• Remember, if a deal at an unknown e-Commerce merchant seems too good to be true, often it is not true! Verify the legitimacy of the web site and establish their credentials.
• When going on an online shopping spree, always deal with well-known and reputed merchants.
• Web sites created to lure consumers and commit fraud appear and disappear quickly, making it difficult for them to be tracked later. If you find a website to be suspicious, print the screen and any correspondence that you may exchange. This would be a handy tool for investigation by the service provider or the police, if required.
• Never register at any web site with the same e-mail ID as your user name and password that you use for your normal banking transactions.
• Never share your card and its CVV number, expiry date or PIN with any entity – even colleagues, friends and family.
• Never transmit these details, even to yourself, in an unencrypted medium such as e-mail or SMS.
• Destroy copies of your point-of-sale charge-slips, unless the card number is masked.
• You may choose to use a low-limit credit card for your Internet transactions.
• Some issuers now offer limited validity, low-limit “Virtual Cards”. It may be worth checking out the features of these cards for safe transactions. Be a safe cyber-shopper and get the best bargains with your fingertips!
