The Internet has made it simple and seamless to visit an online retail store, browse through its goods by the dozen, add the products of your choice to a shopping cart, and click to buy. But with simplicity comes bigger challenges. One of the top issues of online shopping is its security concerns. As the Internet becomes our everyday tool to trade and gossip and consume content, we can’t stop buying and selling online, even though we are at risk. But if you know the right way of buying online and how to prevent from scam and how to react if you are being cheated then it is good.

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IS THE SITE SECURED?

The next time you visit an online store, the first check to do is to look at the address bar on the upper left side of the web page. Examine the URL of the page. Is it an HTTP or HTTPS? HTTPS means any information you enter into the site like username and password or credit card details)will be protected from malicious parties. Unfortunately many sites can appear safe because they use HTTPS. In this case, your information will still be encrypted, but it doesn’t matter if you’re submitting it to a scam site that happens to use HTTPS. Your data might fall into the wrong hands. You should see if the company name is included in the URL. This can help you determine if the site is actually operated by the company and isn’t a scam site.

IS THE SITE RELIABLE?

You don’t want to do business with unreliable scammer websites. But how can you tell if a site is reliable? Before you buy anything from an online retail store run a background check on it. Google it! See if other shoppers have used it and critically review their feedback. What has their experience been so far? Is the experience good or bad? Focus on these key questions. It will help protect you from being scammed as you shop on the Internet.

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ARE THE CONTACT DETAILS ARE TRUE?

You might want to check the contact details of the site you are shopping on. Almost all businesses have their contact details, their email address, address, and phone number. You can use that information to confirm whether the retail store is genuine or fake. You can easily call or email them like doing an enquiry. Remember to look for bad grammar or misspelled words.

CALL YOUR BANK IMMEDIATELY

If you have been mistakenly charged, call your credit card bank immediately. Let them know what happened, so they can take the necessary actions to protect your future finances. Your bank can put a hold on your account, your debit card and any checks. Your bank can freeze your card. Many banks offer fraud protection, which covers certain charges made without your consent, but you have to report the errors.

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FILE COMPLAINT & GET MONEY BACK

File a complaint if you made the purchase in a marketplace, such as Shopee, Lazada or Amazon. Most of the online marketplaces are reputable, so they’ll help you to investigate and retrieve your money or receive the product accordingly. Even freelancing sites have policies in place to protect their users from fraud. Some online shoppers lose hope easily, thinking they’ll never get their money back after been scammed. There will be some chances to get your money back.