When shopping online from a shared computer (such as one used at a library, school, or Internet café) try to make purchases from stores that offer alternative payment options like eBillme. With eBillme, you can place your order now, but pay cash for these purchases later from a computer that is not shared.
If the store will only accept credit card payments online, look for their customer service phone number. Give them a call and see if they’ll accept a check payment. It will take longer to receive your order, but at least you won’t have to enter credit card information into a shared computer. The risks of making an online credit card payment using a shared public computer include:
- The risk of someone looking over your shoulder to get your personal and financial information.
- Forgetting to completely log off. We’re a busy society and in a rushed world, it’s really easy to jump up from the computer terminal and head out the door without completely logging off. The next person to sit down could easily log in as you and take advantage of your credit card information.
- When using your own computer, you probably have a good idea of the security installed on it. When using a public computer, unless you take the time to search the system, you may not be as well protected as you are at home.
