subject: Christmas Online Shoppers Should Become Fraud-aware [print this page] The stress of hauling bagfuls of Christmas gifts around and negotiating festive traffic is one that many will avoid this year.
Shopping online for the season of Christmas has become very popular and online-spending may be at its highest ever, with 15% more online purchasing than last year.
The advantages of this type of shopping are unmistakable: thousands of websites mean finding a variety of gifts is simpler, quicker and much less stressful without even leaving home.
Much online shopping is carried out by credit card users and Christmas is when credit card applications come thick and fast.
The expensive season means many need to extend their budget.
The ideal option is one of the purchase credit cards as it comes with a 0% introductory interest rate, thus acting as a loan but without the interest, providing of course you pay the card off by the end of the deal.
With some cards, the 0% interest can last up to 9 months, which means you can effectively spread the cost of Christmas over the year, making purchase credit cards all the more appealing.
It is worth noting though that if you fail to pay what you owe before the end of the introductory period, the interest rates are usually very high, so don't even consider applying if you don't think you'll pay off your debt before the end of the offer.
As Christmas is fast approaching, now would be the ideal time to apply for one. However, there are some risks to consider...
A big disadvantage of internet shopping is there's no definite way of telling if you're being lied to. Being seduced into entering your credit card details into a false site is a common trick of fraudsters and this can be difficult to detect online.
Be Card Smart Online is a campaign which has been launched to combat fraud. They outline some simple ways to stay safe, so that the increased numbers of online shoppers this Christmas don't get conned.
These precautions include:
-Protecting your computer by checking that you have a working and up-to-date operating system, browser and anti-virus software.
-Checking there is a padlock symbol next to your URL bar before entering details.
-Registering your cards with Verified by Visa or MasterCard SecureCode when prompted to add a password-protected layer of security.
-Always logging out after making online purchases.
