Shopping online allows you to easily get items that are not available in your local stores. In most cases you must use your credit or debit card to pay for online purchases. You may be worried about how secure your financial information is if you do this, but there is little reason to worry if you take precautions to protect your data.
Secure Websites
Most reputable vendors use secure websites for collecting credit card data and processing payments. You can tell you are on a secure website if the web address starts with "https" instead of "http," and some web browsers display a padlock symbol in the lower left corner when you are on a secure site. Using a secure site lessens the risk that thieves will intercept the transmission and steal your credit or debit card information
Phishing
Credit and debit card holders face a greater risk from phishing scams than from buying items from legitimate online merchants. In phishing schemes, scam artists send emails or chat messages requesting card numbers or other sensitive data. Often the email sounds like it is from an official organization to give victims a false sense of security about providing this information; for example, one common scam involves fake IRS letters demanding information to settle a tax problem. Never give out your credit card number over email or chat and always verify that correspondence comes from the company it claims to come from before responding.
Alternative
If you are hesitant to shop online because of fear that thieves could steal your credit or debit card information, consider getting a third-party account such as Paypal. When you use this kind of account, the merchant never sees your debit or credit card number. Instead, you provide your card information when you sign up with the third-party service and they process the payment and debit your account accordingly. You will still have to provide your account info when you first sign up with the third party but will not have to provide it to each merchant, so you lessen your risk.
If You Discover Theft
Check your credit report and bank statements regularly to catch any fraudulent charges as soon as possible. If you discover theft, contact your creditor or bank immediately and report the theft to the fraud department. You should also contact the three major credit bureaus -- Experian, Equifax and TransUnion -- and request a security freeze be placed on your file. In most states, you can do this for free if you are a fraud victim. This stops thieves from opening new lines of credit in your name.
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