But the mad traffic and the even madder crowds at the shops often act as deterrents. At such times, online shopping is a heaven-sent opportunity to shop from the safety and comfort of your homes. Another plus point is that you don’t have to lug around heavy packages, nor have to pack and parcel gifts to friends! You simply ask them to deliver the packages to the address of your choice!

For shopophoebics (there is no term for fear of shopping) like my husband, online shopping is a boon! Our preferred sellers send him birthday and anniversary reminders and he just selects and pays for what he wants to gift me that year. And voila! You have the Husband of the Year- the pride of my life, the envy of my friends.

However, as Cybermum India, I can’t but add a word of caution. You should be extra cautious while doing online transactions because:

• You don’t know the seller personally
• You can’t verify the address, phone number, sales figures
• You can’t physically check the goods
• You are unsure of the site’s security policies and ethics

But it definitely does not mean you keep away from online shopping. It just means be careful. Do a background check of the seller you select. Start with the site address. Check whether it looks authentic and begins with https//. Another check is to see if the site is encrypted, with a lock sign on top right.

It is recommended that you read  buyer reviews. You should also find out whether they have any return or refund policies. Most importantly, you need to investigate payment modes-do they have a safe Visa Secure or Paypal payment mode? It is preferable to select credit cards or “Cash-on-delivery” modes of payments. Check for address and contact nos. If possible, call up their customer service and discuss their sales, delivery, and refund policies, when placing orders for the first time. Upon delivery, check the items minutely. Check your credit card statements. Keep printed records of all transactions.

McAfee lists some Do’s and Don’ts of Online Shopping

Do’s : 

• Do your homework, research web sites

• Do pay by credit card or online payment services

• Do buy from a web site that has encryption

• Don’t buy from a web site unless it is certified for safety

• Do check the web site’s policies before you order.

• Do use comprehensive computer security software

• Don’t forget to inspect your new purchase as soon as it arrives

• Do check your credit card statements

Don’ts : 

• Don’t buy from spammers

• Don’t pay by debit card, cash, or wire transfer

• Don’t buy from a web site unless it is certified for safety

• Don’t buy from a site with which you aren’t totally comfortable

• Don’t forget to inspect your new purchase as soon as it arrives

• Don’t let children buy games, gifts online without any adult supervision

For additional information, check this site

We all have a basic idea what happens when you shop online. You search for sites that offer the things you want, you select the items and quantity; add them to your virtual shopping cart, give details of shipping and billing addresses, and then use your credit card, debit card, PayPal account or netbanking facility to make payments. And it’s done!

This is what I received from eBay just now:

This Diwali I have received several irresistible online shopping offers. From exotic holidays, to spa therapies; from ethnic wear to meals in 5-stars; from flower arrangements to sweets, I can buy and send anything anywhere, from the comfort of my home. That too at unbelievably discounted rates! How much more can one ask for? While the lazy me wants to jump at this opportunity and finish off all my shopping with a few keystrokes, the prudent me warns of the pitfalls of e-shopping and asks me to be cautious.

On the surface, the sites and the deals they offer all appear to be genuine, sometimes verified by branded firms and banks. But all said and done, these are virtual shops.You do not know the owners, nor have you physically checked the products. As I keep harping, the virtual world holds a lot of exciting promise, but also dangers. If you act wisely and cautiously, you will be definitely able to profit from this facility. Remember, caution is the keyword.

Here’s a rough check list I follow before entering into any online transaction. You can use it and even improve it by adding some of your own. I would love to hear from you on this:

-Is my Family protection suite updated and working?
-Has my SiteAdviser marked the chosen site with a ‘safe’ green tick?
-What is the URL of the site? Does it end with .in or .com or some other suspicious combo of alphabets (necessary to check especially if your security software doesn’t have a site advisor)
-Does the company offer a contact number (where I can talk to a representative before finalising the order, get names, and verify stock)?
-What is written in small prints, like whether product size, count will vary from the images shown?
-Are the terms and conditions biased against the buyer?
-What are the shipping costs, if any?
-What are their return or replacement policies?
-Are there reviews from buyers (very important)? What do they say?
-Is there any complain against the firm or its products at the consumer grievance cell?
-Have I, or any anyone I know, tried this firm before, and were satisfied? If yes, that is a definite plus point
-Does it offer a secure payment site, one that is verified by VeriSign etc?
-Are there any hidden extras in the cost?

I would strongly advise against allowing kids to shop online unsupervised. Parents who blindly trust kids and hand them their cards to buy the game or book of their choice are infact endangering the innocent things for they are not judicious enough to critically check a site before making the purchase. Any cybercriminal can skilfully wean the bank/PayPal account details from them and cause you loss of money and mental peace. Similarly, do not reveal credit card details like CVV number and your date of birth to any customer service representative. Your card maybe misused.

Scammers seek to take advantage of seasonal opportunities like Cyber Monday, so beware of the following scams:

Fake websites: Criminals draw visitors to their deceptive websites using the same techniques as legitimate eTailers: search engine optimization, search engine marketing, and online advertising via AdWords. They use keywords to boost their rankings on Internet searches, causing their scam sites to appear alongside legitimate sites in search results. These same processes are also used to infect unsuspecting users with malware. Run a SiteAdvisor program to give you a sense of a website’s legitimacy.

Phishing: Many victims who find themselves on scam sites get there by clicking links in phishing emails, which offer high-end products for low prices. In this case, it should be easy enough to avoid spoofed websites. Anytime you receive an offer via email, you should automatically be suspicious. The same goes for offers received through Twitter or other social media.

Too good to be true: If you aren’t familiar with the eTailer, don’t even bother clicking the links. Do business with those you know like and trust. I do occasionally patronize whichever eTailer offers the lowest price, but only when purchasing a relatively inexpensive item, generally under $50. It’s safer to make larger purchases from eTailers that also have brick and mortar locations.

Typosquatters: Be sure you’ve typed in the correct address and are at the eTailer’s actual domain. Beware of cybersquatting and typosquatting, which rely on imitation websites that resemble your desired destination, but are in fact copies, using domains that are similar to the legitimate web address.

Unsecured sites: When placing an order, always check the address bar for “https,” which indicates a secure page. Your browser may also display a closed padlock, further confirming that the page is secure. Generally, scammers won’t take the time to set up secure sites.

Common sense can help you avoid becoming a victim of these and other scams. Beyond that, consider subscribing to McAfee Identity Protection, which offers proactive identity surveillance, lost wallet protection, and alerts when suspicious activity is detected on your accounts. For additional tips, please visit www.counteridentitytheft.com.

Robert Siciliano is a McAfee consultant and identity theft expert. See him discuss Cyber Monday on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet. (Disclosures)