Safe Ways To Shop Online (NAPSA)—The number of Americans whoshop online continues to grow, with the average e-consumer spending three and a half hours a week browsing through Web pages, according to a survey from WSLStrategic Retail. However, with this increase in online shoppers, comes an increasedrisk of identity theft and Web scams. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission reported identity theft victims lost more than $547 million and almost half of that amount was from Internet-related crimes. The following tips from experts at EDS Security and Privacy can help online consumers protect their personal information: 1. Always check a company’s Website for contact details that show a physical address and phone number. Also, look to see if the site is a member of a trustmark or trust seal program. This certifies that the business meets certain standards. 2. Shop at secure Web sites that use encryption technology to scramble the information you send. Secure sites include https:// at the beginning of their addresses. Also, look for a closed padlock on the bottom of your screen. If the lock is open, it could be a sign that the site is not secure. 3. Beware of phishing. E-mails that appear to be from trusted businesses may actually be identity thieves “phishing” for your personal information. Reputable businesses will never ask you to divulge personal information from an unsolicited request. 4. Reputable companies post privacy and security policies on their sites. They tell you what infor- There are ways to protect your identity while shopping online. mation the companycollects, how it is used and whatis shared. 5. If you shop with a foreign company, you may not be protected by U.S. consumer laws. Be sure to print out, date and saveall terms, conditions, warranties, item descriptions, company information and confirming e-mails. 6. Passwords should include at least eight characters, numbers or symbols. Using information such as Social Security numbers or birth dates as passwords can make you an easy target for identity theft. 7. Update anti-virus and firewall software on your PC and regularly apply critical security patches to your PC’s operating system. Run virus scans once a week and remove any unwanted adware and spyware. 8. Check your credit report regularly. Consumers can get a free copy of their credit reports annually from one of the three major credit bureaus. The Federal Trade Commission is also a good source of information about identity theft. Visit http://www.con sumer.gov/idtheft/index.html for more information.
