Before you pay for anything else online, learn how to protect your credit card number, email address, and phone number from both vendors and cybercriminals.
I recently inherited an electric guitar, so I’m in the market for an interface adapter to record my haphazard strums using my iPad. I’m shopping online for one now, and while I’m eager to awaken my inner rock goddess as soon as possible, I also want to give up as little personal information to vendors as I can. I just don’t trust companies with my data anymore, because most companies aren’t in the business of protecting customers.
Sure, maybe I’m cynical; I do write about cybercrime and online privacy threats every day. But think about it: Whenever a company loses, sells, or shares customer information, like credit card numbers, passwords, names, or physical addresses, there’s a rash of scary headlines trumpeting the need to change your passwords or cancel your credit or debit cards. The company takes the public relations damage, pays a small fine after months or years of litigation, and the cycle happens again. In other words, when cybercrime occurs at a company, it’s always the customers who suffer, not the company.
The best way to keep information safe is not to offer it in the first place. That’s why I’m trying to find new ways to hide my data while still enjoying the convenience of online shopping.
So, to buy the guitar adapter that I want, I’ll need to give away, at minimum, my initials, home address, phone number, and credit card number to an online retailer. How can I do this without opening my data up to potential snoops and keeping it out of vendors’ databases? Come along on my semi-anonymous shopping trip.1. Mask Your Credit Card Number
I started my journey by signing up for my credit card company’s data protection services. Companies like American Express, Capital One, and Citibank all offer number masking services in addition to other identity protection features like credit monitoring and fraud protection.
A virtual card is helpful because if the number is lost or stolen, your real card is perfectly safe. You won’t need to go through the trouble of getting a new card from your bank or other issuer, and you won’t risk hits to your credit score. Also, when you’re done shopping, you can disable your virtual card number, so no one else can use it later.
