Shopping Safely Online - Intel

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Shopping Online

Shopping Safely Online

The Internet makes shopping online quick and convenient. You can order everything from clothing to groceries from the comfort of your home and without waiting in line. However, there are those out there who will try to take advantage of unsuspecting shoppers by stealing personal and financial information; this practice is commonly referred to as Identity Theft. You can protect yourself by knowing how to recognize secure and reputable shopping web sites, and taking steps to secure your information.

Steps to Identifying a Trustworthy Web Site

If you choose to shop online, there are several signs you should look for on a web site to help predict whether it is secure and reputable:

A. Confirm it is a "Secure" site Check the web address in the browser. A legitimate business will take efforts to prove their credibility and protect their customers. Look for web addresses that begin with "https." The "s" at the end stands for secure and means that the web site is using what is called the SSL protocol and has been granted a digital certificate indicating the business is a trusted party that has been vetted by appropriate authorities. (Note: Sometimes the "https" will not appear until the ordering portion of the web site. Browsing is safe, but make sure you see the "s" before entering any personal information.)

B. Look for the "padlock" icon Also in the address bar you should see a padlock icon . This is another on-screen indicator that the web site is safe and secure. If the padlock is open, assume the web site is not secured and consider doing your business elsewhere.

C. Look for Privacy and Return policies A reputable business will make their privacy and return policies clear and visible. Often there will be links to these policies on the top, side, or bottom of a web site. Take the time to read these policies and ensure that they state that your personal and financial information will not be released to any third party for any reason without your knowledge, or an option to opt out of this.

D. Confirm contact information Reputable sellers have will have legitimate physical addresses and phone numbers. If you have not done business with a particular seller before, consider doing a Google search on the address and phone number they provide to confirm it is genuine. If no

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contact information is provided, proceed with extreme caution. This information might be in the footer of the web site, or behind an "About Us" or "Contact Us" link.

E. Make sure credit cards are accepted Credit cards are generally the safest payment option when shopping online because there are laws that protect you from responsibility for fraudulent charges (see the Fair Credit Billing Act). You don't necessarily have these same protections when using a debit card or other method of payment. Even if you plan to use another form of payment, be wary of a site that does not except credit cards as a payment option, and never send cash or money orders through the mail.

F. Check the Type of Information Collected During the ordering, checkout, or account set-up process, only necessary information should be collected. This would include Billing Address, Shipping Address, Phone Number, and Credit Card number. Never reveal your Social Security Number to an online vendor, and be cautious of sites that require a lot of details about you without the option of opting out.

G. Look for evidence of certification If you are considering ordering online from a merchant you have not done business with before, check to see if the merchant has been certified by the Better Business Bureau (), a nonprofit organization devoted to connecting consumers to trustworthy businesses. Similar independent certifications include "Google Trusted Store" status () or a "StellaService" seal ().

Steps to Keep Yourself Safe When Shopping Online

In addition to making sure a web site is trustworthy, there are several additional steps you should take on your end to protect yourself:

A. Keep Your Computer Software and Hardware Up-to-Date Most computers have anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall protections installed. Make sure you keep these protections up-to-date. Also be sure you are using the latest browser and install any updates. When security holes are discovered in browsers, they often issue "patches". When your computer indicates there is an update to your browser software, install it.

B. Use Strong Passwords It is often more convenient to create an account on sites you plan to use often. This makes it easier to keep your information handy without having to re-enter it each time you shop; however, to protect your account from hackers, you should be sure to create strong passwords. A strong password should include upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. You should also use unique passwords for each site where you have an account.

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C. Keep Records of Your Purchases Be sure to save your confirmation e-mails or print out your order confirmation details until you have received your items and are satisfied that they were delivered and charged appropriately.

D. Be Wary of E-mails Requesting Information E-mail is not a secure means of transmitting personal and financial information. Legitimate businesses will not ask you to send information via e-mail. You should only provide information through trusted web sites.

E. Check Your Statements Keep tabs on your bank and credit card statements and report any discrepancies or unrecognized purchases immediately.

F. Be Cautious on Public Computers and Networks Personal computers and secured Wi-Fi networks are the most secure options for doing any shopping or banking online. Public computers and open Wi-Fi networks should be used cautiously. Always remember to log-out when you are done with a transaction!

G. Trust Your Intuition If something seems "off" about a web site, such as asking for information that is not relevant to your purchase, deals that seem "too good to be true," or lots of typos or grammatical errors, trust your instincts and choose another vendor.

Activity

If there is something you can buy, there is probably an online retailer selling it. Practice evaluating the trustworthiness of online shopping sites by following the steps below.

1. Click on one or more of these popular online retailers (or go to a shopping web site of your own choosing) and look for the security features listed below.

2. [] 3. [] 4. [] 5. []

6. Look for a secure web address that begins with "https:". Remember, you may have to enter a secure part of the site before you see this.

7. Look for the padlock icon in the address bar.

8. Look for links to the privacy and return policies.

9. Verify the company's contact information.

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10. Confirm that the site accepts payments by credit card.

11. Check to see that only relevant information is collected when creating an account.

12. Check to see if the retailer is accredited by an outside organization (for example, the Better Business Bureau).

SOURCES:

Online Shopping:

Security Tip: Shopping Safely Online:

Shopping Online:

How Can you Know you are Shopping on a Safe Website?

10 Signs that an Online Shopping Site is Secure: xzz33sF3SFFG

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