PROTECT AGAINST FRAUD WHILE SHOPPING ONLINE

Shop online? Protect your personal and credit card information. Some absolute do's and don'ts when shopping online.

ATLANTA, GA - According to the U.S. Census Bureau, total e-commerce sales for 2002 were estimated at $45.6 billion, an increase of 26.9 percent from 2001. However, "e-commerce" sales accounted for only 1.4 percent of total sales in 2002.

Though e-commerce figures are projected to increase rapidly over the next few years, current studies estimate that up to 75% of all shopping carts are abandoned before the sale is completed.

In 2001, Vividence Corporation, a customer experience management company, evaluated the experiences of 719 consumers as they used shopping carts on e-commerce sites. Thirty-five percent of users thought the online checkout process required too much personal information and 31% thought some sites were unreliable.

Online fraud is a big concern for online consumers and retailers. According to Cassandra Black, co-owner of EthnicHomeDecor.com, "Unfortunately, you can't control fraud on the Internet, but you can take basic steps to protect yourself. E-commerce is a whole new ball of wax and you have to stay informed."

Excerpts from The Federal Trade Commission's website offers the following tips for shopping safely online:

• Use a secure browser - software that encrypts or scrambles the purchase information you send
over the Internet - to guard the security of your online transactions.

• Before you provide any personal financial information, check the site's privacy policy. If you're not comfortable with it, consider doing business elsewhere.

• Read and understand the refund and shipping policies of the retailer before you make your
purchase.

• NEVER disclose your Social Security number - it is NEVER necessary to complete a purchase.

• Keep records of your online transactions.

• Review your monthly credit card and bank statements for any errors or unauthorized purchases.

Yuwanda Black, the founding partner of EthnicHomeDecor.com states, "Before our site was officially launched in May of 2002, I made sure we were up to speed on safety-encrypted software. It was one of our biggest concerns, so we addressed it off the bat."

To finalize, Cassandra adds this point, "Try to use a traditional credit card when shopping online in lieu of a debit card. Although a debit card may look like a credit card, the money for debit purchases is transferred from your personal bank account to the merchant's account. Your liability for fraudulently used debit cards differs substantially from your liability for fraudulently used credit cards."

The Federal Trade Commission publishes a Consumers' Guide to E-payments. To get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP.

Visit these web sites for further tips on Shopping Safely Online: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/cybrsmrt.htm and http://www.safeshopping.org/tips/index.html.

Yuwanda & Cassandra Black are the owners of EthnicHomeDecor.com. Ethnic Home Decor offers soft home furnishings with ethnic themes at affordable prices.