Online Shoppers: Stay Safe, You're Responsible

With this year's unprecedented increase in online shopping sales, it's no wonder so many retailers are racing to get their share of the profits. It's also no wonder that consumers are at an even greater risk for online fraud; including scams, identity theft, and credit card theft.

Although online shopping is more secure than it's ever been, shoppers (especially those new to the online marketplace) still face many risks. Malicious sites can infect computers, giving an attacker direct access to credit card numbers and website credentials. Suspicious emails advertising amazing prices could link to malicious or scam sites. The Web can be a dangerous place. As CNN Money correspondent David Goldman writes, "Precise statistics are hard to pin down, but experts believe global Internet fraud scams people out of hundreds of millions to billions of dollars each year." Now that's scary.

Once a person becomes a victim of cybercrime or Internet fraud, s/he often looks for someone to blame. Microsoft is often a scapegoat, or Internet Explorer or other browsers. After all, if the browser was more secure the fraud could not have occurred in the first place, right? Unfortunately, a browser or operating system can only take so many measures to protect you.

For those who try to blame someone else for being victimized, they're going to have to swallow hard and look to themselves instead. Online shopping and Internet fraud have both been around for years. Every major news outlet has reported the potential risks, and they've also given advice and tips on how to avoid getting ripped off. And while scammers continue developing more sophisticated techniques to commit fraud, most victims fall for the same tried-and-true methods the scammers have always used.

People that shop online need to stop blaming others if they are victimized. They need to take some personal responsibility for their online conduct. Shopping online is like walking around a store with a huge bag of money. If that money was left unattended in a store, no one would be surprised if a thief were to steal it.

This same principle must be applied to Internet shopping. Online shoppers are obvious and sometimes easy targets. They need to learn how to protect themselves before they start buying. They need to learn how to secure their big bags of e-money before wandering around the store. Ultimately, they're the ones responsible for their money and security.

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Posted in: Online, Responsible, Shoppers, Youre