How to Avoid Being a Victim of Identity Theft Through Online Shopping

By Tina L Douglas

It is important to keep your shopping experience safe to avoid being a victim of identity theft or online scams. It cannot be denied that online shopping can be very beneficial: it is economical since you don't have to pay for a cab and you will incur less expenses if you shop online; it is convenient because you can shop at any hours of the day, even if you're wearing nothing but your night dress; and it's just as safe as shopping "offline" where you have to actually go to the mall.

Just like any other good thing, online shopping has its own impediments like identity theft but that should not stop you from transacting. If you want to keep your online shopping experience a very safe one, follow these tips:

1. Transact only with legitimate sites and with bona fide sellers. Always confirm the seller's physical address and phone number so that if any problems occur, you know where you can contact them.

2. Confirm the product before purchasing. Before you confirm the product, make sure that you've asked all the pertinent questions about the product as well as all the other information that you wanted to ask the seller. Read the description carefully. If you are purchasing clothes, know what size fits you "just right."

3. If you've already made up your mind on which product to purchase, know the price including the shipping details. Shipping and handling are other costs that you will be required to pay depending on the arrangement between you and the seller. It is important that you know about all these so that you'll know how much you are going to pay exactly.

4. It is advised that you use your credit or debit card for maximum consumer protection. However, you should be aware that credit card numbers can be hacked by malicious individuals or identity theft criminals and used for their own financial benefit. Before you share private information, make sure that you are over a secure server so that if anyone tries to intercept your personal data, they will not be able to easily read it.

5. Before registering with a particular site, read their terms of agreement, end user agreements, refund policies, or privacy statements. These are very important documentations that have a very significant bearing on every transaction that you will engage yourself into. The privacy policy will state how your personal information will be treated, managed and protected. If you really care about your information, this is the first information that you have to read.

6. Keep a record of all your online transactions. E-receipts are often sent to your email and once you receive them, print them and have them stored in a log file. When your bill arrives, then you can cross check your receipts with the charges that are included in your account. This way, you will immediately know if someone else has been using your account for their various identity theft activities.

Tina L. Douglas is a well established author on the topic of identity theft.

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