Ever, since its inception more than three decades ago, one of the most common misconceptions among people is that online payments do not have the same level of security as those made over the phone or through regular postal mail. And that isn’t entirely true, although it is true that Internet payments are easier to hide than their counterparts, and that has led to a certain amount of paranoia among merchants.
This particular assumption about online payments is one that should be corrected, as there are far more people using the Internet and online payments for purchasing goods and services than there are merchants. For the purposes of this article, we will define online payments as those made through Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as those that connect computers via the World Wide Web.
Because of the sheer size of the Internet, there are more IP addresses than the number of people living on Earth. As such, a large percentage of the people who are using the Internet every day don’t make use of the system. While the majority of people who use the Internet do so by using a computer and Internet connection to connect to other users, there are some who use the system without the aid of any technological device. These people include people who live in rural areas with limited access to major telecommunication companies.
Another group of people who use the Internet do so by logging into their home computers and connecting to the Internet using their IP address. These are the same people who have the same problems as you do regarding fraudsters, but they also tend to be concerned about privacy. Because it’s all free to use, the need to worry about your identity is a legitimate concern for these people.
As the Internet has grown, many of the concerns about online payments have been addressed by businesses who have taken up the responsibilities of protecting users from fraudulent transactions. This is most apparent when your credit card number is processed by the online merchant, such as Google or PayPal. However, they do not have the same level of security that exists for regular mail, phone or phone-based transactions. This is why you can still get your mail stolen, even after the mail carrier puts it through a security lock box, much less get your credit card number stolen by someone whom you don’t know.
Because online payments do not have the same level of security as traditional forms of merchant transaction, the best thing to do when you suspect that you’ve been the victim of a scam is to contact the merchant you’re dealing with. That means that you must try to get your money back, and they will attempt to recover their losses. You may have to provide them with a paper copy of your receipt, which is difficult to get with an electronic transaction, but the fact remains that the merchant has taken this step in order to protect their interests and also to preserve your privacy. They are prepared to deal with this situation, no matter how difficult it might be to locate their customer service department.
There are a variety of payment methods available, so you should consider trying several of them before settling on one that you feel comfortable with. Once you have found a way to get your money returned, then you can proceed to the next step. And if you find yourself getting suspicious of an online transaction that has gone wrong, the last thing you want to do is get behind the wheel of your car and start down the road to paranoia.
