By: Francesca Fiori
In the course of history the way people shopped has changed drastically. In pioneer times, citizens of a town would rely on a General Store where they would be able to purchase the goods that they needed. Eventually, towns and cities developed downtown areas where a variety of stores would serve people's needs. This led to major developments in shopping malls and shopping centers, where people could drive to one location and have access to up to hundreds of stores providing everything that people could want in one convenient location.
In addition to physical locations, many stores offered mail order service, where you could receive your items in the mail, without stepping into the store. This convenient service has been replaced by an even more convenient service – online shopping. Now from any location where you have access to online services, you can shop for any number of items, and get them shipped to you. This has become the favorite method of shopping for millions of shoppers worldwide.
However, with the convenience of online shopping comes potential hazards. Because you don’t know exactly where you are shopping you could be at risk of having your personal identification or credit/debit card information exposed. There are many ways to protect yourself while shopping online. They include making sure the website you are using is secure, the account you are using has not been stolen and your personal identification has not been taken and used for criminal activity.
To help consumers remain safe while shopping online, we have compiled a list of some helpful websites providing information. Please feel to browse through these articles and have the confidence to safely shop online.
Internet Security
Website Security
Account Security
Online Privacy Policies
Online Shopping
Credit Card Security
Protecting Personal Information