CONTACT

Contact: Katie Carrol – Director of Communications and Marketing
Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado, Inc.
Telephone: 719/636-5076 Ext. 118
Fax: 719/636-5078
E-mail: katiec@bbbsc.org

The Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado would like to remind consumers to “play it safe” on the Internet and protect their personal information when shopping, banking or investing online. The Internet offers a convenient, easy and safe means to shop for products and services only when consumers use common sense and select reputable merchants.

“If you don’t know the sender of an e-mail and you provide personal information, it’s like handing over your wallet to a stranger on the street,” Carol Odell, CEO, said. “You run the same risk when you submit information on a Web site that does not reveal its physical location, doesn’t provide a customer contact and doesn’t say how your privacy will be protected.”

While there are many trustworthy merchants offering products and services through the Internet, the BBB of SC suggests the following to ensure a satisfactory online shopping experience:

• Keep personal information private. Never disclose your Social Security number, mother’s maiden name, bank account number or other personal information. This information is not necessary to make a purchase. Never give your password to anyone, including your Internet Service Provider (ISP).
• Always check a Web site’s privacy policy. Do not disclose your physical address, phone number or e-mail address, unless you know who is collecting the information, why they are collecting it and how they will use it. Look for a seal from a reputable organization certifying the site’s privacy commitments.
• Learn how to recognize spam. Indicators that an e-mail is spam include senders whose names you don’t recognize, typos and misspellings in the subject line, and prices that seem “too good to be true.”
• Make certain the Web site is owned by a reliable business. If the vendor is unfamiliar, conduct searches on the Web by going to www.betterwhois.com. Or, go to our Web site at bbbsc.org to check the company’s reliability report.
• Pay the safest way. It's best to use a credit card because you have dispute rights if there are unauthorized charges. Before transmitting your card number, check to make sure the Internet connection you will be using is secure. You know a site is secure when there is a little lock icon in the bottom right corner of the screen and when you see an “s” in the URL after “http”.
• Never enter your personal information in a pop-up screen. Legitimate companies don't ask for personal information via pop-up screens; that’s a popular tactic of identity thieves. Install pop-up blocking software to avoid this scam.
• Keep your computer secure. Use spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spy ware software, and a firewall. Keep them up to date.
• Regularly view your credit card and bank account statements online and as soon as you receive them by mail. Notify your financial institution immediately if you suspect someone is using your accounts without your permission.
• Check with the BBB of SC before you disclose information or make a purchase.