How Do You Shop Safely Online?

Shopping on the Internet can be economical, convenient, and no less safe than shopping in a store or by mail.

15 Tips for Shopping Online Safely

1. Don't leave the computer unsupervised while shopping online. Pay the safest way. It's best to use a credit card, especially when your purchasing something that will be delivered later, because under federal law you can dispute the charges if you don't get what you were promised.

2. Print and save records of your online transactions.

3 Log out properly at the end of a transaction. Make sure you can contact them if the order goes wrong,
and that they have an after sales policy.

4. Check out unfamiliar sellers with the Better Business Bureau and your state or local consumer protection agency. You also have dispute rights if there are unauthorized charges on your credit card, and many card issues have zero liability policies under which you pay nothing if someone steals your credit card number and uses it.

5. Never enter your personal information in a pop-up screen. Legitimate companies don't ask for personal information via pop-up screens. Install pop-up blocking software to avoid this type of scam. There is no general three-day cancellation right, but you do have the right to reject merchandise if it's defective or was misrepresented.

6. Install spyware and antivirus software to help ensure that your computer is protected from hackers and advertisers, who want to collect your private information. I recommend using Spyware Doctor, which is highly rated for finding spyware, viruses and roolkits.

7. Do not download files from unsolicited emails. If you receive an email, with an attachment, from somebody familiar, contact them, and ask if the file was sent by them before downloading.

8. Never provide your social security number to an online retailer. Your social security number is never required to purchase an item.

9.Make sure you download the most recent version of your browser to take advantage of advances in encryption capabilities to protect your personal information as it's transmitted over the Internet.

10.Watch for the padlock icon on the status bar at the bottom of your browser window, which indicates that the site is secure.

11. Evaluate your software's settings - The default settings of most software enable all available functionality. However, attackers may be able to take advantage of this functionality to access your computer.It is especially important to check the settings for software that connects to the Internet (browsers, email clients, etc.). Apply the highest level of security available that still gives you the functionality you need.

12.Pay attention to the URL of a web site. Malicious web sites may look identical to a legitimate site, but the URL may use a variation in spelling or a different domain.

13.Do not reveal personal or financial information in email, and do not respond to email solicitations for this information. This includes following links sent in email.

14.Check your statements - Keep a record of your purchases and copies of confirmation pages, and compare them to your bank statements. If there is a discrepancy, report it immediately.

15.Keep software, particularly your web browser, up to date - Install software patches so that attackers cannot take advantage of known problems or vulnerabilities. Many operating systems offer automatic updates. If this option is available, you should enable it.

For further online shopping advice, contact The National Consumers League, Better Business Bureau and safeshopping dot org to provide joint advice on safe online shopping Do's and Don'ts.

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