FDIC-Insured - Backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. GovernmentStay Safe while Shopping Online
Are you a savvy online shopper? We’re living in the 2020’s, and these days more people are taking advantage of online shopping. However, don’t be taken advantage of by cyber thieves. If you regularly use your debit card for online purchases, have payment information saved on online shopping accounts, or use autofill to enter payment information, then you may be at risk. Online retail is a favorite target for data breaches when cyberattacks strike, resulting in the theft of private user information.
According to the KnowBe4 Team, when you make purchases online, a good rule of thumb is to use a credit card instead of a debit card. Because debit cards use the cash available in your bank, disputing a charge can lead to the long and complex process of replacing stolen funds. Credit card purchases add to your debt, which means that fraudulent charges won’t immediately impact your finances. Using a credit card for online purchases allows you to dispute a charge without losing access to your cash.
When you do online shopping, a number of retailers offer to save your payment information for future purchases. While this option is convenient than entering your payment information every time you shop, always decline saving this information. Many retailers offer to save your payment information for future purchases with online shopping. However, data breaches can occur, and even the most reputable online retailers are susceptible to a breach. Avoid saving your payment method altogether so that your information is not at risk during a cyberattack.
Making online purchases when using internet browsers like Chrome, Edge and Firefox offer to save payment information for autofill. Even if it is easier to use the autofill feature, you should always decline saving this information. If the cyber thieves either physically, or remotely gain access to your browser, they can steal any information that your browser stores for autofill purposes. You might think it’s inconvenient to manually enter your payment information every time you shop online, but the inconvenience is worth keeping your information secure.