Be on your guard on the Net If you find your monthly credit card statement riddled with purchases you didn't make, you may find that your personal details have been stolen by a computer hacker. This is the dark side of Internet shopping and the banking revolution, where with a few mouse clicks you can pay bills or buys goods, but where you also face potential fraud. You don't even need to be one of the when to refinance home improvement loans 5 per cent of Australians who transact online to experience this: merely owning a credit card makes you vulnerable, as hackers are more likely to target corporate databases which store customer names, addresses, purchasing preferences, account details and credit card numbers. The issue of customer security, or its lack, was highlighted again last month when the Commonwealth Bank revealed that its NetBank had suffered from fraud. There were other recent incidents involving City Link and Optus Internet. home improvement loans home improvement loans This is no surprise to Internet security analysts who agree that companies entrusted with customers' financial details often don't do enough to protect them from prying eyes. There are incentives in the system to protect consumers though, says the ACA's Catherine Wolzhuizen, with one being the "charge-back" mechanism. If your card has been used without your permission, and if you haven't been negligent, the bank or retailer will bear the cost of a disputed transaction; the bankruptcy law changes home improvement loans most you'll pay is $50. There are 10 ways you can protect your card if you transact online: keep your computer secure; don't send card details by e-mail; deal only with reputable online merchants; read a company's privacy policy; if using a new site, do business first in a small way; don't go to sites that may embarrass you - hackers love porn sites; check your accounts and report discrepancies immediately; ignore the "remember my password option" on virgin credit cards home improvement loans banking