Safe online shopping: 5 main rules

Internet commerce is developing every day, and this can’t help but be pleasing. But the growing popularity has led to the development of fraud on the Internet, as a result of which most users suffer. So below we will talk about how to shop online safely.

Get a separate card

To protect yourself and save money, you need an online shopping card. Such cards are guaranteed safe because they are not linked to your main account. So you won’t lose all your savings, even if you accidentally contact an unreliable store.

After choosing a product or service and deciding what you need to buy, you can recharge the card for the required amount. You can control the account yourself at any time, you can do it using your personal account or mobile application.

Even if you run into fraudsters, they will not be able to write off all the money, because the virtual card is not tied to the main account where all your savings are stored.

Also, when you buy, you don’t have to give out confidential information to people you can’t trust.

Open some cards

It’s better if you have not just one online shopping card, but several at once. That way you can rationalize costs. You can make up to three cards that have different details, so they can be used as stand-alone cards.

You can open a card in a matter of minutes, and you don’t have to leave your house to do it. After all, you can use the Internet resources, spending just a few minutes.

Yes, the validity of cards is limited. But there’s nothing wrong with that, because if necessary, when the card expires, you can easily open a new one. You can do it completely free of charge. You also do not overpay for maintenance.

When deciding which card to choose for online shopping, choose the most versatile and functional ones. International payment systems allow the use of cards everywhere in the world. Most online stores and other outlets accept such cards, so you are guaranteed not to have any problems making purchases.

Refuse prepayment

When you already have a functional online shopping card, it’s time to think about other precautions. For example, if you are buying from a store that is new to you, refuse to make prepayments. Pay only after you receive and inspect the item you’ve ordered.

Most often, buyers who neglect this rule are caught in a fairly trivial trick – after transferring the money the goods are never sent. You may also receive the goods in improper condition or not at all what you expected to receive.

That’s why it’s safer to pay by cash on delivery. Another affordable option is to pay cash to the courier. Only hand over the money after you are sure that everything is in order and that you have received exactly what you expected.

Many scammers, who only pretend to be sellers, will insist on prepayment. Do not agree, or you will lose money. And even the WestStein prepaid card won’t save you.

Get a separate email address for purchases

A virtual debit card alone won’t help you keep your money safe from fraudsters, because they are more resourceful than ever. To get access to your passwords and your money, sometimes the email address you use as your primary address is enough.

To protect yourself from scammers, it’s better to register a separate email, not tied to the main one, for purchases. After all, most addresses are directly linked to banking, so you risk every time you give the seller this information.

Even if you lose this mailbox, no valuable information or access to your savings will be given to fraudsters. So you don’t risk anything.

Don’t register with social networks

Many people think that scammers become active immediately after making a purchase. But this is not always the case. Often the main purpose of placing an item on the site for sale is to gain access to your social networks. The page will be enough for a lot of equipment in the future.

If an online store or any other resource requests access to social networks, refuse and leave it immediately. This way you’ll keep your confidential information safe from scammers.

And don’t forget that you can make online shopping safer now, all you have to do is order a virtual Mastercard.