Safe and Secure Online Shopping

If you hate shopping, e-commerce is probably a dream come true for you. Shopping online offers no traffic or crowds, its available 24/7, and some sites offer price comparisons and customer product reviews. The benefits far outweigh those available with traditional retail methods, especially during the holiday season. To help make the most of your online shopping experience, we have some important steps to protect yourself and reduce your risk of identity theft.

• Shop secure websites only. If a specific retailer is unfamiliar, research their credibility before buying from them. Perform an internet search for the company name. Legitimate companies will advertise their location and a phone number for customer service or ordering purposes because they really want to do business with you. As a last resort, check the authenticity of the business with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbbonline.org) or your State Attorney’s Office.

• Know what to look for when browsing an e-commerce website. Legitimate websites should display a locked padlock icon on the status bar of the browser. If it remains open, it is not a secure website. When you begin the check-out process, the URL address should change from “http:” to “https:” in the address bar of your browser. “Https” indicates a secure website. If it is does not change, do not proceed with the transaction.

• Review the merchant’s website privacy policy before buying. Reputable e-commerce sites willingly offer this information. Also look for merchants who belong to approved programs that set guidelines for online privacy and security practices, such as TRUSTe (www.truste.com) or BBB (www.bbbonline.org ). If they’re using a BBB or TRUSTe seal on their website illegally, at least you have the option to verify if they are true members to either one of these programs.

• Always use a credit card and choose one specifically for use when shopping online. Establishing one credit card for online transactions keeps other credit accounts from exposure and also makes it easier to track wrongful charges. If you need to dispute a transaction, it is much easier to do with a credit card under the Fair Credit Billing Act. You can also legally withhold payments during a transaction investigation.

• Never use a debit card. It exposes your bank accounts and financial information to thieves.

• Print and save copies of your online transactions. Print product information, online receipts, return policies, shipping information and copies of any email exchanged between you and the seller. Review your credit card statements when they arrive for any discrepancies or unwanted charges.

• Shop only with businesses located within the United States. Consumers are not protected under state and federal laws when shopping from a company located in another country.

• Use “virtual credit cards”” if possible. Some banks offer a credit card for the specific purpose of online shopping. Cardholders are issued a randomly, generated 16-digit substitute account number in the place of an actual card number. These “temporary” cards can also be used to purchase products or services by mail or by phone. Unlike traditional plastic credit cards they cannot be used for in-store purchases, but cardholders do have the option to set the monetary limit as well as its expiration date.

Some banks and credit card companies that offer the service include Bank of America, Citibank MBNA and Discover. If you already have a credit card account with these banks, this is offered at no extra charge.

• Don’t provide more information than is necessary to complete your order. When finalizing a purchase with an e-commerce site, you may be asked to provide specific information. As a general rule, only type information into data fields denoted with an asterisk (*).

Occasionally, online merchants may ask for more than just name, address and e-mail for marketing purposes, be especially cautious since this can lead to “spam” mail or direct solicitations by phone. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing information, leave it unmarked or conduct business elsewhere.

While online shopping is a resourceful alternative for many people, we hope these tips will help keep you and your identity safe while enjoying the convenience and availability of the Internet.