If you’re new to the world of online shopping or gaming, entering your bank details on a website can feel daunting. How do you know if your information will be secure or whether it will run the risk of being stolen?
In 2023, identity fraud accounted for almost 70% of all cases reported to the National Fraud Database. If you’re feeling cautious, it’s understandable.
Luckily, there are a few proactive ways to ensure that all your online transactions are completed without issues. Here are our top tips to help you navigate safe payments online.
- Choose secure websites
Firstly, it’s worth making sure that the websites you use are credible.
Check that the website is encrypted by looking at the URL. If you can see https, this is a good indicator that the website is SSL encrypted. This is a useful layer of security that will help you trust the intentions of the site.
Encrypted sites often also block any third-party users from accessing the data stored within their servers.
- Check privacy policies
Typically, online companies write up and provide a data policy for the customers. This will inform you how your personal data will be stored, processed, and handled.
Some websites ask for permission to share your data with third parties, but you don’t usually need to allow this to access the service. No matter whether you’re shopping or playing games like online bingo, try to read the privacy policy before entering any of your payment details online.
- Secure your own computer
Did you know that the way you share and store your own data matters too?
Keeping your details safe online isn’t just a matter of using the right website. Starting with your Internet connection, you should make sure that you’re connected to a private network, such as a home broadband router.
If you’re using a public network, like one you’d find in a busy café, there could be vulnerabilities in the network that leave your details accessible to others. If you’re going to be browsing on the move, it’s worth using a virtual private network (VPN) to conceal information from other users.
- Keep a spare debit card
Finally, to keep yourself extra safe and ensure that your regular bank or savings account can’t be accessed by hackers, it could be worth using a specific prepaid debit card for all your online transactions.
This will mean that whenever you’d like to make a purchase on the Internet, you can simply transfer the funds from your current account into the other one. Many prepaid cards come with a mobile app too, making it easy to keep an eye on the balance.
That way, you’ll have a greater awareness of the funds that should and shouldn’t be leaving the account, and you’ll rest assured that your most important card details don’t need to be entered online. With a few proactive habits, you can shop and play with full peace of mind.
