[(JD)]

How to Shop Safely on Cyber Monday and Beyond

If you, like many others, plan to enjoy the convenience of bypassing crowded stores in order to find the perfect gift, access your bank account, or make travel arrangements online this holiday season, remember, the Internet is also a very convenient for attackers looking to get access to personal and financial information of unsuspecting shoppers. To help you along the way, we have put together a list of what you need to know to safely surf the sales this holiday shopping season - and skip the scams.

* Make sure you're shopping on a secure site.
Look for the padlock icon or a URL that starts with https://. That means your transaction is encrypted.
* If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
If you're not familiar with a particular seller, look for privacy and security seals or research them before you make your purchase.
* Create lengthy and complex passwords.
Passwords can be guessed very quickly by hacker programs, so use both upper- and lower case letters as well as numbers when creating passwords or when registering on sites.
* Maintain your security software essentials to keep malware off your PC.
Get Ad-Aware and get the power to protect your online security and privacy - so that you can use the Internet how, when, and where you want.
* Don't make hasty online purchases.
If you're hesitant to enter your credit card details online, consider using a separate credit card, or use an "e-card" solution that gives you the ability to create a temporary card number to be used just once or with a spending limit.
* Pay extra attention to your bills and your credit.
During the holidays, take the time to ensure your financial statements are accurate and that there are no surprise charges on your credit card.
* Don't Shop in Public (online!)
If buying something online, use your own computer. Don't use public computers while on vacation at hotels or airports. Public computers can have keyloggers that record your information as you type it.
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[Yoda]

I have been online shopping on Hot Topic, Amazon and evilbay this week. FedEx just delivered one box, several yet to come. If only I could get groceries delivered I would never leave home.

[splitimage]

Thanks for this good reminder about on-line shopping safety. I do almost all my shopping on-line except for food and clothes, and whenever possible use paypal.

--splitimage

In the UK you can even have your shopping delivered to you street door ! We do it this way for a bulk lot once a month then shop weekly for smaller bits that we run out of...

I love shopping online especially Ebay !

[Rhiannonsmoon]

Dear ((((JD))))

You're a mind reader. Our credit card was hit for over $100 recently and it was supposed to be on a safe encrypted site. Luckily we got the money back but it doesn't really instill confidence.

We now pay by Bpay or by online banking which we haven't had any problem with hopefully that will fix the problem. But I still wait for the bank to tell me where the charges originated from.

Happy Yule (Christmas shopping for the loving Christians) shopping everyone!

[Skully]

Thanks for all the good tips. I knew them but often forget to look to make sure the site is secure....I am slipping lol