Doing your shopping online seems like the trend these days. Almost everything can be bought through the internet. All you have to do is go online, pick what you want, how you would pay, and it gets delivered right at your doorstep. But how safe is it?
There are a lot of things to consider when shopping online, especially possible identity fraud or theft. You can never be too sure about who or what you are dealing with when purchasing something online. For example, Shopping for flowers.
Flowers are a growing product that is being sold online, with beautiful companies that display their flower arrangement on their website in beautiful and colorful catalogues. Ordering from these online florists are easy. You can order anything from Birthday flowers to a hand bouquet and have it delivered to you. They even offer same day flower delivery, and this makes this type of product susceptible to being ordered frequently because of its convenience.
Here is how to make sure that your identity is protected when you are dealing with an online florist, especially those who also have a flower delivery service:
- Always Check your Credit reports – this is very important and a sure way to know if someone has already accessed your credit card information without your knowledge. You can check your credit reports every year and see if you find something unusual. If you do, you can immediately report it to the authorities and get your account frozen or cut to prevent any further expenditures that are not yours. If you see that you have spent something on what appears to be birthday flowers when you ordered a simple hamper delivery, that should already make you suspicious.
- Avoid Public Wi-Fi whenever possible – going online when you are in a café or public place may be tempting sometimes, and maybe you would give in and connect but this is one of the way hackers can get into your device and steal your identity. Whenever you find yourself in that situation, make sure you do not open any websites that are suspicious or require you to place in your information. This could very well be someone trying to get information from you.
- Update your Tech – Sure, maybe updating your phones or laptops take time and can be quite a hassle but this also helps in securing your identity whenever you are purchasing something online. It may be a simple online florist in Singapore, but even they can be hacked and your personal information may get stolen if you are not so careful. Make sure you use legit browsers and a tip would be to look for the “s” right after “http” to know that that site is secure.
It always pays to be careful when buying flowers from a florist online. It could be as simple as birthday flowers or as grand as a hamper delivery, either way, make sure you buy from a legit source and that your personal information will stay classified. Especially if you are transacting through a credit card.
A lot of people may be tempted to order quickly and not check the source or not think about possible identity theft because of the hassle-free process especially if it is a well-known flower shop in Singapore and they offer same day flower delivery. This kinds of offers may make one think of forgoing the necessary precautions when buying online. Even if the flower shop is well known, you still have to take the necessary precautions because hackers nowadays are good enough to even trick people to think that what they have made was the real thing when in fact you are giving them your credit card information thinking that you are giving it to the florist in Singapore.
Even some of the Singapore florist take precautions in securing their sites for their customers. They make sure that the identity of their customers remains classified between them. In fact, even the best florists in Singapore take precautions when dealing with customers. It is a two-way stream, wherein you, as a customer, should also take caution when buying from them and not just give your information away and them, as the florists, make sure that their site is clean and clear of any suspicious activities.
It is always good to pay attention and stay sharp, especially on the internet where anything can happen. Technology today has been growing and people have been finding new ways into hacking and creating new ways to steal someone’s information. Make sure you do not fall victim to it as you prepare to buy flowers online. Check your source, and make sure to avoid, if possible, clicking pop-up ads that could ultimately be a breach through your system.
Be responsible when shopping online, even if you are doing it the day before you need the flower. A few minutes can be spared into securing your identity compared to having it all taken away in a fewer minute. Shopping for online flowers are convenient and easy, but it also does well to make sure none of your information gets stolen. It could save a lot of money that could get stolen or it could avoid the need to file a case against identity theft. Being online requires vigilance because of the risk.