These things are done now and although there were horror stories associated with it, successful ones outweighs them a ton. Every year, billion of dollars were spent online such that banks the world over have now set up their own banking system online, enabling their members to access their bank accounts online and seek help from there when needed. Indeed, technology has provided an extremely convenient way for most of our purchasing needs, especially for seniors with limited range of motion. Even environmentalists agree, shopping online saves us a lot of things and contributes tremendously to the well being of our environment. Something that was remotely possible then.
However, there are still nagging apprehensions when it comes to online shopping since no regulating body monitors these sites, to think that the nature of the internet is global. Just to be fair, shoppers and sellers are both exposed to a very risky situation when it comes to online shopping. For now, we’ll focus on shoppers since most of my friends are interested with this matter.
It’s true. Many of my senior friends are now entertaining thoughts of shopping online. And, I can see clearly why they would want to shop this way, given crazy weather conditions, risky road circumstances and the amount of energy needed just to go out and get stuff from a store, online shopping seems to be the best shopping choice for seniors. Problem is, how to pay for these things without exposing ourselves to fraudulent transactions. Here are your options:
·    Shop only from reliable stores. This must be the rule of thumb when shopping online. Make sure that you are browsing through a site with “https” on it. This can be seen up there in the web address box. Aside from that, check if you have the little security icon below which is normally a padlock. These things should be on your browser window.
·    SSL certificates are important. SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer protocol which ensures secure transactions between you and the server. Your computer usually notifies you when it detects expired SSL certificate or if there’s something wrong about the server’s certificate.
·    Security seals. Their website should have security seals from security providers. One of the most popular signs is VeriSign. To make sure that the website has really earned the seal, click on the seal which should lead you to a verification page of the security provider.
·    Make sure your computer is virus free. Why? Malwares can infect your computer. When it does, it will record your keyboard strokes and send it to a remote server to be used for malicious activities—identity theft included. With that said, even if you shop only from reliable stores, your account info will still be stolen from you.
·    Use debit cards that are not aligned to your bank accounts. There are debit card providers which allow card holders to just put money in that account when needed. It may or may not require you a maintenance fee but at the very least, you don’t risk your entire life savings account.
·    Use online payment services. Like PayPal, they serve as a go-between. You just have to pay fees for their services of course, but they come very handy in situations when you need to purchase from stores that are considered suspicious.