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Over the past decade online shopping has exploded in popularity. People love the idea of shopping from the comforts of home and having their purchases shipped directly to their house. No lines, a little bit of waiting, but a whole lot of convenience. Today millions of merchants are offering their products for sale on the Internet to meet this consumer demand of convenience and use it as an opportunity to increase their own sales.

As the statistics of consumers making purchases online continue to rise, the risk of having your personal information stolen from online payments has also risen. Although for the most part, making purchases on the Internet is relatively safe if you are careful.

Even though there is a certain level of risk associated with online shopping, it also can be a terrific experience and a great convenience. Although there is some threat because of the rise in identity theft and stolen credit card numbers, shoppers can effectively protect themselves if they take these precautions when making online transactions:

*Examine the Website

Are the web pages easy and clear to navigate? Are all the words spelled correctly? Do the prices offered appear to be fair market price for the items you're looking at for purchase? Often things which appear too good to be true usually aren't. If something doesn't look right, or is 'too good' of a deal, you might be dealing with a fraudulent website.

*Look for Contact Information

Does the retailer have contact information listed? Is there a postal address, phone number and email address where you can reach them? If you are unfamiliar with the vendor, you might want to give them a call or send an e-mail. Genuine companies will respond in a timely fashion. If they don't respond, it is a bad idea to do business with them, reputable businesses will not ignore new customers.

*Read the Company's Privacy Policy

Find out whether or not your information be used for statistical purposes or shared with third parties, and familiarize yourself with how your data will be utilized. Always be aware of the ways the business plans to use any of your personal and transaction information. If it looks like they'll be sharing it across the globe beyond your control, reconsider doing business with them.

*Check Out the Merchant

See if the business is listed with an organization such as the Better Business Bureau. This often brings to light any unsavory blemishes and help you decide if the benefits of doing business with them outweigh

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