Avoid scams, rip-offs, and hacks
Many first-time Net shoppers worry about hackers, unscrupulous vendors, and scam artists. But the hype outweighs the actual danger. Follow these commonsense tips, and you'll have little to fear.

5. Weed out unreliable vendors and individuals
Be smart and check for a physical mailing address (not a P.O. box) and a phone number; if neither is listed, send an email requesting them. If the company refuses, be suspicious. And never trust a vendor who asks for highly personal information such as your bank account number or mother's maiden name. The Net makes it easy to do extra research as well: post a message in a relevant newsgroup or chat room asking if anybody has had an experience with a particular e-store or individual. Call the Better Business Bureau in the city where the seller is located, and see if it has any negative reports. If you're at an online auction site, check out what other buyers have said about the individual you're buying from. And if something still bothers you, trust your intuition and shop elsewhere.

6. Don't fall for traditional suckers' games
People sometimes have a blind spot when it comes to the Internet, falling for schemes and hoaxes they'd never believe in person. Treat every site and email message as you would a stranger in the street. Would you give a stranger a bunch of money for some "secret sales technique" or an unnamed "product" to resell without details, references, or written documentation? Other red flags include repeated pressure to buy before supplies run out and requests to send a credit card number or to fax a check right away.

7. Avoid illegal or questionable products and services
Don't even think about illegal drugs, pornography, or weapons, unless you relish the idea of prison. Net transactions aren't as anonymous or untraceable as you may think, and sting operations abound. Nor is it advisable to buy products or services that are in a legal "gray area," such as prescription medicine or a potential renter's personal information. Think about the kind of people who have access to this stuff. Would you trust them, sight unseen, with your credit card?

8. Make sure sites are really secure
To be safe, submit sensitive information only onto a secure form. Just because a site says it's secure doesn't always make it so. Your browser can help: look for a small padlock in the window (to the lower right in Internet Explorer 4.0 or later; to the lower left and in the toolbar in Netscape Navigator 4.0 or later). If the lock is open, the site's not secure. (You can click on the lock for details about who runs the site, what kind of encryption they use, and so on.) URLs that begin with https:// usually denote a secure form as well. Finally, to minimize your chances of being ripped off by hackers, stick with well-known vendors with a demonstrated record of reliability. And always shop with a credit card to limit your liability and make fraud easy to track.

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