you frequent, such as a bank or business. Do not click on pop ups, just type in the website of your known and trusted site.
Lastly, get in the habit of checking your online bank statements. If you check once or twice per week, it will only take a moment and you will be able to catch any credit card fraud quickly, as recent purchases will be fresh in your mind.
Good luck out there in the world-wide web! Together we can aide the decline of credit card fraud, as we follow a few simple steps on how we can protect ourselves.
