Using the Internet Safely For Seniors

➟ It’s wise to create a dedicated e-mail account for

online shopping and transactions to reduce the risk of

getting more spam into your primary e-mail account.

We also recommend using one credit card exclusively

for online transactions. If that card is compromised,

you can quickly shut it down quickly without disrupt-

ing any other accounts.

➟ Review the company’s shipping methods. Understand

which carriers they use, their shipping rates, their

tracking tools, and insurance coverage.

Disreputable stores frequently run an absurdly low-

price offer and then, claiming the item is out of stock,

try to sell you something else; this is a classic bait-

and-switch technique.

Choose Safe Sites

The fundamental safety consideration when shopping and performing

transactions online is the same issue Internet users have to consider

when sharing personal information: trust. Learning how to determine

which companies, institutions, and individuals are worthy of your trust

when it comes to your financial information is a critical life skill.

Consider the following:

➟ Do you know the store from the brick-and-mortar

world?If the Web site is owned by a store you already

do business with and where you can physically return

any item, or you have experience with their level of

service and trustworthiness, you’re probably in very

good hands.

➟ What is the site’s reputation? The really big, well

known online brands work hard to maintain their

reputation and should give excellent service and sup-

port if there are questions. On less-known sites, if you

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Part III: Protecting Your Wealth and Your Health