Use caution shopping on the Internet
Dear BBB: “Just how safe is it to give out my credit card information on the Internet? I’m afraid someone will misuse it.”
BBB: The Internet has changed the way we do business, truly making ours a global marketplace. People here in our own community conduct business with companies that, just a few years ago, they never would have known existed.
The downside of this is that shopping online has made it easier to commit fraud, especially identity theft.
Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information, such as your Social Security number, credit card or bank account numbers, for their own gain. This is a growing problem, and serious even before the advent of the Internet.
The Better Business Bureau offers the following tips to help safeguard your privacy as you venture into cybermalls.
•When you shop online, make sure the Web site is secure. Look for a lock or key icon. A broken icon indicates the site is not secure, and any information you submit can be intercepted by identi-crooks.
• Before doing business with any unfamiliar Internet company, check it out with the Better Business Bureau. It’s a simple matter to access the BBB web site. The address is www.middletennessee.bbb.org.
Another assurance of online reliability is the BBBOnline Seal, found on the Web sites of participating companies. The BBBOnline seal tells you the business has a real location, has been in business for at least a year, and has a track record of customer satisfaction.
Anyone with a computer can set up a Web page that looks professional, amass a fortune in the credit card numbers of unwary consumers, and disappear into the void. Please note the BBBOnline seal will, when clicked upon, transport you to that company’s BBB report. If you click on the seal and nothing happens, it’s not authentic.
• Use only one of your credit cards for Internet shopping. In the event the number is stolen, you need only cancel one card.
• Whether you are shopping online or in person, make sure you get a receipt. Compare them with your monthly statements, and report any discrepancies to your credit card company immediately.
• Often when an identi-crook steals your credit card information, they submit a change of address to the credit card company. This practice buys them more time to use your card before you catch on and cancel it. Know your credit card billing cycles, and follow up with creditors if bills do not arrive on time.
• Change your internet passwords often. Use unusual words or combinations of numbers and upper and lower case letters to make accessing your account – which contains financial information about you – more difficult for scammers. Try not to use obvious things for your password, like your birthdate or name.
(For more information, call the Better Business Bureau office during regular business hours at (615) 867-0032 or the Bureau’s 24-hour information hotline, 242-4BBB.)