When browsing through a mobile phone, it is important to keep in mind the exact purpose your new phone will be serving. If shopping is on the list, then proceed with caution in order to protect yourself and your finances. Online shopping is perfectly safe; and for the most part, it is.

However, there are certainly spammers and hackers out there, trying to get your important financial information, so following a few safety tips can help to keep you stay safe when shopping.

The first and most important tip for shopping on your mobile phone is only to buy from sites you trust. Major retailers and well-known trusted auction sites generally have the highest level of security available for customers making a purchase, which ensures your safety regardless of the electronic device from which you are purchasing. Watch out for sites that don’t have “HTTP” in the search engine on your mobile phone because this could indicate a fraudulent site. Also, when looking at the web address, make sure you see a padlock when you are completing a purchase, as this indicates a secure payment platform that is almost impossible for anyone else to hack into.

While some people shop from their internet-based browsers, many mobile phone reviews advocate for the using of apps to shop. Their swift service and user-friendliness can definitely work to your advantage, as for many of them, you don’t need to start up an account with extensive personal details- including financial information- before you finalize a purchase. Again, however, it must be stressed that you only download trusted companies’ apps, which don’t siphon your personal information for unknown purposes (and they also have strict customer privacy policies in place).

Additionally, it is recommended to have an app or other way of being able to check your bank accounts on a regular basis to check that you are not being overcharged or repeatedly charged for an item. If it comes from a trusted site and you get an email confirmation of payment, then this should be enough to prove your finances are safe (and this is normally what occurs in most cases).

Don’t forget to conceal personal information in a secure location (preferably away from the phone itself), just in case you ever lose or have your mobile phone stolen. For further tips on keeping your information on your mobile phone safe, please visit The Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Mobile phone review sites also praise these devices for being relatively virus-resistant, which can protect you from identity theft from hackers. Desktop computer users are actually assumed to be more at risk making purchases online than mobile phone users, so perhaps this is not only a safe option but the preferable one!