Worried about disclosing your personal information when buying hair care products online? It’s hard to go a few days of scanning the news without hearing about a major data breach, potentially exposing millions of customers’ personal data to criminals.
No matter what you’re buying online, it makes sense to be smart about how and what you’re doing there helping protect your personal information from those who’d like nothing better than to steal your identity and cause you harm. One of the best ways to avoid being scammed is to do a background check on the online store. For example, if you’re buying hair care products on an online store like Beauty Brands, it’s best to read reviews about them to know if you can trust them.
This resource provides information on the key risks to disclosing personal information and when to disclose, as well as info on avoiding scams.
Check Your Bank and Credit Protection Policies
There is always a personal risk when it comes to any online activity. If you transact any business online, you should make sure bank and credit accounts have policies to protect you in case of fraud. You do not want to self-insure if your account is hacked and being misused. Finally, never allow your browser or websites to remember your login or payment information.
Have A Strong Password Strategy
If you have an online account with a company that suffered a data breach, ideally, that one account is your only concern. But if you use the same login credentials on other accounts, then that single breach incident could give hackers access to your other accounts, as well. That’s why it makes sense to use a unique password for each of your online accounts.
If you have way too many sets of online credentials to commit to memory, consider using a password manager to keep track of those many, unique passwords. There are several out there with different prices and plans, but it shouldn’t take you too long to figure out which one works best for you. Just do an Internet search for “password managers” and see what suits your needs.
Don’t Share Your Social Security Number
A surprising number of ecommerce stores including some hair care e-stores will ask for your social security number (SSN), ranging from car rental companies to doctor’s offices. They want your SSN because it allows them to tie your data together with many other sources very reliably, but legally you are not required to provide it to anyone other than the federal government. Refuse to share it and you will keep your data safer.
Use More Than One Email Account
To best protect your data online, you should be creating and using more than one email account. For example, you should have one email address for sensitive information like banking, and you shouldn’t give that email out to just anybody. You should have a second email account to sign up for email lists, to receive retail coupons, for online games, etc., and a third for communication with friends and family.
Read The Fine Print and Ask Questions
Consumers must recognize that protecting personal data is a joint responsibility between themselves and the brands they frequent. For their part, consumers should read and question the privacy policies of the websites/apps they use to clarify how and why it will be used. In turn, brands should have documented privacy policies and guidelines and have the ability to effectively address any concerns.
Be Aware of Scams
Texts and emails that target you aren’t necessarily from someone you know. They’re often scammers attempting to access your personal information or to gain access to the entire network you’re using. Phishing scams can be carried out by phone, email, text, and social networking sites. When you get a notice from any of your accounts, avoid clicking on provided links, and instead, access your account through your browser to verify the information.