5 steps to protect yourself when buying online

Online purchases are on the increase.  More and more people are becoming comfortable with filling out credit card forms online to purchase items.  Unfortunately this increased comfort also increases the chances for those pesky scammers to do their thing and take your money or worse your identity.

Here are 5 simple ways you can protect yourself from those scammers.

1. Do your homework on the company you are buying from.  Check out the company’s refund policy, privacy policy and legal notices.
2. Look for signs of security.  When purchasing anything online the url should start with “https” or “shttp”.  The “s” stands for a secure link.  Also look for a security icon (like the McAfee image at the top right corner of this site).  When you see the security image click on it.  If it does not open to a page that tells you about the security of the page you were just on then do not purchase from that site.
3. Pay using a secure method.  Best to use a credit card or a company with a solid reputation of fighting scammers such as Paypal to make all your purchases.
4. Keep records of all your transactions.  If anything does happen you will need proof of payment, product description and date or payment to provide the authorities to help you get your money back.

Now when you are starting up your home business and ready to accept payment on your website remember these rules and be sure to offer security and safety to your customers or you will be quickly be seen as an online scammer and your business will be dead before it even starts.