How I Shop Safely Online
|| Shoes: Forever 21 ||
After having some weird stuff happen to me online, I've been trying to protect myself and my family better. I haven't had my identity or bank account stolen (thank heavens), But I had the thought, "Why wait for something sketchy to happen, to get a better head on my shoulders?" I've been doing some research, and here are some tips I'm now following when shopping online:
1) NEVER USE A DEBIT CARD ONLINE: The easiest way to prevent your personal bank account from being raided is to simply not use your debit card online. Also, do not provide your bank account information anywhere on the Web. That means don’t connect your debit card number to financial tools, PayPal, and especially shopping transactions. A simple fix is to use your credit card, it has better protection if something were to happen!
2) CREATE PASSWORDS THAT HACKERS HATE: Avoid creating passwords that use your personal information. This includes your pet’s name, family members, the high school you went to. The best and easiest way to create a secure password is to take four random words and put them together as your password. For example: SnacksBoogersSuitcaseDiapers - Those things are VERY easy for me to remember. Ha! And ridiculously hard for a hacker to guess.
3) PROTECT YOUR PHONE IN PUBLIC: Hackers like to setup Wi-Fi connections with generic names near public spaces.. (Freaky, I know.) So it's good to avoid automatically connecting when you're out of the house. Also, only use your smartphone banking or payment transactions at home. If you absolutely must use it in public, be sure to use your bank's app.
4) DOUBLE CHECK THE URL: I use TrustaFact (it's quick & free) to double-check websites that I'm shopping on. It helps you determine how trustworthy any website is with your money and personal information, in 30 seconds! It's super easy.
After having some weird stuff happen to me online, I've been trying to protect myself and my family better. I haven't had my identity or bank account stolen (thank heavens), But I had the thought, "Why wait for something sketchy to happen, to get a better head on my shoulders?" I've been doing some research, and here are some tips I'm now following when shopping online:
1) NEVER USE A DEBIT CARD ONLINE: The easiest way to prevent your personal bank account from being raided is to simply not use your debit card online. Also, do not provide your bank account information anywhere on the Web. That means don’t connect your debit card number to financial tools, PayPal, and especially shopping transactions. A simple fix is to use your credit card, it has better protection if something were to happen!
2) CREATE PASSWORDS THAT HACKERS HATE: Avoid creating passwords that use your personal information. This includes your pet’s name, family members, the high school you went to. The best and easiest way to create a secure password is to take four random words and put them together as your password. For example: SnacksBoogersSuitcaseDiapers - Those things are VERY easy for me to remember. Ha! And ridiculously hard for a hacker to guess.
3) PROTECT YOUR PHONE IN PUBLIC: Hackers like to setup Wi-Fi connections with generic names near public spaces.. (Freaky, I know.) So it's good to avoid automatically connecting when you're out of the house. Also, only use your smartphone banking or payment transactions at home. If you absolutely must use it in public, be sure to use your bank's app.
4) DOUBLE CHECK THE URL: I use TrustaFact (it's quick & free) to double-check websites that I'm shopping on. It helps you determine how trustworthy any website is with your money and personal information, in 30 seconds! It's super easy.
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