How do I protect my account or avoid account theft?

Below are some useful tips to help protect your Alibaba.com account. If you suspect that an unauthorized party has already accessed or has attempted to access your account, please contact Customer Service immediately.
 
Set a good password

Please do not choose a simple password like your birthday or name. It is better for you to set one with numbers and characters together:

l Use a combination of letters or numbers – e.g. beatlesfan28, with no spaces between 

l Use multiple words without spaces – e.g. thebestboss

l Don't use single words that can be found in any dictionary – e.g. manager or bamboo

l Don't use personal information others can easily obtain or guess – e.g. your name, phone number, or birth date

l Don’t use your email address as a password

l Don't use common passwords – e.g. 123456 or ABCDEF

Sign in to Alibaba.com regularly
Signing into Alibaba.com regularly, ensures your account information stays current

Be cautious when you receive requests for private or sensitive information
Never click on links in emails to access Alibaba.com web pages if you suspect the message might not really be from Alibaba.com. Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for your personal information, such as your Member ID, password and credit card information. Only use a secure website when submitting credit card or other sensitive information. Most Alibaba.com sign-in pages can be identified by addresses that begin with "http://my.alibaba.com/" or "http://www.alibaba.com/"

Use anti-virus software and a firewall
Some computer viruses steal your password and financial account information. For this reason, it is recommended that you install anti-virus software and update it on a regular basis. A firewall is a system designed to prevent unauthorized parties (usually referred to as "hackers") from gaining access to sensitive information stored on your computer.