Take the following steps to protect
yourself from all types of CNP
(Cardholder not present) fraud and
to bank online with confidence.
1.
Don’t hand over valuable card or
bank account information to the
fraudster. Fraudsters target cards
and card details so try not to let
them out of your sight. Don’t give
away your PINs or bank passwords to
cold callers or in response to
unsolicited e-mails - often known as
phishing scams.
2. Only ever use a protected
computer. Make sure your computer
has up-to-date anti-virus software
and a firewall installed. Visit
www.getsafeonline.org for
more information.
3. Keep your cards and card
details safe in the real world. Most
Internet fraud happens because card
details are stolen in the real world
and used online, so keep them safe
at all times.
4. Sign up whenever you are given
the option whilst shopping online to
Verified by
Visa
or
MasterCard
SecureCode. Increasingly
when you go to pay online with your
card you will be given the option of
signing up to these schemes that
involve you using a password. By
signing up you will prevent a
fraudster using your card details on
participating sites as they will not
know your password.
5. Only shop at secure websites.
Ensure that the security icon – the
locked padlock or unbroken key
symbol – is showing in the bottom of
your browser window before sending
your card details. The beginning of
the retailer’s Internet address will
change from “http” to “https” when a
purchase is made using a secure
connection.
6. Make sure your browser is set
to the highest level of security
notification and monitoring. The
safety options are not always
activated by default when you
install your computer. The most
popular browsers include Microsoft
Internet Explorer, Firefox and
Opera. Check that you’re using a
recent version – you can usually
download the latest version from
these browsers’ websites.
7. Always check your statements.
Check statements as soon as you
receive them. If you find a
transaction on your statement that
you did not make, contact your bank
or card company immediately. Tear
up, or preferably shred, any
documents that contain information
relating to your financial affairs.
8. Consider using an
Internet-only card. If you regularly
make transactions over the Internet
consider opening a separate credit
card account specifically for these
transactions. This would enable you
to monitor transactions at a glance
and credit cards offer additional
consumer protection should anything
go wrong.
9. Print out your order. When
shopping online make sure you get a
hard copy of both your order form
and the retailer’s terms and
conditions. When buying from
overseas remember that it may be
difficult to seek redress if
problems arise, but having all the
relevant information will help your
bank or building society take up the
case if you have any problems.
10. Visit the websites
www.getsafeonline.org,
www.cardwatch.org.uk
and
www.banksafeonline.org.uk
for more information about
how to shop and bank safely online.
