Merchant Picks

Staying safe while surfing the internet is vitally important to people of all ages. A few simple tips will help anyone protect themselves while online.

Avoid Spam and Scams:
Never give out your primary email address to any website. Set up a email from a free email service provider to use as a email for website sign ups and shopping. Never click on any link that comes within an email. Type the website address into the address bar to ensure you are being directed to a legitimate site.

Protect Your Bank and Credit Cards: Only give banking information or credit card numbers to trusted merchants. Didn’t catch that? This explains it. Make sure the website is secure before inputting any important banking numbers. Look for the lock on the bottom of the page to ensure a secure site.

Meet In Public:
If you are buying or selling something online; meet the other person in a public location. Never go alone and do not let anyone know your address.

Keep Your Computer Safe:
Install a good antivirus and spyware protection program and use it. Utilizing these programs will keep your computer safe from hackers and viruses. These programs will not work if they are not used.

Avoid Opening Email Attachments:
Never open anything in an email attachment from anyone. Email attachments often have viruses that will infect your computer and cause it to crash.