Buying online can be risky.
Most purchases work out fine, and retailers don't hand your payment information over to criminals.
However, from time to time an online purchase turns into a nightmare; you may see strange things in your bank account, your credit card number may fall into the wrong hands, and you may have to spend hours cleaning up.
What's the safest way to pay online? The New York Times suggests that good old-fashioned credit cards are your best bet - especially "one time use" credit card numbers.
PayPal, debit cards, and payment services such as Google Checkout also have their merits. However, credit cards offer the strongest consumer protection features. If you use a business credit card, remember that you don't enjoy the same level of protection that consumers do.
It always makes sense to be cautious online and prevent problems in the first place:
- Be especially careful with businesses you don't know about
- Keep your computer security software up to date
- Avoid shady websites and unknown plugins
- Don't click strange links and attachments in email messages
[via LifeHacker]
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