7 smart Tips To Survive Shopping
On The "Wild-Wild-Web."

Consumers have the power...verify before you buy!

1. Make sure the website you are visiting displays full contact information.
2. Understand a website's guarantee policy for all purchases made at the website.
3. Does the website offer phone and/or email support?
4. Make sure the website displays a privacy policy, terms of use, and/or similar text/disclaimers that clearly show how they intend to use customer information.
5. Does the website accept recognized payment options?
6. Does the website provide secure payment options for all online transactions?
7. After verifying the first 6 tips above, do you feel this website is trustworthy?

Be Safe. Be Smart. Be Secure.

1. "Be Safe" – Do not make purchases or give out personal information to websites you are unfamiliar with until you have printed out or saved full contact information. Take a moment to read and understand the website’s money-back guarantee, terms of use, disclaimers and/or privacy policies. All contact info and privacy statements should be easy to locate.
   
2. "Be Smart" – You are in control! If it sounds too good to be true it usually is. Do not visit websites you find from junk email (spam). Delete all email you do not recognize. If you are unsure of something, contact the website by phone or email before you make a purchase or give out information. There are plenty of legitimate web-businesses offering what you are searching for. You can avoid scams simply by taking your time to make smart choices.
   
3. "Be Secure" – Here’s a simple tip to further protect your credit card information. When you are at the page that requires you to type in your credit card information, look at the address bar at the top of your computer screen. A regular web page starts with: http://, whereas a secure page starts with: https://. Pages like these are encrypted and used for security and/or financial transactions online. Be secure and look for the "S"!
   


What to do if you are a victim of fraud...5 simple steps

When you use a credit card, you can be vulnerable to fraud, whether you pay online, over the phone, or even in person at your neighborhood grocery store.

If you think you've been the victim of fraud or a scam, immediately follow these steps. The faster you contact the proper authorities, the more likely you are to minimize the damage a scammer can do to your identity, your credit, and your bank account. Read more...



Online Consumer Protection Resources

1. Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information
   
2. Global complaint resolution resource provided by the combined efforts of 20 nations
   
3. Seven practices for safer computing
   
4. Consumer Tips from the Better Business Bureau