10 Tips to Secure Online Shopping

Worried about shopping online safely? Shopping online is unquestionably more convenient and efficient than traditional commerce. However it can be scary when entering your personal information on sites you aren’t familiar with.

The McAfee SECURE™ Shopping Portal lets you shop on thousands of trusted McAfee SECURE sites, so you don’t have to worry about identity theft. At McAfee SECURE Shopping, you’ll find a wide assortment of stores, every one of which has passed McAfee SECURE service daily checks for identity theft, credit fraud, online scams, spam, and adware.

Every merchant in the McAfee SECURE Shopping Portal undergoes daily security scans that address online safety concerns. Each site is tested for phishing and other online scams, as well as affiliations with risky sites, excessive pop-ups, and browser exploits. Only when the merchant’s site has passed each test can they display the “live” McAfee SECURE trustmark.

1. Offers via an unknown person or offers that are too good to be true should be suspect.  The same goes for offers via tweets and in social media.
2. Don’t click the links in emails. Always go to the source. Use your favorites menu or manually type in the address in your web browser with a safe search plug-in.
3. Beware of cybersquatting and typosquatting which may look like the domain of the legitimate eTailer.
4. Use secure sites. https in the address bar signifies it’s a secure page.
5. Beware of eBay scammers. Don’t respond to eBay email offers. Review eBayers history. Established sellers should have great feedback.
6. Pay attention to your billing statements. Check them every two weeks online and refute unauthorized charges within 2 billing cycles.
7. Don’t use a debit card online. If your debit card is compromised that’s money out of your bank account. Credit cards provide more protection and less liability.
8. Avoid paying by check online/mail-order. Credit cards have more protection and less liability.
9. Do business with those you know, like and trust. It’s best to buy high ticket items from eTailers that also have a brick and mortar location.
10. 10. Secure your PC. Update your critical security patches and anti-virus and only shop from a secured Internet connection.

For more safe online shopping tips, download our e-guide on how to Shop Online with Confidence.

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Whether you are shopping for yourself or buying a gift for someone, secure shopping online has never been easier with thousands of trusted McAfee SECURE sites.

Go to McafeeSecureShopping.com and start shopping securely today.