Well, as with anything in life, there are precautions to take, questions you should ask yourself, and signs to look out for. Provided you are careful with who you decide to purchase from, online shopping can be a very convenient and pleasurable experience.

Important Safety Precautions:

Take a good look around website. Make sure you read their Privacy Policy. A Privacy policy let's you know procedures and methods they have in place to secure your personal information. Find answers to these questions...Do they share your information with others? Some companies sell or distribute your information to other companies. You may wind up on everybody's mailing list. Do they have security measures in place to protect your information (i.e. SSL)? SSL is abbreviation for Secured Socket Layer. SSL is security software that encrypts information sent between browsers. What this means in laymen's terms is that your personal information such as name, address, credit card number, etc. is coded or scrambled so that anyone who may try to intercept this information as it is being transmitted cannot read it. But don't just rely on them telling you that their site is secure, check for yourself. You will know when you are in a secure browser by looking at bottom browser bar on your computer (lower right). If browser is secure, you will see a security lock image. Also check web address in your top browser bar. Secure web addresses begin with "https" whereas, non-secure pages begin with "http."

Put simply, answer is: yes. The Internet is an incredibly powerful tool for business, so you can’t pass it over just because of a few crooks and conmen—even if they do seem like they’re behind every pop-up window and banner ad. The truth is that you can create opportunity and make more money online than you could lose in fraud.

Better yet, you could lose absolutely nothing if you know warning signs of fraud and tricks to avoid danger during your Web-based business dealings.

Whether you’re looking to buy or sell goods online, first—and best—way to fight fraud is prevention. There are certain warning signs to watch for, which should set off a chorus of alarms and flashing red lights in your head. Don’t do business with this person! For buyers, these potential warning signs can be when a seller:

•asks you to pay through non-traceable avenues, such as Western Union or MoneyGram, or a third party, or via an overseas address. You should ask yourself—and seller—why he or she won’t accept payment options that are traceable and convenient for you.

•posts an image on his auction or classified ad that’s obviously from an outside source. Sometimes these images may not even match type of item, let alone brand, that ad features.

•sells a typically expensive item at cut-rate prices, which is a good indicator that it could be counterfeit.

•refuses to provide tracking numbers when you purchase an item. Tracking numbers are another way to trace a valid transaction.

•offers only excuses, instead of help, when your purchased item doesn’t arrive at your doorstep.

If you’re a seller, you ought to be wary of signs of a suspicious buyer, such as when a buyer:

•asks to pay only some of fee, offering to pay rest sometime in future. This is old excuse from Popeye’s friend Wimpy, who always could be heard saying, “I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” Wimpy never paid Tuesday.