How to Avoid Online Scams When Using Websites For Money Transfers

Avoid Online Scams When Using Websites For Money Transfers

Online money transfers are convenient but are they safe? How many times a shady website tried to get you to enter your personal information for a “surprise gift”? Moreover, haven’t you been contacted through a random email requesting you to sign-up for service for “amazing benefits that are too good to be true”?

We all want to quickly get done with online shopping and transfer the amount from our bank. Sometimes we don’t stop to think if we are doing the right thing.

Money Transfers Have Always Been Hackers’ Top Priority

Even a bit, like your name or contact ID can be misused if it falls into the wrong hands. However, hackers mostly focus on things that they can reap more benefit from. For example, online scammers request you to access websites through which they can obtain your sensitive information like bank account or credit card details.

Once they are in your online bank account or money transfer app, they are free to make any sort of transaction. This can put you at great risk of losing money due to a misleading website or fraudulent link that you just tapped on.

Luckily, You Can Protect Yourself Against It!

One can only be cautious against such frauds and scams. There are a few tips and suggestions that can help you avoid any misfortunate event in the future. Take a look!

Use Payment Methods Alternative to Bank Account

If you are accessing a website for a purchase that requires you to transfer money instantly, stop at their check-out page and scrutinize what other form of payments they accept.

It is not always a smart move to frequently pay with your bank account. Instead, you can opt for cash-on-delivery or learn about a gift card that lets you purchase online.

Stand-alone gift cards or debit cards that are not linked to any account are ideal for online purchases as they do not put your bank account at risk.

Purchase From Reliable Websites Only

Even if you have found “the perfect dress”, it makes no sense to shop from a merchant that you haven’t heard any reviews about. This is only you inviting trouble

Money transfers would almost always require you to enter details like your full name, contact information, contact address, bank account number, routing number, etc. This may look harmless at first but there’s a lot that scammers can do with this amount of information.

If you go around sharing the sensitive data on any website that you come across, it may put you at a higher risk of getting hacked.

Don’t Fall For Click Baits

No, that click will not get you your dream house. No, you don’t want to know how to lose weight overnight. No, you are absolutely not interested in winning thousand dollars in 1 minute.

Anything that sounds too good to be true often isn’t true at all. This especially holds true for the click baits that you would often come across on the internet.

These are only meant to lure visitors to shady sites or convince them to share sensitive content in return of a prize. When it comes to money transfers, stay 100 ft away from any such links on the web.

Only Make Money Transfer To Accounts That You Personally Know

This goes without saying that money exchange should only be carried out when you are sure about the party on the other side of the line.

Being cautious in this manner would help you in  two ways.

First of all, you would be sure that your data would not fall into the wrong hands or be misused by a third-party that you are not aware of. Secondly, it would give you a chance to get back your funds in case there is a change of heart or you are in need of money.

Avoid Using Computer With Public Access

Whatever you do, DON’T open your online bank account, online money transfer app, important social sites, or any other sensitive platform on computers that have public access.

Just imagine! You are willing to leave your information on a device for which you have no idea who used it before you and who will use it after you leave.

Even if you choose to log-out safely from the websites, such computers may contain spyware that can extract your data from when you entered and save it that can later be obtained by hackers.

Take-Home Message

Unfortunately, events of online loss of money or privacy breach through websites are becoming more and more common. However, the world has moved far away from paper-cash and cash-based transactions so it is highly likely that customers would be willing to close down their accounts now.

Instead, they can choose to protect by simply using it responsibly. If you remember the tips and tricks that are mentioned above, you can successfully guard yourself against any unfortunate event.

Best of Luck!