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Online shopping has exploded in recent years. Surveys show nearly three-quarters of North American adults
have made online purchases, usually by entering their credit card directly into a website. However, these
same surveys show that many adults are still concerned about exposing their personal banking information
over the Internet.
While Internet security has increased dramatically over the past few years, fraudsters are still finding
ways to grab your credit card details over the web. There are a few ways to protect yourself when making
purchases online and enjoy all the convenience of shopping from home.
First and most importantly, make sure you are dealing with a reputable company with a secure website.
There are two ways to tell if a website is secure: The encryption sign and the web address or URL.
When entering any information look for a padlock. On a secure website, you usually should see a small
padlock. The lock appears in different spots depending on what Internet browser you use. A closed and
"locked" padlock means a website is secure, while an open padlock means it isn't.
A secure website has a URL that starts with "https" while those that aren't secure usually start with http. Note the
extra "s" in the secure website address.
If you don't see a padlock and the website address doesn't start with https, think twice about entering
your credit card details on that particular site. Most mainstream retailers prominently advertise that
their websites are secure.
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