Tips for Secure usage of Credit / Debit card over internet

Online shopping is becoming popular and online purchase of goods and services has revolutionized commerce, opening countless opportunities to entrepreneurs worldwide. As e-commerce continues to broaden, it has also opened doors to online fraud and theft. Following are few tips for secure usage of Credit/Debit card over internet:

• Always use secure websites for transaction and shopping.
• Please look for signs of security:   Identify security clues such as a lock image at browser, a URL that begins with https: etc.            ( These signs indicates that your purchases are secured with encryption to protect account information)
• Always shop with merchants you know and trusts.
• Always logoff from any website after completing online transaction with your credit / debit card and delete the browser cookies.
• Treat all e-mail messages with suspicion to avoid phishing scams. Do not respond to e-mail messages asking for personal information including financial information, as banks do not ask for such information.
• Never send payment information via e-mail. Information that travels over the Internet (such as e-mail) may not fully protected from being read by outside parties.
• Please be careful when providing personal information online.
• Please be wary of promotional scams. Identity thieves may use phony offers asking for your personal information.
• Please keep your passwords/card number/CVV/PIN secret. Some online stores may require you to register with them via a username and password before buying. Online passwords should be kept secret from outside parties the same way you protect your ATM PIN.