Classroom Publication

You’re sitting in front of your computer, staring at brightly-colored pictures of your favorite DVDs, and the mouse just happens to land on Add to Cart. After a few more clicks, you’re entering your personal information and finally your credit card number.  You probably don’t even think twice about it. Luckily, there was an official-looking seal at the bottom of the page. 

“With the Internet, you don’t know if that flashy  web site you’re looking at is a multinational organization or some kid in a garage somewhere,” says Lauren Weinstein, co-founder of of People for Internet Responsibility, a grassroots organization focused on web fairness issues. Even those official-looking seals from TRUSTe, VeriSign, and the Better Business Bureau are easy to replicate. A representative from TRUSTe declined to respond on the issue.

Are we too trusting?

A survey from Consumer Reports Web Watch  found that 78% of online users have used the Internet to buy something online, and 44% have participated in an online auction such as eBay. The survey also found that one of the reasons for the popularity of online shopping is price. Nearly four in five Internet users agree that the Internet makes it easy for them to find the lowest price for a product. A key to the success of online shopping and auction sites is that they have built up the trust of users. In fact, 77% of online users say they trust retail web sites. 

Robert Chestnut, Vice President of Trust and Safety for eBay said: “Many Web sites use a technology called Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to encrypt the personal and financial information sent over the Internet. Your browser should display the icon of a locked padlock at the bottom of the screen to indicate encryption.” Chestnut also advises to read the fine print and fully understand the stores return and refund policies. He also adds that if an offer seems to good to be true, it probably is. 

Protect yourself

According to Chestnut, first and foremost you will want to contact the seller and try to resolve the issue. Second, you should contact your financial institution and report the fraudulent charges. When you pay by credit card, your liability for unauthorized purchases is 50. Lastly, you should file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection.

The Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection advises shopping with companies you are familiar with, not using your birth date or portion of your social security number for your password, paying with credit cards, and always keeping a record of what you’ve purchased along with the confirmation numbers from the merchant.

Related topic: "Phishing" - test yourself and see if you could be a victim of false e-mails requesting your data. Get informed, be aware, stay safe online.  

Article Tools