1. It’s actually safer to order online! Don’t call that order in.
Contrary to the belief that although ordering online is more convenient, a computer can be hacked and your credit card information can be stolen. Better to call the order in? NO WAY. Most internet transactions are secured transmissions, it is impossible for a hacker to get your card number while its transmitting. When and if companies store your card information, the scramble and encrypt the number, so if their servers are hacked, the numbers would be useless to any would be criminals.
Ordering by calling the 1-800 number, however, poses a whole new risk. Your credit card number is actually seen by a human being. When you order online no employees actually see your credit card number because it’s process automatically. But when you call your order in, you actually have to give your credit card number to a human employee for them to enter in the system. I know of a least one instance in my own company, in which an employee was terminated for taking a credit card number that someone called in and paying her cable bill with it.
2. Shred all Important Documents
Most people don’t realize how easy it is to get account numbers by going through some one’s trash. All it takes is one old statement to get an account number and BAM! The next thing you know, you have thousands racked up in online purchases.
Bonus tip: Most banks now allow you to stop sending paper statements to your house. Take advantage of this; its much more secure to check your statement online.
3. Never give out your 3 digit security code over the phone
There is a new scam going around where criminals already have your credit card number. The tricksters then call you posing as the credit card company, claiming there has been a security breach on your account number. Then they ask you to verify your 3 digit security code found on the back of the card. DON’T FALL FOR THIS ONE. A credit card company should never call you and ask you for personal information.
Your Social Security number is obviously another piece of sensitive data you should protect. It says right on the card, “not to be used for identification purposes”. You should never be asked for your social security number unless its for tax purposes or for credit purposes. Don’t be afraid to ask why someone is asking your for your social security number, or refuse to give it to them.
4. Don’t email any passwords, or credit card numbers
Most email isn’t secured, and anybody on your network can read what you transmit through instant message or emails unless they are encrypted. Be very careful on unsecured wireless networks, anybody could be reading your transmissions. Here’s a tip: if you use Gmail, bookmark this link: https://mail.google.com/mail/ . The “s” in front of “http” means its secured.
5. Avoid Phishing Scams
Be very wary of supposed emails from Ebay, Paypal, and banks. The scam works by copying well known website login pages. The thieves then send you an email asking you to login for one reason or another, when you go the website you give your username and password. The criminals record your login information and use it to login to the real site and rob you blind.
Always look at the URL in the address of bar of the page where you are. All fake login pages have URL that is different than the real site. For instance, you may receive an email that says its from EBay, and asks you to login to look at a possible theft incident. So you click on the link, the address shown in the address bar should read: http://signin.ebay.com. But instead it could read http://signin.ebay1.ru or something similar. This is how you can tell whether or not you are being phished. DON’T SIGN IN!
6. When purchasing online look for the Hacker Safe and BBB logos.
Scan Alert is the company that provides the Hacker Safe logo. Scan Alert scans their client’s websites daily and makes sure there are no security vulnerabilities on the sites.
Also, look for the Better Business Bureau logo on websites. This generally means that the site is fairly trustworthy. Also, before making purchases check for complaints about the company in question on the BBB’s website. This small step can save you a lot of trouble.
7. Check your credit history frequently
This includes credit card statements and bank statements. If you don’t check them on are a regular basis, you could be getting conned and not even know it. In fact, most people don’t know they’ve been scammed until they go into a store and their credit card is maxed out. By then it may be two late to dispute any charges.
You are entitled to one free credit report per year from the three major credit bureaus. Take advantage of this to make sure there is no funny business going on behind your back. Even if you haven’t been defrauded, there could be other things on your credit report that you had no idea existed. To do a self-credit analysis, visit freecreditreport.com.
8. The American Express Blue is actually the most secure credit card on the market.
The American Express Blue has a “smart chip” as well as a magnetic stripe on the back. Although smart chip technology hasn’t been adopted widely in the states, its very popular in Europe. 
With a smart card reader you can “insert Blue into the Reader, enter a personal identification number (PIN), and use the online wallet to shop. AmEx promotes the card on its website with, ‘In the future, your Smart Card Reader will also allow you to load up Blue’s Smart Chip with helpful offers and tools — special savings and utilities that we are custom-developing right now.’ The card, the reader, and the online wallet are all about providing a unique service to the customer..” (Fool.com)
Find out more about the American Express Blue card rates and features.
9. Cross out blank lines on all credit card receipts.
Make sure you don’t leave any blank lines on credit card receipts at restaurants. This is an easy one to forget, but any blank line could be filled in with an amount later by an employee of the establishment. Also, always take your copy of the receipt to compare later to your credit card statement.
10. Don’t use your check card online.
This is the most important tip. I’ve personally been ripped off by this. I ordered something online with my check card, but the item never came. I tried to dispute the charges with my bank, but since the money comes directly out of your checking account, you can’t recover the amount.
It’s much safer to use a regular old credit card. That way if a problem does arise with a site, you can dispute the charges and recover the full amount. Look for cards with 0 theft liability, so you don’t have to pay anything if this happens.
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