Identity theft can take place online if you're making purchases or conducting other types of transactions online without a secure connection. In order to be safe with your personal and financial information, here are a couple of things to check online.
SSL
Make sure your browser points to a website that boasts Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), with the "https" letters at the beginning of the link, instead of just "http," like most websites have. This "https" represents a secure standard where certification was issued by Verisign or another company who asked for information before allowing the site to offer secure access online.
Similar to the process of applying for credit with a financial institution, people who seek SSL must apply, giving complete contact information and getting approval for their site. Only after Verisign or another issuing company has verified the site and entity who's signed up, does the webmaster get to install the SSL on the site's hosting.
SSL offers a kind of connection that's encrypted. So for example with credit cards payments, sensitive personal and financial data is not able to be intercepted or stolen while it is being transmitted throughout the internet.
Third Party and Other SSL Connections
Having SSL does not guarantee a safe purchase. Unfortunately some people can and do get around loopholes in any system and still set up sites with secure access. What most often happens is that the unscrupulous person signs up through a third party or other vendor who offers a type of blanket SSL for all people who host with them.
So here are some things to watch for with regards to only safety and Identity theft protection
- Never click on any links inside financial or other emails that ask you to log into your account, even if they have the "https" in them. Instead, go straight to the site in your browser and log in normally.
- Look for complete contact information on the site and check them out with the Better Business Bureau.
- Communicate with the seller before buying, if you've never purchased from them before. Make sure your emails don't bounce, and that someone answers the phone and replies to your communications. You don't want to purchase from a place with no customer service or from someone who ignores you and remains silent. Silence isn't always golden!
So if you are shopping and go to check out, if there is no secure connection once you start to check out, stop. Either call in your information if the site offers a number and you have checked the site to make sure it's valid and safe to purchase from, or shop elsewhere.
Author and internet entrepreneur Bernard Pragides offers expert advice and tips regarding identity theft. Learn more about identity theft and fraud by visiting his identity theft blog and his website for more helpful information.
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