Protect Yourself when Shopping Online

Shopping online allows us to research and find just the right product at the best price, anytime of the day or night. But how do you maintain your safety and privacy in the online environment?

Here's what you need to know to protect yourself when online shopping.

1. Purchase only from well-established companies.
Just about anyone can get a merchant account online and ask for your credit card number. Your best bet is to do business only with reputable online merchants that have established privacy and return policies. These policies should be easily accessible from the main page of the website, and a site's Privacy Policy should indicate the type of information that the site collects and how it uses that information.

2. Guard your personal information carefully.
It's always a good idea to give as little personal information as is required by any website. Fill out required fields only, and don't give your personal information unless you are comfortable with the policies listed on the site.

Sometimes, when you make an online purchase or even when you're simply registering as a customer at an online merchant, you'll see a checkbox that will allow you to either opt in or opt out of certain mailings. Read these offers carefully. A merchant may be asking for your permission to share your contact information with other companies.

3. Look for browser clues and safe shopping logos.
Before you enter your credit card number, make sure that the 'https' code appears in front of the URL in your browser. Also look for the symbol in the lower right corner of your browser that indicates a secure connection. (Depending on your browser, this is typically a padlock or a key). Also look for the 'VeriSign' logo or 'Hacker-Safe' logo on the website. And don't ever email your credit card number to a merchant.

4. Protect your passwords.
When you create a password on any site that contains personal and/or financial data, make the password unique - instead of your birthday or your telephone number, for example, use a combination of letters and numbers. Write down your passwords, keep them in a safe place, and don't share them with anyone.