Don't be afraid of the Internet - Dealing with people you don't know or will never meet always has dangers regardless of how you do it. Crooks are quick to exploit these but it needn't be like that when shopping online, if you follow some simple guidelines and be security aware. Millions of people frequently shop online and the worst problem they ever encounter is postal delays.

If you do any financial transactions or online banking or anything that involves disclosing your personal or financial details, a tiny padlock symbol will appear at the top or bottom of your browser window somewhere.  Double-click the padlock to ensure there is a site certificate and that it belongs to the organisation using it.

You should also see in the address bar at the top of your browser the URL of the website starting with https:// and not the usual http:// - the 's' indicates a secure website where any information you send is encrypted so it cannot be read or intercepted by others.  A site certificate should look something like this and should be issued by a reputable company such as VeriSign.  If you choose to install this on your own computer you will be warned if it expires or if you inadvertently access a fraudulent website since the certificate won't match yours...

If you don't see the padlock and the https:// together with a valid certificate like that above, it isn't safe to trade and you shouldn't part with any information or money no matter how authentic it appears to be.

Also check that the address shown in the address bar is what you expected, especially if you've clicked on a link in an email or another website.  For example when you log onto your banking website you should expect to see the banks website address in the address bar for instance...

http://www.natwest.com/personal/index.asp

...or something similar.  The address shown above has a / after the .com then a lot of other stuff that links to pages on the website so it is genuine. Well this actual link isn't genuine but all you'll get if you click on it is a 'Page not Found' message so there's no possibility of you doing any harm or to yourself or anyone else.  It's here just as a demonstration of what a proper bank web address (URL) looks like.

However, if you see another dot directly after the .com (or .co.uk) then you should be suspicious, regardless of what follows because it means that the website isn't authentic, no matter how 'real' it appears.

It's easy to register a domain as long as nobody else has already and many of these spoof websites are registered abroad in places like Nigeria and Eastern Europe or Asia. So you could find yourself on a website called...

http://www.natwestbank.com.ru/personal/index.asp

The .ru is a giveaway so phone your bank if you're unsure or if any of the security features is absent. The following websites provide useful information about fraud awareness:

www.getsafeonline.org
www.banksafeonline.org.uk

In addition to the above, you can give yourself some extra reassurance by looking for suppliers on websites that offer a guide to 'safe' shopping.

Shopsafe offers listings of online shops that have been vetted.
AskShop is similar to the previous one above and can be trusted.
ICOMMU certifies business websites and allows customers to provide feedback whether good or bad.

Verisign offers SSL (secure socket layer) certificates to verify websites are genuine and it is a long established, reputable company.  Of course anyone can display the logo but if you double click on it, you should be able to verify the information or you can go direct to www.verisign.co.uk where you can check the authenticity of the certificate.  My website does not have or need a security certificate since it does not deal with sensitive or confidential information but you will find that websites such as Rushcliffe Payments Service employs SSL for their e-commerce pages to ensure the security of customers information so your transactions are always safe and secure when you pay your Council tax etc.

We hope this is helpful and shall update this page in response to new advice or developments.  If you use common sense and follow simple precautions mentioned, you should never fall foul of fraudsters and you will always feel more secure in your online shopping experience. 

Shopping online is fun - exploring the merchandise, comparing prices and specifications, waiting impatiently for the goods to arrive and knowing that you're covered by the Distance Selling Regulations if you're not satisfied. Better still, if you pay by credit card (Mastercard etc) but not debit card, should the goods be faulty or the company fail to deliver for any reason, you can claim your money back from the credit card company who are jointly responsible for such purchases, even overseas.  Online trading has a great deal to recommend it.

If you suspect a scam or unfair trading of any kind, you can provide information via the Consumer Direct website.  Just click on the image below to go there.

Now there are a few more things you can do to protect yourself against fraud and identity theft and at the same time, spare yourself the inconvenience and expense of malicious attacks against your computer.  The most obvious is to install "anti-virus" software that came with your computer as a "trial" version and you've no doubt heard of all the regular ones such as Norton, AVG and McAffee which do the job (I suppose).  However, they can slow down your computer rather a lot - although they would deny it.  Instead I recommend Avast! Anti Virus from ALWIL Software.   The FREE download licensed for home use gives you real-time virus and spyware protection and is perfect for newer computers running Vista.  Commercial users can obtain a licence for a very reasonable fee.  Once again it doesn't impose a heavy speed overhead on your computer and to date it has arrested every potential infection on the webmaster's computer.

Using Avast! is more than adequate for most home users and it is free.  In every case, basic protection is better than none at all so make sure you're covered, especially if you bank online.