Identity Theft - Should Online Shoppers be Concerned?
Posted by admin - 01/11/08 at 06:11 pmIdentity theft isn’t something that’s just over-hyped in the media or some fairy tale you see in the movies. It’s tangible, and growing at an astronomical rate with anyone and everyone a target.
Seen that TV ad for a credit card company where this big, burly guy is lip synching to a squeaky, female voice? (Personally, I think it’s pretty clever and took me a moment to figure out what was happening.) Then you may have an inkling what identity theft is.
Though there’s really much more to it, the most publicized is when a person, unauthorized, takes your credit cards or social security number, then pretends to be you, spending to his, or hers, hearts delight.
How can you tell if a shopping website is secure?
If you shop online frequently, you should always make sure that the credit card information you provide is encrypted and the site is secure. This is crucial if you want to prevent identity theft.
One easy way to find out if the site is secure is by locating a small, yellow lock sign somewhere on the browser. Sometimes you’ll see it on the top bar, sometimes on the bottom bar. It just depends on your browser preference.
The important thing to know here is, if you don’t see it (the yellow lock sign) don’t enter any sensitive information.
Another way is to right-click your mouse and read the properties tab. The web address should begin as https…. The ‘s’ means the site is secure and your information will be encrypted (coded) before it is transmitted so that potential hackers and other abusers of the internet can’t get to it.
Even if you think you shop on reliable sites only, you may be caught unaware if you go to the site from a link on a non-secure page.
If you’re still uncomfortable about entering your credit card or checking account information online, most major online retailers and businesses have toll-free numbers where you can order by phone.
With an escalation of increasingly diverse types of transactions, not just shopping, identity theft is flourishing unabated. (Which is not to say they don’t get caught. But, a lot of damage can be done before they are stopped).
Every day users just like you respond to many kinds of offers, trying our luck in some get-rich-quick scheme and click on links to scams and marketing gimmicks that just ask you to enter some seemingly innocent information. And if you’re not diligent this information can end up in the wrong hands be used in a scam.
So, What do you do? Perhaps scrap your computer and stop using the internet completely?
No.
Why deprive yourself of the webs’ information and convenient options. You just need to remain vigilant of the ID theft possibilities so that some loser doesn’t use your hard earned money to buy a new car for his sweety.
