| Credit card fraud has become one of the more recent | | | | before entering. The final method that will be looked |
| crimes to start to travel up the statistical scale. The | | | | into is the use of cookies. |
| reason for this is actually unknown; however | | | | Software has greatly advanced over the years in |
| speculation has brought many researchers to the | | | | order to try and stay one step ahead of the internet |
| conclusion that with both the economy drop and with | | | | thieves. However, even though they can stop them |
| people’s rather lax attitude to security many people | | | | successfully a surprising number of people have either |
| are simply taking the opportunity. Credit card fraud is | | | | got no protection or have it and are unable to use it in |
| especially vulnerable as not all websites ask for a full | | | | the correct way. This means they are under a false |
| security check and unfortunately some less honest | | | | sense of security. Therefore, the first thing you will |
| sites will actually store your details and use them. So | | | | need to do is to either get anti spyware software or |
| how can you avoid this? | | | | learn to use it. The added bonus with many spyware |
| As you would expect not all websites you go onto are | | | | systems is that they come with a search safety |
| dishonest and want to steal your details to buy things | | | | function. This can either act in a passive manner or it |
| from well known bidding sites. However, this does not | | | | can add a bar to your browser that will then give you |
| mean that there are not such sites; the bad thing is | | | | alerts to possible threats, thus killing point one and two |
| that any person who is actively looking to steal knows | | | | simultaneously. |
| how to use the internet. By this I mean Google. | | | | The last point which is probably the best thing is to |
| Google is one of the main aids for fraudulent people | | | | simply turn off your cookies (see options in your |
| as 97% of the searching population in the UK uses it. | | | | browser). However, the problem with doing this is that |
| The sad part is that since any smart webmaster | | | | you will always have to log into forums, chat rooms, |
| knows how to get their website in the top 10 ranking, | | | | Facebook and Myspace as the saved login will be |
| making it likely that you will click it. | | | | removed. This can get a little bit annoying but as any |
| Now that we know how they go about getting the | | | | person who has had their credit card details stolen will |
| details for you we can now go into how we can stop | | | | tell you it is a small price to pay. |
| them from doing it. | | | | In a way using the internet without protection is like |
| There are several methods of online credit card fraud | | | | walking around with your credit card, without a |
| prevention the first is to use, buy or download | | | | signature on the back and with the pin number |
| software that will stop spyware from stealing the | | | | wrapped around it. All it takes is one bold thief to take |
| information you use; the second is to use software | | | | everything you’ve saved, so be bold and make |
| that communicates with other users and flags bad | | | | sure you take the right precautions. |
| sites, meaning that you will get a warning screen | | | | |