Follow these 15 tips and enjoy safe surfing and shopping
on the Web.
1. Do not assume a credible-looking Web site
is credible. Anyone can create a Web site that looks legitimate.
2. An old financial cliche that has been around much longer than the Internet applies to Web deals, too: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
3. Be cautious of unsolicited e-mails and
phone calls -- many are fraudulent.
4. Be wary of anyone who asks for personal
information. Do not give out any information to a person, business
or Web site you have not verified with a reputable source.
5. Your Social Security number should not
be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Do not give it
out.
6. Be suspicious of anyone who contacts you
and claims to be from a company with whom you have an account
like a bank, credit card or phone company. If they ask for information
that the business already has, do not give it to them. Call the
company independently, using the contact information on your statement
or from the official Web site.
7. Do not respond to offers that demand you
act immediately or won't take "no" for an answer.
8. Legitimate charitable causes do not need
to telephone or e-mail to solicit donations or obtain passwords
or Social Security numbers to accept donations. Do not respond
to these offers or pleas for help.
9. Do not follow the unsubscribe instructions
in unsolicited e-mail. In many cases, it only verifies your e-mail
address -- you will get even more junk e-mail.
10. E-mail addresses or Web addresses that
have a company name in the address are not necessarily from that
company. Go to the official Web site for contact information.
11. Do not open e-mail attachments from unfamiliar
sources. They could contain malicious programs designed to steal
your personal information.
12. Watch out for pop-up windows asking you
to enter in financial data. Legitimate companies won't require
you to submit sensitive information this way.
13. Keep your computer protected. Having
anti-virus software is great, but you also need anti-spam and
spyware protection to keep scams and computer intruders at bay.
Utilize and update your firewall.
14. Watch out for online job ads that read
like get-rich-quick schemes. Think about it. No company wants
to pay gobs of money for someone with no experience to do easy
work.
15. Complicate your passwords. Don't use
a word or number easy to guess, such as your significant other's
name or birthday. Change them frequently.
-- Updated: Aug. 2, 2006
