3 things to consider before buying online
Technology is becoming more sophisticated by the day, leading to advances that optimize the way people communicate, interact, work, and buy goods. However, the ingenuity of humans focused on finding new ways to take advantage of this technology combined with their trusting nature has led to new realities. Some examples include recent breaches of business and political institutions using methods such as phishing scams and social engineering scams. Hackers (opportunistic information stealers) use a variety of channels to reach their victims, ranging from phone, email, websites and even regular mail. This article will take a little deeper look at how you can avoid becoming a victim of malicious activities carried out by hackers. Below are 3 things to consider before buying online.
1) Security
Security is paramount in keeping your financial profile safe, but also your most intimate information. Before purchasing online, it is important, and sometimes crucial, to avoid underestimating the security measures taken by websites. For example, does a third-party certificate provider protect the website? Do they use such certificates as the Advanced Validation certificates offered by all the major web security vendors such as Verisign/Norton Secured and Thawte to confirm the authenticity and trustworthiness of the business? Looking at the address bar and verifying that there is a green security symbol next to the URL and that it begins with “https://” helps confirm the site’s security. You may also want to verify that the website is PCI Compliant, an accreditation set by major credit card providers to confirm that the website manages credit card information in a safe and secure manner.
2) Confirmation of authenticity
Confirming the trustworthiness of a business is another important factor to consider. There are many online sites that are created for the sole purpose of collecting end user information such as emails, passwords, secret security questions and answers in an attempt to exploit and exploit this information to gain access to even more private and personal information . One way to verify the credibility of an online company is to confirm that it has a historical presence, eliminating the notion that it may be a fly-by-night operation. One resource you can access that can provide you with a credit rating is to check with your local Better Business Bureau (BBB). They can be helpful in getting information about the company behind the website along with their respective ratings. You can also do a simple search against all reviews for the same company and confirm that a third-party provider has designated the company as a trusted entity, such as Google Trusted Stores. Some of these third-party seals also provide additional protection to users against possible fraud.
3) Price transparency
This topic is easy to write. Consumers expect clear and unambiguous commercial policies. This means that the product sold on a website must have a clear price and any additional charges must be clearly stated. This is of great importance to the inexperienced buyer, who assumes that he is operating with transparency, while surprises lie in wait. Scammers are sometimes very obvious with their tactics, and at other times they can be quite subtle. Some of the tactics may include hidden fees described as handling, insurance and handling fees or variations thereof. The simple result is that the consumer may be subjected to a significant increase in the price of their item. In fact, the total amount of the order can increase by ten to fifteen percent. Fortunately, there is an easy way to avoid these disingenuous tactics. Go back to normal collection and confirm that the total value of the ordered items is being collected. Once you do this, you will immediately highlight any inconsistencies related to potential additional fees that the seller may be trying to collect. This less-than-transparent sales strategy is a popular scam used to trick a consumer into buying from a seller who advertises low prices up front to attract the consumer, after which they may charge hidden and/or handling fees. back end during checkout. It is important to identify suppliers who practice price manipulation tactics because once any hidden and/or processing fees are added to the order, the savings the consumer was hoping to realize can be greatly reduced or even eliminated altogether .
Although the Internet offers many advantages ranging from open competition, shopping from home, orders conveniently delivered to your door, it is necessary to remain vigilant in trying to protect your personal information while enjoying your shopping experience. By following the suggestions above, you can greatly reduce the risk of these threats occurring and avoid less-than-transparent pricing schemes from fraudulent vendors.
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