Thousands of people in the country fall victim to credit card fraud every year. In many cases, thieves find a way to exploit vulnerabilities to extract the credit card information of unsuspecting customers. But there are also cases when people make crucial errors that leave them exposed. You have to know how to navigate safely when playing online and making purchases if you do not want to become the next victim. Here are a few tips to keep your money safe when playing online games.
Never Use Your Bank Card or a Regular Credit Card
One of the first things we would suggest is that you use a card specifically for playing online. You should also get a prepaid credit card and not a regular one. Never use your bank debit card either. This could potentially give access to the money you have in your bank account.
By using a prepaid card, you can deposit as much as you need and nothing more. This will limit the amount of money people can steal from you. Using a separate card for online gaming will also help you develop healthy online gaming habits by allowing you to get a better vision of how much you’re spending.
Play Somewhere Safe
You should know that even giants like Sony can be vulnerable to attacks but, in most cases, your money should be safe if you’re playing on a well-known platform. You can also expect them to compensate you if anything happens. It’s when playing on little-known platforms that you have to worry. This is especially the case if you intend to play online casinos. Here, you have to be certain that they use the latest encryption technology and that their license is in order, among other things.
Look at Safe Payment Options
You also have to use safe payment options only when playing online. The PlayStation store accepts PayPal, and many others do as well. PayPal is the safest way to spend money online, period. It protects your identity by allowing you to display as little as possible. You’ll also have recourse if anything happens with your money.
Use a VPN
If you’re playing games or conducting any kind of sensitive activity online without using a VPN, you’re asking for trouble. A VPN will make sure that your connection is encrypted at all times. This means that there will be no way for people to intercept your banking or credit card information.
This is especially true if you like to play on public networks. These are like a free-for-all for hackers. Intercepting a connection through a public network can be done with easy tools that virtually anyone can find. This also means that a lot of your information could be accessed by the network’s administrator.
These are all simple tips that you can use to keep your money and information safe when playing online. Follow these to the letter, and always learn more about cyber threats so you can be prepared.