7 precautions that will keep you safe while recharging online

Digitisation and the recent move towards a cashless economy have added to the importance of online transactions. Most mobile users these days have resorted to the use of secure payment gateways for online prepaid recharges.

How secure are these payment gateways or payment platforms? Digital transactions including an easy online recharge are often prone to cyber fraud, online scams and bank account hacking.

Here are some precautions to take or tips to keep in mind while performing an online prepaid recharge.

Always make use of a secure connection. Ensure that you have an antivirus or spyware program installed in your system or mobile before going for online easy recharge. Also, make sure that the anti-malware program is set to automatic updates.

Ensure your device does not show any active keg loggers while recharging, as it gives hackers a chance to track your username and password through the keystroke of the online portal.

In case something goes wrong, go for a recharge of lower value for the first few times. Recharge for a higher value after you are sure you’re secure.

Avoid performing any prepaid recharge when you see that the Internet connectivity is slow or there is a server error. This gives a chance for hackers to extract valuable financial information you enter on the online recharge portal.

Make a note of all your online recharge transaction history. This comes in handy whenever there is a transaction failure to ensure that the debited amount gets reverted into your account.

Once on the site, always be sure to check if you have a secure connection. You can observe this by checking the address link. If you have a padlock symbol appearing in the browser window frame, you have a secure site, if not you may have been redirected to a phishing site.

Do not refresh the page or press the F5 button while you are in the middle of a recharge. This might break the pipeline process and compromise your personal details, luring hackers to steal your financial data.

Avoid the use of public computers or public Wi-Fi. Public networks are susceptible to hacking, giving hackers easy access to your financial details. Hence, while recharging online it is always preferred to use your mobile network.

Most telecom service providers make sure to use an authentic and safe payment gateway that provides end-to-end security so that their users are safe from financial data theft. For example, Vodafone has gone a step further and upgraded its payment gateway with the most trusted SSL certified platform that ensures 100% security protection. So, users can carry out an online easy prepaid recharge without any fear of financial data and identity fraud.