Tips for Online Shopping

Most of us couldn’t do without the convenience of online shopping. Whether it means getting the best price on the latest video game or purchasing the perfect pair of shoes, online shopping gives us access to products, services, and special deals that might be unavailable to us otherwise.

However, online shopping has its risks. The popularity and profitability of online retail has resulted in unscrupulous people looking to take advantage of unwary shoppers. Their tactics may include:

• Deception. In the virtual world, it can be hard to distinguish reputable retailers from criminals, as just about anyone can set up fraudulent a web site that appears to be a legitimate business.
• Invasion. You may inadvertently download spyware on your computer that allows access to your personal information and passwords, and sophisticated hackers can breach online business databases to harvest customer payment information. 

With risks that differ from walk-in stores, online shopping requires special precautions. To protect yourself and your information, read on for steps to take before you plug in your credit card number and click “Buy.”

1. Use a good anti-malware program

This may sound obvious, but many people ignore the advice to install anti-malware software. It is critical that online shoppers secure their PC from viruses and other attacks.

To ensure that your security program’s protection stays current, keep its virus and malware signatures up-to-date. Fortunately, most programs can automatically update these signatures, so be sure the automatic updating feature is enabled in your software.

Further, because viruses can swiftly change and mutate, use a program designed to detect newly created or mutated threats even before their signature is part of the automatic updates. iolo’s System Shield® AntiVirus & AntiSpyware uses Sentient Technology, a heuristic feature that adapts to yet unclassified attacks based on behavioral analysis.

2. Use Familiar Websites

Start at a trusted site rather than shopping with a search engine. Search results can be rigged to lead you astray, especially when you drift past the first few pages of links. If you know the site, chances are it's less likely to be a rip off. We all know Amazon.com and that it carries everything under the sun; likewise, just about every major retail outlet has an online store, from Target to Best Buy to Home Depot. Beware of misspellings or sites using a different top-level domain (.net instead of .com, for example)—those are the oldest tricks in the book. Yes, the sales on these sites might look enticing, but that's how they trick you into giving up your info.

3. Look for the Lock

Never ever, ever buy anything online using your credit card from a site that doesn't have SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption installed—at the very least. You'll know if the site has SSL because the URL for the site will start with HTTPS:// (instead of just HTTP://). An icon of a locked padlock will appear, typically in the status bar at the bottom of your web browser, or right next to the URL in the address bar. It depends on your browser.

4. Check Statements
Don't wait for your bill to come at the end of the month. Go online regularly during the holiday season and look at electronic statements for your credit card, debit card, and checking accounts. Make sure you don't see any fraudulent charges, even originating from sites like PayPal. (After all, there's more than one way to get to your money.)

If you do see something wrong, pick up the phone to address the matter quickly. In the case of credit cards, pay the bill only once you know all your charges are accurate. You have 30 days to notify the bank or card issuer of problems, however, after that, you might be liable for the charges anyway.










Taken ftom : http://www.iolo.com/resources/articles/9-tips-for-safe-online-shopping/