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Avoiding Fraud Through Safe Shopping: |
| UpdateTime:2007-5-8 18:12:11 Catalog :Shopping and Product Reviews |
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Online fraud is an increasing problem that can be
avoided. Every year more and more people shop
online, and every year seems to bring more ways
to trick unsuspecting buyers. This report was
written to help protect you as a consumer.Following the guidelines set in this report will
protect you from most types of online fraud, and
help you recover in the event that you are taken
advantage of.-------------------
Before You Buy
-------------------Before you buy anything online, review the
stores refund policy. Make sure they will accept
returns on defective or wrong items. Also, see
how long the return period is, usually, it is 30
days.Review the stores privacy policy. You want to
know that your information is being handled
responsibly before giving it to anyone.-------------------
During Check Out
-------------------Plastic or plastic? During the checkout process
you will be given a few payment options. Of
these, you will probably see credit or charge
cards. As you know, if someone accepts credit
cards, they also accept debit cards. Debit cards
are not the same when it comes to limiting your
liability for fraudulent use. Debit cards are
fine for most things, but not online purchasing.Credit or charge cards are the ideal way to pay
online. If you pay by credit or charge card
online, your transaction is protected by the
Fair Credit Billing Act. Under this law, you have
the right to dispute charges under certain
circumstances and temporarily withhold payment
while the creditor is investigating the disputed
charges. In the event of unauthorized use of your
credit or charge card, you generally would only
be held liable for $50 worth of the charges.Some credit companies even offer an online
shopping guarantee that ensures you will not be
held responsible for any unauthorized charges
made online, and some may provide additional
warranty, return and/or purchase protection
benefits.Double check everything. Make sure your billing,
contact, and email addresses are correct and
yours. You dont want your purchases delivered to
someone else.Always ensure that the checkout is being
completed on a secure server. You can tell if a
server is a secure server by the web address, it
should begin with an https://. In addition, the
bottom of your browser should contain a padlock
image.-------------------
After the purchase
-------------------Always keep a record. You should receive a
receipt or invoice after your payment. If you do
not, politely request one from the vendor.Be sure to save this receipt, you will need it as
a proof of purchase if the item is defective and
needs to be returned, or was never received.-------------------
Ongoing Precautions
-------------------You should regularly check your credit card and
bank statements for any unauthorized payments. If
you notice anything that you did not authorize,
be sure to notify your credit card company or
bank immediately.Some malicious applications will rest on your
computer, and send your private information to
someone else. This is a common cause of identity
theft. For this reasons, you should always run
the latest version of your antivirus program with
the most recently updated databases. You should
also run spyware removal programs regularly.-------------------
Conclusion
-------------------Following the guidelines outlined in this report
should lead to a satisfying online experience.
The only identity theft victims are people that
dont know or follow safe shopping practices.
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| Source:localTrue Writer:Unknown |
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