Many people are wary about using their credit cards, especially online, because of the possibility of becoming a victim of fraud. While fraud does happen, and costs hundreds of millions every year, there are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself and make it unlikely that you’ll become a victim.
– Online use
The most important rule to follow is to only use your card online at trusted, secure sites. You can recognize a secure site by looking for a yellow padlock symbol appearing in your browser, and also by the address starting with ‘https’ rather than ‘http’. Sites secured like this encrypt all the information sent back and forth to your browser, meaning that it’s very dificult indeed for someone to spy out your credit card details.
Also make sure you’re confident of the identity of the site asking for your details. Avoid any sites that send you an email asking for your card details – they might not be who they claim to be. It’s better to phone the company direct to make sure their request is genuine.
You should never give out your card details in an email, as there is no...