Tips for Safe Online Shopping

By: Francesca Fiori

In the course of history the way people shopped has changed drastically. In pioneer times, citizens of a town would rely on a General Store where they would be able to purchase the goods that they needed. Eventually, towns and cities developed downtown areas where a variety of stores would serve people's needs. This led to major developments in shopping malls and shopping centers, where people could drive to one location and have access to up to hundreds of stores providing everything that people could want in one convenient location.

In addition to physical locations, many stores offered mail order service, where you could receive your items in the mail, without stepping into the store. This convenient service has been replaced by an even more convenient service – online shopping. Now from any location where you have access to online services, you can shop for any number of items, and get them shipped to you. This has become the favorite method of shopping for millions of shoppers worldwide.

However, with the convenience of online shopping comes potential hazards. Because you don’t know exactly where you are shopping you could be at risk of having your personal identification or credit/debit card information exposed. There are many ways to protect yourself while shopping online. They include making sure the website you are using is secure, the account you are using has not been stolen and your personal identification has not been taken and used for criminal activity.

To help consumers remain safe while shopping online, we have compiled a list of some helpful websites providing information. Please feel to browse through these articles and have the confidence to safely shop online.

Internet Security

• Cyber Security Tips – General information and suggestions for online users to be safe over the Internet.
• Internet Fraud – Informative resource from the FBI discussing the dangers of scams being conducted through the Internet.

Website Security

• Security Tips – Information and suggestions on how to maintain security on a website.
• Tips for Safe Browsing – Helpful tips and cautions for online users to be safe while browsing the Internet.

Account Security

• Safe and Secure Online Accounts – Tips for users on how to maintain a safe and secure online account relationship.
• How Identity Theft Works – Basic information on how criminals can use information for illegal activities and what impact it has on the victim.

Online Privacy Policies

• Electronic Communications Privacy Act – Information on the 1986 legislation which put restrictions on what information can be passed online.
• The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act – Overview of the 1998 bill which gave children protection from online activities and set standards for websites.

Online Shopping

• Holiday Shopping Tips – Information on how consumers can be protected from fraud during holiday online shopping, and throughout the year.
• Shopping Safely Online – Informative page providing readers with information and tips on how safe online shopping can be.
• Online Shopping Safety Tips – Collection of twelve basic tips on how consumer can be safe while shopping online.

Credit Card Security

• Data Security Standards – Technical information on how your credit card data and information are protected and secure.
• Credit Card Security – Information on how the information stored on credit cards are protected from illegal access.
• Internet Fraud – Justice Department information on the types of fraud commonly done online.

Protecting Personal Information

• Privacy and Information Security – Informative collection of resources and information on many important parts of personal information protection.