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card , with purchasers transferring only the amount they plan to spend in a given transaction , and leaving the account otherwise empty . The benefit of this is that most banks and credit card services have buyer notification programs that alert you when your card has been used to purchase something , so you ’ re never surprised by unauthorized purchases later on when you review your monthly statement . Banks can also be instructed not to allow overseas purchases , which can stop thieves even if they do manage to gain access to your account .
Customers should be wary of vendor practices as well . Retailers who store credit card information internally are particularly vulnerable to theft , and should generally be avoided . Online thieves love stored credit card information , as it means that one successful hack can provide them with exploitable financial information from thousands of customers at once .
Even though third-party services like PayPal and Google have given the cold shoulder to a number of eCigarette retailers , it doesn ’ t mean they won ’ t offer their online fraud protection services to individuals . Setting up an account through these services can provide an added level of protection against fraud and unauthorized access .
Online identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in the world , and it operates on sheer numbers . Hackers attempt to capture as much information from as many people as possible . Even in a sea of informed , savvy consumers , there are bound to be one or two unprepared or uninformed individuals . Online identity thieves capitalize on this , knowing that for every so many failed attempts , they ’ re bound to have a few successes . By taking a number of preventative steps , you can ensure that your information has no real use to these hackers .
PEACE OF MIND ONLINE
Limited-use credit card systems out there that allow customers to create prepaid cards or disposable credit card numbers that are only authorized for a predetermined amount .
Entirely separate debit accounts specifically for online purchases safe guard other accounts . Banks can also be instructed not to allow overseas purchases and to notify you when a purchase is made .
Setting up a personal account through PayPal and / or Google can provide an added level of protection against fraud and unauthorized access when shopping online .
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