Normally I then laugh this off, proceed to sign up to some highly obscure website to buy her strange trinket and then we begin the cycle anew when she needs something else.
Lately though I've been siding a little more with my Mum on this matter after I had my account literally emptied by a loans company that I had never signed up to and never heard of.
The loans company is 'Wonga.Com' and apparently they've recently had a whole slew of similar complaints. It's called a pay day loan and basically someone uses your card details to take out a loan so that they get sent the money but you get charged for it. The lax security on Wonga is of course coming under scrutiny, but at the time this didn't help me to pay my rent when I'd had over a grand stolen.
My Mum is over the top yes, but I could be accused of being somewhat blaze, which is why I've tightened security and am now more discerning with my online transactions (Mum – buy your strange Buddha-basket yourself!). Here are some tips that can help you to avoid a similar fate.
• Use Intermediary Companies: PayPal is an absolutely great service because it allows you to avoid actually giving out your details to anyone on eBay. We all know there are some pretty shady characters on eBay and I'd hate to think what the guy who sent me the pirate copy of Pumping Iron would have done if I'd given him my actual card details. PayPal takes a cut of the profit but this doesn't affect you when you're buying so it's worth setting up an account.
• Be Discerning: Don't just sign up to any old site that asks for your card details, rather make sure that you scrutinize the site for any signs that it might be less than professional like typos, low res images and old fashioned web design.
If you are at all unsure then have a look online to see if there are any reviews of the site, and maybe even consider contacting the site owner first. It might be an annoying use of your time, but trust me it's a lot less annoying than having to chase a loans company for over a thousand pounds that they think you owed them...
• Use Good Passwords: I somewhat suspect that my four letter e-mail password was what got me into trouble with that Wonga scam. Make sure that when you use passwords on your e-mail and any other site or service that contains your personal details, that you make it as impossible to guess as you can. Include symbols and numbers and alternate your cases to make sure it's impenetrable.
• Check Your Account Regularly: This was my other downfall – I have a bad habit of avoiding my bank account whenever I think I won't like the balance. This is of course a very bad strategy as it meant I didn't find out about the fraud right away. The more you check your account, the sooner you'll know if there's been a problem and the easier it will be to make the connection to which service is responsible.
• Keep Your Computer Clean: Running anti-virus and anti-spyware software is very important as the purpose of some of this malware is to record your keystrokes and thereby learn your passwords and other details. Keep your PC clean and run regular checks to make sure you're not being watched.
Kat EdwardsAbout the Guest Author:
The author of the above guest post, Kat Edwards, works as a consultant for caravan selling company in UK. You can now compare caravan insurance quotes online to get the lowest possible price.