What makes online purchases safe

My payment information was stolen about a week ago. I managed to detect it on time and take action, but it was still very scary. Thanks for the info! This seems to definitely be a growing problem, especially with the Christmas shopping season coming up. Stay safe! Simply click the button below — the coupon will be activated immediately! Table of Contents. How to shop online safely. Malware In some cases, clicking on malicious attachments in emails or downloading certain files can cause malware to infect your system, which harvests information as you type — including payment details.

Fake apps Believe it or not, phishers can also create totally fake shopping apps which look like the real thing. Man-in-the-Middle attacks In some attacks, criminals can intercept your web traffic by sniffing your IP address — especially on unsecured wi-fi networks. Top VPN providers. NordVPN 9. Military grade encryption. Friendly support. Visit NordVPN. Surfshark VPN 9. Strong encryption. Excellent performance.

Unlimited simultaneous connections. Visit Surfshark VPN. Mikaela Bray. Contributing Writer Mikaela is an investigative journalist that likes to cover the ever-changing world of technology. Cancel reply. Avoid options like direct wire transfer, bank transfers, or sending cash or checks through the mail.

And if you don't like the idea of giving your credit card information to different retailers, you could try an online payment service like PayPal or Google Wallet. Check out our What is PayPal?

Always save records of your online transactions, which should include the receipt , order number , product description , and price. You will also want to save any emails you send or receive from a seller , which may come in handy if there's a problem later on.

Start your protection now. It only takes minutes to enroll. Editorial note: Our articles provide educational information for you. Norton LifeLock offerings may not cover or protect against every type of crime, fraud, or threat we write about. Our goal is to increase awareness about cyber safety. Please review complete Terms during enrollment or setup. Remember that no one can prevent all identity theft or cybercrime, and that LifeLock does not monitor all transactions at all businesses.

Start your protection, enroll in minutes. Internet Security. Vet new-to-you businesses Did you spot an amazing product from a new seller?

Beware amazing deals Did you spot an ad on Facebook or Instagram offering rock-bottom prices or an eye-popping offer of free stuff? Pick strong passwords A strong password is like a secure lock that keeps cyberthieves out of the accounts where you store your private information. Here are some quick guidelines on how to choose a good password: Use a complex set of lower and uppercase numbers, letters, and symbols.

Or consider a long passphrase that you can remember and others are unlikely to guess. Never reuse passwords across sites. If you do, a data breach at one company could give criminals access to your other accounts. Create an email address that you will use only for online shopping. This will severely limit the amount of spam messages you receive and significantly reduce the risk of opening potentially malicious emails that are disguised as sales promotions or other notifications.

As an example, if you use your dedicated online shopping email for Amazon. Manage and protect your online passwords. Using strong passwords and using a different password for each online account is one of the most important things you can do for safe online shopping.

We know it can be difficult to remember so many different passwords, especially when they are comprised of numerous letters, numbers, and special characters. But you can use a password manager to aid you in keeping strong passwords for multiple accounts. A good password manager will also encrypt passwords that would otherwise be in plain text.

Some antivirus and Internet security software products include password management and password security features. Avoid using public Wi-Fi to log in to online accounts. Coffee shops, hotels, restaurants, and other public areas often provide free Wi-Fi.

This can be useful for checking email, messages, browsing the Internet, and other online activities. But using public Wi-Fi to sign in to a private account is a big security risk. Savvy hackers could be hijacking the Wi-Fi signal, or even setting up their own to trick you into using it. And they can see everything you do on your own mobile device or laptop. That means if you sign in to an online banking account or retailer website, the hacker will acquire your username and password.

But cybercriminals are counting on this and can intercept your data and capture your passwords, login details and financial information.