5 Crucial Tips to Prevent Card Fraud When Buying the Lottery Tickets Online
I’ve never had any issues playing the lottery online. I noticed that a lot of online lottery players are concerned with the security of their credit cards or other means of funding their online lottery play. To be honest, I totally understand these fellow lottery players. After all, some people find it difficult to trust people who they have never seen before. It’s difficult to put a face to an online lottery operator. Moreover, it’s difficult to accuse an operator for criminal activity, such as credit card theft if nobody can be disputed.
Buying the Lottery Tickets Online – A Struggle or an Easy Task?
Before I get to the point, let me enlighten you by saying that if you find it difficult to evaluate an online lottery, let some of your friends help you out. Chances are, you will end up in trouble if you absolutely have no clue how to load your online lottery account. It’s more likely that your friend, preferably someone who makes online purchases on a regular basis, knows how what should be done. You can avoid potential court disputes, having your card details stolen. The worst part is, your issues might never be resolved because of the nature of the case.
Now, let’s take a look at some obvious “quirks” that can be red flags.
Pay Attention to the Appearance of the Website
People rely on their sight the most. Sight provides us with most of the information, at least that’s how it is. Regardless, it’s recommended that you have a look around the website before you get your credit card out of your wallet. See if the layout looks legit. The thing is, online lotteries that are not legit usually miss some important information like the address of their offices, who’s in charge, bank information is missing. In addition, these “brainiacs” usually limit the payment options to credit cards only. Bear in mind, some online lotteries are legit despite allowing credit card purchases only, which means you will have to extend your research a bit.
Point to note, poor layout, bad gut feeling, missing information are all red flags. If you think it’s a scam, most likely it is. Shady websites are to be avoided.
Check for Reviews – Past Experiences Matter
Most online businesses operate on first-hand information, past experiences and word of mouth, despite the nature of the market leading us to believe otherwise. Online lottery reviews are the safest and most reliable to evaluate the position of one lottery operator. Individuals have thoroughly checked the background of the website, if it’s legit and if it’s safe to play the lottery with a given operator.
A point that must be noted, make sure that the reviews are reliable and that you’re dealing with an expert that has at least some kind of authority. If somebody was scammed, you will avoid a bullet. If somebody had a great experience, you will know. I always check for reviews before I get my credit card out of my wallet. After all, it’s better to spend a few minutes reading a review on the internet than to spend hours on the phone with a bank representative tried to explain that it wasn’t you who spent all that money on “insert stupid internet purchase here”. Believe me, you will be held responsible for the purchases made online with your credit card, regardless if you are the executor or not.
Reviews are your best friend, pay close attention to them.
Verified by VISA, MasterCard SecureCode
If online lottery is the best thing that has happened to me as a lottery player, Verified by VISA and the MasterCard SecureCode are the 2nd best thing. These two security layers make all online purchases safe and reliable. So how do they work? Verified by VISA is a security message that you and your bank know only. Whenever you attempt to make an online purchase the same window opens showing you the secret message. MasterCard SecureCode works the same, but it’s not a message it’s a code. It works the same way and the cashier will always show you the code whenever you want to make any online purchase.
These are added security measures that not all operators employ. In case you see a different message or a different code, run like you’ve seen a ghost.
Have Somebody Else Help You Out
As I hinted earlier, one of your options is to have a friend help you out. It’s as simple as that. You can just send a web link to your friend just to see if he/she can spot a red flag or if he/she can verify it for you. Other options are to buy lottery tickets only by online merchants that have been recommended by some of your friends or other fellow lottery players. This is the most reliable approach that will get you out of credit card frauds. Buying the lottery ticket online shouldn’t be a hassle, friends are here to help you out when you’re in doubt.
Buying the Lottery Tickets Online with Alternative Payment Methods
You might have heard that there are new alternatives for online purchases. These payment methods specialize for online payments. That’s their purpose. These payment providers are another option for avoiding card theft that can make your life bitter.
E-wallets, prepaid cards, vouchers, online banking methods are a great alternative to the rather vulnerable credit cards. You can fund your e-wallet and spend as much as you want, you can set daily spending limits which can act as a safety buffer, adjust the settings to ask a special password whenever you make a purchase, an email notification, an SMS notification, you name it! And the best thing is that you can do it from the comfort of your home.
