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Online Shopping

Use common sense when shopping on-line.  Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do when dealing with a mail order company.  Designate one credit card for e-commerce.  If your account number is stolen, it will be easier to cancel one card than several, and it will be clear from your statements which purchases weren’t yours.

Be sure to check out the merchant’s reliability.  Look for the Trust-E symbol or BBB online seal.  Set a budget.   You may be on a virtual shopping spree, but you are spending real money.  Determine the company’s refund and return policies.  Never give out your social security number or personal bank account information.  This information should not be required to make a purchase.  Print out a copy of your order for your records.    Always be sure to use secure servers.  You can tell a server is secure by the presence of a whole security key at the bottom of your screen.