« Online shopping advice »

Introduction

A separate page looks at consumer rights (for the UK), this page is more concerns with waking you up…

The basics are so natural to me that I rarely think about them yet, talking to others, I've found most people simply don't have a clue about basic computer security. That link will give you the essentials you needs; here I'll just reinforce them.

Fraud on the Internet isn't just a problem, it's a way of life for many and a billion dollar industry for organised crime syndicates. Even small gangs rake have been known to rake in millions a year defrauding people over eBay.

First rule:
Protect yourself. This means a legitimate firewall and antivirus - with up to minute patches and updates. You also need antispam protection, or at the least configure Outlook Express to help block spam. And you want spyware detection and cleaning tools such as Lavasofts Ad-Aware or Microsoft's AntiSpyware plugin.

Second rule:
Don't trust anyone. If a deal is too good to be true, then that should tell you everything you need to know. If the price looks right, still don't trust them!

Certainly there are a number of big companies you can trust, B&H Photovideo in New York, Dabs.com, Amazon. The rest, well, the smaller they are, the less you want to trust them. There's plenty of bargains to be had on eBay, but it not something I trust. The bigger the value, the greater the chance of getting cheated.

Third rule:
Read the first rule and work your way through again.

I certainly don't want to put you off connecting to the Internet, nor off shopping over the Internet, but if I haven't alarmed you yet go back to the top of the page and start again. Internet banking? Without adequate protection to your computer hackers can - easily - get your details and empty your bank account. The same will apply to your credit card. Then there's identity theft. Then, the bigger issue of this section, out and out fraud. Of course, there's also the reality of fake websites with the sole purpose of getting your credit card details…

Concerned yet?

I'll point you to more and better resources another day.