In many aspects, online shopping is far safer than shopping in person. You can never get into a car accident, and no one will ever hassle you for change. While the web is more secure than ever before, there is no such thing as excessive precaution when it comes to your safety. Here are 6 quick safety tips to keep in mind when looking for deals online.

1 – Be Selfish with personal information
Do not give away personal information unless there is something worthy in it for you. Many potentially fraudulent websites will ask you for various personal information, and then use it for nefarious purposes or sell it to someone who may. When prompted for data, ask yourself whether this is truly necessary to complete the transaction. If a site is asking too many non-essential questions, then a red flag should go up for more careful investigation.

2 – S for “security”
You don’t have to be an internet veteran to know that at the beginning of any web address is the famous sequence “http://”. There’s no harm in it when you’re only browsing, however, when you’re giving out any important personal information, such as credit card numbers, it’s important to make sure that it reads “https://” instead. The ’s’ represents a secure website, and therefore it’s safe to use.

3 – Read, read, read!
The “I accept” button is a very attractive way to skimp over reading the Terms and Conditions provided by many programs and sites. Aiming for the button has turned into an automatic response for many, however when dealing with security and payment information, it’s important to known exactly what you’e getting into. Make sure you read the terms of the agreement and how your personal information is used. If necessary, consult the company’s privacy policy for more information.

4 – Update Regularly
Ensure that your browser and operating system are updated regularly to prevent new viruses and spyware. We all want instant gratification and those pesky “update available” dialogs can be annoying, but just know companies such Microsoft are spending big bucks on these updates and they are definitely on your side. The best way to keep your browser and system up to date is to enable their auto-update feature and accept any updates that come.

5 – Verified by Visa
Visa is now providing a ‘global online authentication’ service, dubbed “VbV”, that detects fraudulent services. It also allows customers the opportunity to protect their Visa Card even further if they register a username and password. Only users with the combination will be able to make purchases online with the card. Merchants that are registered with VbV display the logo at their checkout station along with the other payment methods. Take advantage of this extra layer of security when available.

6 – If it looks too good, it probably is…
This last tip is probably the most important. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Is this deal for real? Are there strings (or razor wires) attached? Don’t get me wrong, there are some amazing deals out there and we find them here at Wishabi every day, but something that looks amazingly good always deserves added attention, even if it is just to verify and share with your friends =)

Happy shopping!