Scammers always want to take advantage of people, and online stores are a prime target. They can steal your customers’ information, hack into your store’s computer system, or simply create a fake store that looks very similar to yours.
There are steps you can take to protect your online store from scammers and keep your customers safe. Here are eight of the most important ones.
- Use strong passwords and never reuse them.
Your store has sensitive information that scammers would love to get their hands on. Make sure it’s well protected by using strong, unique passwords for every account associated with your store. And never reuse a password—if one of your accounts is hacked, the hacker will try using the same password to hijack your other accounts. (Sildenafil)
- Keep your software up to date.
Outdated software is one of the most common ways scammers gain access to online stores. They take advantage of known vulnerabilities in older versions of software to break in and steal information. By keeping all your software—including your operating system, eCommerce platform, plugins, and themes—up to date, you’ll make it much harder for scammers to get into your store.
- Use a secure connection.
When customers enter their information into your store, you need to make sure it’s being transmitted securely. Look for the “https” in the URL of your store—that “s” stands for “secure.” You can also look for a padlock icon next to the URL, which indicates that the connection is secure. If you don’t see either of these things, your store is not using a secure connection, and you need to fix it immediately.
- Use a reputable payment processor.
When you choose a payment processor for your store, be sure to select one that is well-established and has a good reputation. Scammers are continuously coming up with new ways to steal credit card information, so you need to be sure your payment processor is using the latest security measures.
Most reputable payment processors are constantly updating their security measures to stay ahead of the scammers, so you can feel assured that your customers’ information is safe.
- Install an SSL certificate.
Encryption is everything. An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate encrypts information sent between your store and your customers’ computers. This makes it harder for scammers to intercept and steal data. You can get an SSL certificate from your web hosting company or from a third-party provider.
SSL certificates are usually easy to purchase and install. They are available for most platforms, and some web hosting companies will even install them for you. For WordPress, for example, they can be easily installed by using a plugin like Really Simple SSL.
- Do checks on purchases that seem suspicious.
If you get an order from a new customer that seems suspicious, don’t hesitate to do some additional checks. You can call the customer to verify their information or use a service like Kount to screen for fraud. Here are some signs a transaction may be fraudulent:
-The billing and shipping addresses are different
-The order is for an unusually large amount of money
-The customer is using a free email service like Gmail or Yahoo
-The IP address associated with the order is from a country you don’t ship to
If you’re still not sure about the customer, you could try a fraud prevention service or conduct a background check.
- Be careful with social media.
Scammers often use social media to target online stores. They might create fake accounts and try to friend or follow your employees or post phony reviews in an attempt to damage your store’s reputation. Be cautious about who you accept as a friend or follower, and don’t believe everything you read in online reviews—take the time to verify the information.
If you think someone is coming at your business via social media, you can report the activity to the site in question. For example, you can report fake reviews on Yelp or Facebook. Sometimes, it might be necessary to take legal action to get the content removed.
- Get insurance.
Still, there’s always a chance that your store could be the victim of a scam. That’s why it’s important to have insurance to protect your business. Look for an insurance policy covering cybercrime, and ensure it will cover any losses you incur if your store is hacked or scammed.
With these safety measures, you can make it much more difficult for scammers to target your online store and give yourself peace of mind knowing that you’re doing everything you can to protect your business and your customers.
