

1. Never give out your Social Security number to an online merchant. This number is not required for placing orders online. Giving an online store your Social Security number can help them use your personal and private information to steal your identity. To prevent that, if you continue an online store site and see that being a requirement, usually do not buy everything from them and shop elsewhere.
2. Before shopping from a store that is new to you, learn what the store's reputation is similar to. You can usually do an internet search and find out what others think of the business. It is best to do that so you do not find out the difficult way and lose your hard earned money.
3. When shopping for a certain item, check several different online stores. Many times with a little searching, you save as much as 25 percent. Look at many different websites to ensure that you are getting the best bargain. When figuring each website's price, be sure you include shipping costs in your calculations.
4. When you are searching for a place to buy an item and not one of the results are most often from familiar retailers, you need to be hesitant about entering your information. Look for security signs from Verisign or Cybertrust, so you know the retailer is not to take your hard earned money.
5. When you are online shopping, you should only shop at reputable stores. If the store does not have a good reputation, you may be asking for trouble. Some people have had their credit card and personal information stolen from shopping on lower than reputable websites. Be careful and protect your private information.