**Online shopping safety tips** **These are some really simple ways to shop safely online you can use every day:** 1. **Research retailers online to make sure they’re legitimate.** 2. **Make sure the website is secure.** 3. **Know your rights and the company’s returns policy.** 4. **Keep software and virus protection up-to-date and use strong passwords for online accounts.** 5. **Don’t use public Wi-Fi. Your standard data connection is more secure.** 6. **Pay using a credit card. You will have more protection. Alternatively, online services like PayPal mean scammers will not be able to get hold of your bank details.** 7. **Be smart. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.** **You can find out more about these tips in the rest of our guide.** 1. **When making purchases or selling on Internet trading portals, always read the buying and selling instructions carefully.** 2. **Make sure you understand the policies of the website you are dealing through**– particularly regarding what it will and won’t do if something goes wrong or a fraudulent transaction occurs. You should be able to find this information easily in its terms and conditions.   3. **If you can, do your homework on the buyer or seller.**When transacting through an online trading post like Gumtree, make sure that you have the other person’s proof of identification, proof of residence, and correct and confirmed contact details.   4. **When carrying out the transaction, ensure that the transaction is witnessed** by at least one person, and that a receipt is issued.   5. **If the seller is a business, check its real-world presence.**If they provide a phone number, call them up and verify their details. But remember that overseas sellers may be harder to chase in the event of a problem. 6. **Check online stores’ privacy and returns policies**to be sure your information will not be shared and that you are not stuck with merchandise you didn’t order. 7. **Be clear about shipping and delivery costs**(for example, whether or not they are included and if not, if they are clearly stated).   8. **Be clear about methods of payment**and whether any of these attract any extra costs.   9. **Always provide the absolute minimum necessary personal information**to sellers and buyers – and nothing more.   10. **Bear in mind that paying by credit card offers greater protection against fraud**than other payment methods – since banks often have measures in place to deal with credit card fraud.   11. **Always double check all details of your purchase**before confirming payment.