Online Security: The Tips & Tricks to Protect Yourself

Online security is vital in today’s world. Whether you are shopping online, applying for a loan, opening emails or simply watching videos, it’s essential to keep yourself and your data safe. Online security consists of many tactics for protecting your activities and transactions online.

In this mini guide from Cashfloat, we will show you how to keep safe online with our many tips. These tips are meant to safeguard you from threats such as hacking, identity theft and credit card fraud.

Feel free to continue reading or choose a section that interests you most:

• Staying safe when shopping online
• Staying safe when applying for a loan online
• Keeping your credit cards safe
• Avoiding online scams and spam mail
• FAQ’s and useful links

Staying safe when shopping online

The convenience of making purchases from the comfort of your home and the excitement of getting a bargain online has only made online shopping grow in popularity. Online shopping, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to an increase in scams targeting victims online.

Here are some top tips to help you know what to look out for when shopping online:

1. There are so many shopping websites on the internet. How do you know which one is secure? Firstly, look in the browser or address bar. Secure sites all start with https://, and the (s) stands for secure. Any site with a web address beginning http:// does not have this additional level of security. Secondly, secure sites also show a little padlock sign next to the url bar, which confirms that it is safe to enter your credit card , and the data will be kept safe. Incidentally, online shopping sites are not allowed to keep card details without the permission of the cardholder. These security features are even more important for other financial websites such as your bank.
2. If you are looking at an unfamiliar website, do a little research before going ahead with the purchase. Use Google to search for any feedback from previous customers. You can also ask around to see if any of your friends or family have heard of the site. If you see an offer that appears too good to miss, it is probably too good to be true. You could end up buying illegal pirated goods or fakes. So, look out for untrustworthy websites before entering any credit card details.
3. Consider using a credit card. Most credit card companies offer more consumer protection if something goes wrong. You can also use a third-party service to pay, for example, Google Pay or PayPal, where you won’t have to give the website your credit card details directly. Remember, your online security is of paramount importance.

Staying safe when applying for a loan online

When you take a loan, you enter into a binding agreement with the lending institution. This is a legal agreement in every respect. Therefore, you should be interested in working with a serious company that gives good service. We can never be sure about the service we are going to receive from any company, but we should use our common sense. For example, let’s say you walk into a restaurant. If the place is dirty, there is poor service, and the food doesn’t seem fresh, it’s best to walk out. If the place is neat, clean, the service is good, and the food is fresh, we can assume that it is a good place. You may not be sure it tastes good, but at least there’s a better chance of avoiding food poisoning.

Exactly the same logic applies when you want to make a deal with an online virtual website. You can never be sure if it is authentic or not, but there are several things to look out for.

10 things you must check when applying for a loan:

1. Serious looking website. The lending business is a serious one. You should expect a personal loan website to look more like your bank than an amusement park website. If the website looks sloppy, we suggest you leave it right away.
2. Secure connection. Just like we have written previously, this applies to all websites. Make sure your browser displays that padlock icon next to the URL.
3. Real address and license. Does the company you are researching have a real address with real people working for them? Can you see an FCA license number? If in doubt, you can check their number on the FCA register.
4. Contactable or anonymous? Can you communicate with the people behind the company? Do they have a working phone number or email address? When you’re dealing with your finances, you want to make sure you know who you’re dealing with.
5. Unclear information. If you see vague sentences like, ‘a small fee’ or some other charges ‘that sometimes apply’, stay far away. You want companies that are clear and upfront about their costs. A good company cares about their customers and wants them to understand all the T & C’s upfront.
6. Illogical proposals. If their offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. There’s either something in the small print, or they’re completely illegal.
7. Google. Google is a very useful tool when you’re checking for scams. Look up the company name on google and see if anything negative comes up. If nothing negative comes up, you are probably ok. Remember, there will always be one or two customers who had bad experiences, but you get this even with the best companies.
8. Card safety. Never give out your PIN. If anyone ever asks you for it, be very suspicious and DO NOT give it to them. If someone calls and claims to be from your bank and asks for your pin, DO NOT give it to them, just hang up the phone
9. Direct lenders vs brokers. Can you tell if the website is a direct lender or a broker? If not, it’s best to leave the website ASAP. When applying for a loan, you are better off getting one from a direct lender. This way, your information will not be sent around the web from one lender to another. When taking a loan from a direct lender, you know who you are dealing with.
10. Spam email. Have you been offered a loan via email? Don’t click on the links. If you are really looking for a loan, go straight to the website rather than click on the link. It could be another company that has gotten hold of your details and trying to lure you into a more expensive loan.

Keeping your credit cards safe

Credit card fraud is an ongoing threat . People are reluctant to use their cards when shopping online because of the many cases reported of hackers having been able to gain access to customer’s details. This lack of online security has understandably dented the confidence of users. There is also identity fraud when a thief uses a stolen card to make purchases on the internet. The good news is that you are protected by law and will only be liable for a small amount (if any) of any fraudulent transaction.

Shared Customer Data

There can be a problem when a credit card company shares your details with other businesses. Having signed up for a card, you may suddenly start getting unwanted spam emails from other companies. The way to avoid this is always to make sure that you tick or fill in the opt-out clause in the application.

6 Tips for keeping your cards safe

Keeping your card safe is one of the most important precautions you can take for credit card security and to help prevent fraudulent transactions. The tips we provide below are simple and apply to both debit and credit cards.

1. First, make sure you sign the card as soon as you get it. Then, memorise the PIN or keep it safe and separate from the card.
2. When using your card at an ATM and typing in the PIN, you keep the details away from anyone else who is around. NEVER give your PIN to anyone else.
3. After making a withdrawal from an ATM, take away the receipt. Always shred or otherwise destroy old statements and receipts containing your card number.
4. Always make sure that the card is returned to you after making a purchase, and if possible, do not let it out of your sight.
5. Keep a list of all your cards with emergency contact numbers of the issuer. This way, should your card get lost or stolen, you can make the report as soon as possible.
6. Finally, check your monthly statement for anomalies or incorrect entries, including any errors for fees or charges.

Using this list of safety measures will help to keep your card account safe.

Things to look out for on your credit card statement

The most important thing to check is that all the transactions listed are ones that you recognise. Sometimes a transaction may show under a different name to that of the shop. This might be because the shop is part of a larger group of companies. Ideally, you should keep all credit card receipts and check the amounts against the ones listed on the statement.

If there are any invalid transactions, now is the time to ring your card company and sort out what has happened. Banks and card companies have a dedicated team of credit card security staff who will be able to answer your queries and resolve any problems.

Avoiding online scams and spam mail

Here are 5 top tips to help you stay safe from online scams;

1. Check your settingsCheck your social media privacy settings. Make sure all your settings are set appropriately. Do not share your details with people you don’t know.
2. Don’t give our personal details.Be wary of unsolicited emails, texts and calls which ask you for your personal information.
3. Create strong passwords. Make sure all your passwords contain letters, numbers and symbols. Equally important is to ensure that you do not use any password twice.
4. Keep software up to date.Make sure all software on your computer is up to date. Security software is especially impotant to keep up to date.
5. Be careful when using public wifi. Using it for browsing is ok, but do not use it for shopping or banking.

Online Security FAQ’s

Conclusion

Knowledge is gold when it comes to online security. As long as you stay informed and take the necessary steps to prevent any online security breaches, you should be ok. We leave you off with our top tips for online security:

• Make sure your email has a safe password. Letters, numbers and symbols. Using a password manager to help create passwords makes life a lot easier.
• Install all the latest software and app updates.
• Your smartphones and tablets should all be secured with a screen lock as an extra layer of protection.