How to Protect Credit Cards Online
Online shopping allows you to buy what you need without ever leaving your house. According to the FBI, using your credit cards online is actually very safe because you can dispute fraudulent charges. However, it's best if you protect your credit cards online so you don't have to go through the trouble of filing a dispute. If you take some reasonable precautions, you should be able to use your credit cards online without any problems.
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Instructions
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Make sure you are using your credit card on a legitimate website. Do not buy something from a website that comes to you as a link in an e-mail. The link could lead to a phony website that is set up to steal your credit card information. Limit your credit card use to websites you go to directly by typing the address in your web browser.
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Check the website to make sure it is secure before entering any credit card information. Look at the address of the credit card payment form. It should start with https rather than http. If it does not, do not complete the purchase. Your credit card information could be stolen if you enter it and send it via an unsecured website.
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Read the terms and conditions of the sale carefully. Some websites will give you special offers like $10 off your purchase. However, if you read the terms, you'll discover that accepting the discount means you agree to enroll in some sort of membership program. The original company will give your credit card information to a partner company that will bill you monthly until you cancel the program.
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Monitor your credit card statements closely. Whenever you make an online purchase, check your statement carefully for any unauthorized purchases. If you can access it online, check it every week. Otherwise, you will have to limit your scrutiny to once a month.
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Contact your credit card issuer immediately if you believe that your credit card may have been compromised. The issuer will remove fraudulent charges and issue you a card with a new number to stop any future unauthorized use.
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Tips & Warnings
Some credit card issuers will give you a one-time credit card number to use for an online purchase. If your company offers this service, use it whenever you can. It prevents scammers from getting your real credit card number. If they get the one-time number and try to use it fraudulently, their purchases will be immediately declined.
References
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