How To Shop Online Safely

To help ensure that your online shopping experience is a safe one, all of the links on  Dan Fulwiler's Bargain Shopping Site go to stores we know and trust. We  have evaluated each store with the highest standards for a secure online shopping experience. This page has been created to increase awareness, provide resources and includes important facts and information to assist you with secure online shopping and internet safety.

i-SAFE Inc., the leader in Internet-safety education, partnered with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the protector of America’s consumers, and their OnGuard Online Web site to educate and empower youth to be safe and responsible cyber citizens. i-SAFE–OnGuard Online provides easy-to-access and easier-to-use materials to immediately educate yourself, your family, and your community. Lessons, resources, and activities are at the click of your mouse. And the best part of all, it’s free! 

The following recommendations are courtesy of OnGuard Online.

Online Shopping - Quick Facts
Shopping on the internet can be economical and convenient. Shopping on the internet is no less safe than shopping in a store, a mall, by mail or phone. To help ensure that your online shopping experience is a safe one:

• Know who you are dealing with. Confirm the online seller's physical address and phone number in case you have questions or problems.
• Know exactly what you are buying. Read the sellers description of the product closely, especially the fine print.
• Know what it will cost. Factor shipping and handling into the total cost of the order.
• Pay by credit or charge card, for maximum consumer protections.
• Check out the terms of the deal, like refund policies and delivery dates.
• Print and save records of your online transactions.

The following recommendations are courtesy of Microsoft. These "keys" or "clues" will help you shop online more safely.

Before you enter your credit card number

So, you've found the perfect item at the perfect price and you're ready to make your purchase. Before you enter your credit card number, make sure the store you've chosen abides by the following rules:

1.) The company should only require personal information that's necessary to complete the purchase. You will probably enter your credit card number, address, and telephone number. Be wary if they ask for other information such as your Social Security number, bank account numbers, or your mother's maiden name.

Note: Some reputable companies might ask for your interests by having you check certain boxes. This information should not be required to complete the purchase.

2.) The Web site should use secure technology. When you get to the screen where you enter your credit card number or other personal information, make sure that the Web address begins with https (for example, https://danfulwiler.safesecureweb.com/bargainshoppingsite ) check to see if a tiny locked padlock appears at the bottom right of the screen, as shown in the following image:

Example of a Web site that uses https in the address and a secure site lock icon. These are your clues that you are on a secure page. Do not enter credit card information or other personal information on a page that does not contain these two items.

Explore the Web site for third-party seals of approval such as:

   http://www.bbbonline.org/        http://www.truste.com/

Companies can put these seals on their sites if they abide by a set of rigorous standards—such as how complaints and disputes will be resolved and how personal information can be used. If you don't readily see these seals on the site, look at the sites' privacy policy or "Terms & Conditions" which should be clearly posted. If you do see the seals above, click on them to make sure they link to the actual organization that created them. They should go to the web addresses that are shown next to the seals above.

How to tell if an e-mail message is fraudulent or a Phishing scam

"Verify your account." Businesses should not ask you to send passwords, login names, Social Security numbers, or other personal information through e-mail. 
"If you don't respond within 48 hours, your account will be closed." These messages convey a sense of urgency so that you'll respond immediately without thinking. Phishing e-mail might even claim that your response is required because your account might have been compromised. 
"Dear Valued Customer." Phishing e-mail messages are usually sent out in bulk and often do not contain your first or last name. 
"Click the link below to gain access to your account." HTML-formatted messages can contain links or forms that you can fill out just as you'd fill out a form on a Web site. The links that you are urged to click may contain all or part of a real company's name and are usually "masked," meaning that the link you see does not take you to that address but somewhere different, usually a phony Web site.

Notice in the following example that resting the mouse pointer on the link reveals the real Web address, as shown in the box with the yellow background. The string of cryptic numbers looks nothing like the company's Web address, which is a suspicious sign and your clue not to use it. 

Please note - Due to different browser settings, some browsers may display the URL in the bottom left corner of the browser.

Con artists also use Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that closely resemble the name of a well-known company but are slightly altered by adding, omitting, or transposing letters. For example, the real URL "www.microsoft.com" could appear instead as:
www.micosoft.com 
www.mircosoft.com 
www.verify-microsoft.com 

Phishing web sites may also use actual graphics from a real company's web site. Resting the mouse on the graphic, will also reveal a different or slightly altered web address.

To learn more please click on the links found on the right border of this page.

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