From the SANS Institute, things to look out for while shopping online this season:

Fraudulent website indicators:

• no phone # for sales or support
• website domain name is different from the domain name on company email and contact info
• poor grammar and/or spelling on website
• the website seems to be an exact replica of what you have used in the past, but the domain name is slightly different

Your computer’s hygiene:

• current AntiVirus running
• autoupdate on operating system
• one account per user
• different passwords for different sites
• on a trusted network (one you run w/remote admin turned off)

Payment:

• credit cards are better than debit cards
• review your statements at least monthly
• turn on alerts on your credit cards if available

Scams and fake sites will be blossoming this holiday season, so be on your toes ..

[shopping cart image: clker.com]