Hacking has become one of the most prevalent international crimes in the world
. Criminals from Russia to Nigeria are taking part in this lucrative crime and there is not much American law enforcement officials can do to stop these criminals thousands of miles away. What many people do not realize is that having a prepaid credit card is a great step in defending your finances and identity.
One of the most important protective features of a prepaid debit card is you cannot overdraw. If a crook gets a hold of your credit card information they can charge thousands of dollars before you realize what has happened. With a prepaid debit card only the amount on the card can be spent. You can put money on your card and shop with confidence knowing that even if someone did get hold of your information they would not be able to do much with it.
Another important thing to remember is that if you use online banking your credit card company has your social security number and other pertinent info on file. This can lead to identity theft and people taking out loans and credit cards in your name. That will ruin your credit rating and can cost you big time. This practice is becoming increasingly common. Even big companies like Sony, Master Card, and EBay have been hacked.
Opening a prepaid Visa debit card account doesn't require you to give your social security number and other sensitive info. Crooks don't try to hack prepaid credit cards because they know that they will not get enough information from the account to commit crimes. Not having to give too much information also appeals to people who want their privacy respected.
Although you can trust Visa to keep your information secure, once that information enters the database of a retailer it is up to them to keep it safe. Although most do, some information can still be compromised. It is a cat and mouse game with cyber security personnel constantly using new security software to try to keep criminals out.
The safest thing to do is have one prepaid credit card for shopping online and one for other uses. The one you use for shopping online should only be loaded with cash prior to shopping and you should limit the amount of cash you put on it. Only load enough cash to cover the cost of what you want to buy. Using an imperial card can make your online shopping experience secure.