You may just be one of the millions of US consumers who have decided to recycle their personal checkbooks and say “buh-bye” to buying postage stamps. How? By utilizing your personal computer and its internet access to pay your monthly bills online.
Or maybe you’re one of the millions of US consumers who are researching the safety and security of paying your bills over the World Wide Web, or…
Perhaps you are still writing out personal checks and making frequent trips to the post office to buy stamps, as you worry that you will run out of them when your mortgage becomes due. Then, you call each company frantically to make sure that your payment didn’t get lost in the mail.
For whatever reason you have decided to click on this page, there is one thing for certain- your curiosity has definitely gotten the best of you. And why wouldn’t it? There are constantly horror stories on the news about how someone’s identity has been stolen, or a person's credit card numbers were used by someone that he or she doesn’t know, or anything else that would strike fear into anyone with a debit card and bills to pay.
Since identity theft is such a ridiculously huge “industry”, there are a few guidelines that are recommended for maintaining your security on the web. Keep in mind that no system is foolproof, but on the other hand, identity theft via rummaging through trash is just as popular as it is over the internet.
- A quality, well-known antivirus like Norton PLUS spyware. Not only will your computer block and quarantine any potentially brutal viruses, the spyware will help with others trying to access your personal information.
- Be sure to pay money to companies that really exist. For major creditors, such as your mortgager, insurance company, utility providers and credit cards, they will most likely have the necessary links from their websites to grant you direct and immediate access to bill payment options. For any others, you may want to go through your bank’s billpay services or a reputable internet billpay source, such as PayPal.
- Pay your bills using credit/debit card number or e-check from your personal account.
- All internet payment transactions should be completed with a fully secured webpage that can be seen with a LOCK at the right bottom of your web browser.
- Most important- Use common sense on all transactions. If you are unsure, contact the Better Business Bureau or conduct your own research.
Identity theft has become such a problem in the states that the feds have done a few things in order to help you catch it before it’s too late. (On average, it takes 12 months for someone to realize that their identity has been stolen). One such measure is by granting all Americans the right to one free credit report annually from EACH of the three main credit bureaus- Trans Union, Equifax and Experian. Not only should you look for errors and credit cards that you haven’t opened, checking the inquiries (who has been looking into your credit reports) can set you on the right track to head potential identity thieves off at the pass.
