I came across this gem over at Securosis and thought it would be nice to share the basic tips with you. Anyone who plans to do their shopping online this season (or any other time, really) would be wise to take the following tips into consideration. Read the original article for full reasoning behind each tip.
- Use a dedicated credit card, temporary credit card number, or PayPal account for holiday shopping.
- Only use credit cards at major online retailers; use a PayPal debit account or temporary credit card for smaller shops.
- Never, ever, ever ,ever click on ANYTHING in email.
- Update your browser- use Firefox 3.1, IE 7 or 8, Safari 3.2.1, or Opera 9.6. Turn on the highest security settings.
- Download and install NoScript for Firefox
- Keep your antivirus, firewall, antispam, and anti-spyware up to date.
7. Be a mean ol’ Grinch and just don’t do any holiday shopping to begin with. — 100% Safe!
Kidding.
Good tips. I actually do have to do some e-shopping this year which I’ve been procrastinating on for weeks. The dedicated card/paypal just for shopping is a great tip I hadn’t considered at all. Localizes the damage to one place in case of an unfortunate event while buying stuff online.
Thanks!
Those are good tips. I would also never use a debit card online, especially one attached to your primary checking or bank account. Even a decent online business can make a mistake and double charge you – something that is way easier to fix with a credit card than with a debit card.
I also Google the business I am about to send my credit card to with terms such as ” sucks”, or ” reviews”. If there is anything glaring, these types of searches will reveal it immediately and save me the trouble of dealing with the numerous phone calls that I would have to make to fix a bad transaction.