How to Use a Credit Card Online Without Virus Protection Running
Online shopping is popular with American consumers. Survey company Pew Internet reports that 66 percent of them had purchased something over the Internet as of February, 2008. Three-quarters of these shoppers either agreed or agreed strongly that they do not like giving out their credit card information online. Virus protection on your computer keeps your data from being stolen by keyloggers, Trojan horses and other threats. You should use special precautions if you must order something on a computer that does not have an anti-virus program running.
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Instructions
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Choose a computer with a wired Internet connection or on a secured wireless network. The Get Net Wise online safety website advises that unsecured wireless connections can be dangerous because hackers can intercept and steal information from them.
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Order from a well-known company rather than an unfamiliar website. Scammers sometimes set up sites solely to capture credit card numbers and other personal information. These sites might also download malicious software if you are not running virus protection. Washington Post staff writer Brian Krebs advises sticking to trustworthy, big-name retailers.
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Check the URL of the order form to make sure there is an "s" after the "http." Get Net Wise explains that this means your credit card information and other personal data is transmitted over a secure connection. You should also see a padlock and an unbroken key at the bottom of your computer screen if the site is safe.
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Enter as little information as possible to complete your order. Online purchases require your name, credit card number, phone number and the billing and shipping addresses. Eric Griffith, a Fox News website writer, explains that stores do not need additional data like your Social Security number and birth date, and identity thieves can do a lot of damage if they intercept it.
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Read your credit card statements carefully for several months after you make your online purchases on the unprotected computer. Griffith advises checking them every few days if you have online access, which lets you catch problems early if your information as been stolen. Otherwise, check the paper statements as soon as they arrive.
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Tips & Warnings
The law makes you liable for the first $50 of fraudulent credit card purchases, but the Bankrate website explains that American Express, Visa and MasterCard both have zero liability policies for online shopping. You will not have to pay anything if you use one of those cards online on a computer with no virus protection and someone steals and uses your account information.
