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Buying stuff online

The number of people buying goods online has grown hugely over recent years. Whilst some people are still reluctant to buy things on line, it’s actually now just as safe as ordering something over the telephone. However, it’s important to use common sense and to follow some simple rules.

If you’re going to order things online, make sure the company you’re buying from uses a secure server – this means the personal and financial details you type in are not accessible by anyone accept the company. The easiest way to tell is to look for a little padlock icon at the bottom of your browser window or in the browser address bar when you’re on a page that asks for your payment or personal details during checkout. Also, the address bar during the purchasing process should start with ‘https:’ – it’s the ‘s’ after ‘http’ that stands for ‘secure’.

If you’re not familiar with the company you want to buy from, find their website’s ‘about us’ page to read more about them – look for how long they’ve been established, pictures of their shop or warehouse and find out where they are based. Also, look for a telephone number – if they are a reputable company, they won’t mind you phoning them up to ask a question of two.

Never send bank details in an email to anyone – not even friends or family, but especially not to companies or strangers. Emails are not secure and you don’t want people you don’t know getting hold of those details!

Never respond to requests for personal or bank details from emails that claim to have been sent from shops or banks. They will never ask you for such information and it’s very likely the email is a scam and responding could lead to you becoming the victim of identiy fraud or theft. See FrankandHonest.com’s info page about ‘Phising’ for more info on this type of email scam.

When buying online, you should receive a confirmation email from the company you’re buying from very soon after you’ve placed your order. If you don’t receive an email, give them a ring to make sure your order has gone through properly.

If you’re buying items from abroad, you may have to pay duty if the item costs over a certain amount.

To be extra safe, some people stick to companies that you know already or well established internet companies. Almost all shops that you see on a high street will also have websites that sell direct to customers. You can often find deals on their websites that aren’t available in their shops.

Avoid buying stuff or accessing your online bank account from internet cafés and other public computers. You don’t know what anti-virus / firewall protection they have or what malware software might be lurking on the computer you’re using.

Remember to keep your anti-virus and anti-spyware software up to date and use them to scan your computer regularly. If you’re using Windows, make sure it’s set up to update itself automatically.

Links and contact details

Name: Home Office – Staying Safe Online Pages
Web: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/how-you-can-prevent-crime/staying-safe-online/
Email:
Tel:
Info: Lots of helpful advice on staying safe online. Lots of info also on avoiding identify theft.

Name: ThinkYouKnow
Web: www.thinkuknow.co.uk
Email:
Tel:
Info: Website developed by by the team at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre. Lots of info on staying safe online.

Name: Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) – Report an issue
Web: http://www.ceop.gov.uk/reportabuse/index.asp
Email:
Tel:
Info: Info on reporting something that you are concerned about online.

Name: DirectGov – Staying Safe Online pages
Web: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/YoungPeople/CrimeAndJustice/KeepingSafe/DG_10027670
Email:
Tel:
Info: DirectGov is a government developed website. It offers loads of info and contact details on a wide range of issues.

Name: Cardiff University – Stay Safe Online Pages
Web: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/it/help/safe/index.html
Email:
Tel:
Info: Cardiff University – Stay Safe Online Pages – loads of info on staying safe on the web.

Name: Home Office – Staying Safe Online Pages
Web: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime-victims/how-you-can-prevent-crime/staying-safe-online/
Email:
Tel:
Info: Lots of helpful advice on staying safe online. Lots of info also on avoiding identify theft.

Name: AVG Anti-Virus
Web: http://free.avg.com/download-avg-anti-virus-free-edition
Email:
Tel:
Info: Popular free anti-virus software. you can download the software from the link above. AVG also offers paid for anti-virus packages – see the website for a list of the differences between the free product and the paid for product.

Name: ZoneAlarm
Web: http://www.zonealarm.com/security/en-us/compare-anti-virus-spyware-software.htm
Email:
Tel:
Info: Free Firewall downloads.

Name: Windows Defender
Web: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/defender/default.mspx
Email:
Tel:
Info: Free anti-spyware program from Microsoft.

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