Tips To Prevent
Online Identity Theft And Fraud
The Internet has made our lives so much easier,
providing an instant connection to the global
market. While many reputable companies do business
online securely, there are suspect companies who
make a living scamming people out of their money and
identities over the Web. To avoid being the victim
of identity theft online, there are several things
you can do.
First, don't answer or respond to emails that ask
you to verify your account through a pre-set link.
Reputable companies never ask you for your account
info unless you are initiating the contact and
logging on to their site to say, pay a bill or make
a purchase. Further, no matter how real the email
may look, you have to recognize that there are
experts out there who thrive on people just like you
who buy into their too-good-to-be-true schemes.
Second, realize that if you want to log on to your
credit card information online or pay a bill online,
it is perfectly acceptable to have to input this
information. The difference is control. You control
your when access is granted to your accounts, not
the other way around.
Third, know how to spot a secure site. On the Web,
sites must be secure in order to accept your
information without the chance of being intercepted.
Even if a website says it's secure, make sure that
the web address in your browser begins with "https"
because an "http" heading is not secure. Also, only
buy from companies that you trust. If the site looks
suspicious, trust your instinct and do more research
before surrendering your information. |
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