What are the Different Ways to Prevent Internet Credit Card Fraud?

The Internet has become a place that makes people's lives simpler by allowing them to shop from a desktop. At the same time, it also has become a cesspool of predators aiming to use credit cards illegally. Fortunately, there are many methods to prevent Internet credit card fraud. From simple techniques for ensuring a site's safety to doing some serious detective work about the seller, there are many proactive ways to protect one's financial well-being.

The most basic way to prevent Internet credit card fraud is to keep a tight watch over all credit cards and the corresponding numbers. This sounds simple, but millions of people fall victim to fraud every year. If a wallet or purse is stolen, the cards should be canceled immediately, and a police report should be filed in order to have any illegal purchases removed from the bill. Also, many credit card scams involve asking for card numbers over the phone or in person in order to steal them. Information should be revealed only to trusted sources.

Ignoring questionable emails is another way to prevent internet credit card fraud. Emails and social networking messages promising great deals often are scams. These messages will include links that usher recipients to sites that ask for personal information and credit card data, but they frequently are just scams. These sites will use the victims' credit cards for a variety of online shopping without their consent. It is best simply to ignore such messages, no matter how good the promises sound.

Ensuring a site is secure is another way to avoid Internet credit card fraud. There are thousands of legitimate online retailers that can be trusted. One simple way to separate a predator from an honest business is by making sure the site is secure before entering in credit data. A small padlock will appear at the lower right hand side of a good site's screen. Anything asking for data and not showing this sign could signal the risk of online scammers stealing credit card data.

Another way to avoid Internet credit card fraud is for the consumer to play detective on a site. Checking the legitimacy of a website is the best way to protect against fraud by that site. There are several online resources that let people look up a domain name or IP address and determine who owns it. If a site is run by an anonymous source or a fake-sounding company, it probably should be avoided.