Whether you are shopping, banking or investing via the Internet you will want to make sure that your personal information is protected and that your transactions are secure.
Check the Privacy Policy
Before you submit any personal financial information to a web site, carefully review the sites privacy policy. You’ll want to know how your information is going to be used or shared with others and what security features are in place to protect your information from being fraudulently obtained or used.
Keep it Confidential
Only give out minimal, necessary information, essential to the transaction. Rarely is it necessary that you disclose your Social Insurance Number or bank account information.
Do Your Research First
Be sure the web site you are using is owned by a reliable business. Do some research and check the business out first. Look for active trust marks or seals from trusted third-party organizations that indicate the business has met high privacy protection and other save e-commerce standards. Look up the company’s BBB Reliability Report at bbb.org.
Only ever give out payment information to businesses that you know and trust on secured sites. Where possible use secure online payment services such as PayPal or your credit card number. Keep records of your online transactions and regularly check your email just in case merchants send you important information about your purchase.
March is Fraud Prevention month. For more fraud prevention tips, plus resources and further information, visit the Fraud Prevention Month section of the BBB Vancouver Island website.