Quote:
Originally Posted by RowdyRed94  I probably buy and sell online as much as anyone here, and I've never seen a site I consider trustworthy displaying that type of image. Several questions come to mind:
1. Why does a customer need protection against "hackers"? I've never heard of a single case where someone was ripped off by other than the operator of the site.
2. How do we know the label means anything? Any criminal can post those images. What's the point? How would you verify its legitimacy?
Edit: I see that the image links to a McAffee site. Problem is, some stores put up their own ratings and reviews on sites they control. How many internet users really know how to examine a URL and determine its safety? I could register mcaffee.is-awesome.com and most people would swallow it. It just seems like a bit of false security. The best bet is to always use well-known vendors. |
You're exactly right, you shouldn't put much stock in those little pics because they could be recreated. And you're right that most people aren't smart enough to dig deep enough and know what they're looking at to decide if its real or not. How the "hacker safe" logo protects the customer though is indirectly. It doesn't protect the actual transaction, what it is supposed to prove is that the company's network has been tested to see if there are any vulnerabilities that a hacker could exploit to gain entry to their system where they would be able to steal pertinent information. As far as the link in the picture goes you should always treat them like links in e-mails DON'T CLICK THEM! Always, always go to the site directly and then search for the information you're looking for. That is the only way to guarantee you're not being mislead. As for people only being ripped off by the operator of a site that's far from true. Just listen to the news (T.J. MAXX comes to mind) where hackers got into the servers and stole tons of credit info. And for those of you that say, well I don't shop online so my info is safe, I hate to destroy the illusion, but that is completely false too. Any company you've done business with using a credit/debit card (including the company that issued you your card) has their servers hooked to the Internet so your information can be stolen just as easily as anyone elses. I will now step off of my soapbox concerning online practices. Basically, if your unsure about the site, just move on and try something else that you know you can trust.