How safe is internet shopping?

By THIS IS MONEY
Updated:

 

If I use my credit card to buy goods on the internet and someone intercepts my number and uses it, will I have to pay for the misuse of my card? JL, Banbury, Oxon

Richard Tyson-Davies at the Association of Payment Clearing Systems says: No. When you send your card number down the line, whether by telephone or computer, you are not liable for any losses due to fraud, because the retailer has not authorised the transaction.

There is very little evidence of fraud arising from on-line credit card use. You can help reduce the risk of problems by only using your card to buy from sites where there is a secure browser facility or where a street address or telephone number is given by the site owner (other than the URL) so you have some other way of contacting them if there is a problem.

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