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The Internet

Shopping on the Internet has become a multi-million dollar business. Most Internet sales are safe, but as Internet purchases have increased, so have incidents of online credit card fraud. These are, however, several steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of online credit card fraud.

Try to deal with companies that have a physical address and a phone number you can call for additional information. Remember you are covered by the Fair Credit Billing Act when using a credit card online. The Fair Credit Billing Act protects you in certain cases of billing errors and fraud. See Fair Debt Collection Practices Act for more details. Shop at sites that offer secure ordering. Most major Internet shopping sites take security precautions. While on the checkout page of a shopping site, see if the site uses a secure server before you give out your credit card information. If the URL (web address) starts with https:// then the site is using a secure server. Be sure to deal with companies than post their privacy policy on their web sites and read the privacy policy. Most companies that offer online ordering will include a privacy policy on their web site. While some web sites may ask for personal information, the only information a merchant needs to process an order is the name on the card, the credit card number, and the expiration date.

For more information about safe shopping on the Internet, visit the Direct Marketing Association's web site at www.shopthenet.org