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What Is Electronic Payment
And How Would Like To Pay
'Paying' It Safe
Report Problems Immediately |
The FTC encourages you to take steps to make sure your transactions
are secure and your personal information is protected. Although you
can't control fraud or deception on the Internet, you can take
action to recognize it, avoid it and report it. Here's how.
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Use a
secure browser
- software that encrypts or scrambles the purchase information
you send over the Internet - to help guard the security of your
information as it is transmitted to a website. Be sure your
browser has the most up-to-date encryption capabilities by using
the latest version available from the manufacturer. You also can
download some browsers for free over the Internet. When
submitting your purchase information, look for the "lock" icon
on the browser's status bar, and the phrase "https" in the URL
address for a website, to be sure your information is secure
during transmission.
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Check
the site's privacy policy,
before you provide any personal financial information to a
website. In particular, determine how the information will be
used or shared with others. Also check the site's statements
about the security provided for your information. Some websites'
disclosures are easier to find than others - look at the bottom
of the home page, on order forms or in the "About" or "FAQs"
section of a site. If you're not comfortable with the policy,
consider doing business elsewhere.
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Read and
understand the refund and shipping policies
of a website you visit, before you make your purchase. Look
closely at disclosures about the website's refund and shipping
policies. Again, search through the website for these
disclosures.
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Keep
your personal information private.
Don't disclose your personal information - your address,
telephone number, Social Security number, bank account number or
e-mail address - unless you know who's collecting the
information, why they're collecting it and how they'll use it.
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Give
payment information only to businesses you know and trust,
and only when and where it is appropriate - like an order form.
Never give your password to anyone online, even your Internet
service provider. Do not download files sent to you by strangers
or click on hyperlinks from people you don't know. Opening a
file could expose your system to a computer virus or a program
that could hijack your modem.
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Keep
records of your online transactions and check your e-mail
for contacts by merchants with whom you're doing business.
Merchants may send you important information about your
purchases.
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Review
your monthly credit card and bank statements
for any errors or unauthorized purchases promptly and
thoroughly. Notify your credit or debit card issuer immediately
if your credit or debit card or checkbook is lost or stolen, or
if you suspect someone is using your accounts without your
permission.
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