Internet fraud has increased in conjunction with the many people now utilizing the Internet for several purposes. To fight the increasing amount of fraud, many corporations have developed and utilized sophisticated systems and programs to prevent fraud from occurring (Storesonline makes the most of this developed technology). With SSL, AVS, Firewalls, and Secure Graphical Verification, Storesonline is making Internet fraud harder to accomplish. These sophisticated technologies combating Internet fraud are currently utilized by Storesonline to help its clientele avoid being victimized.

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From steering clear of the pitfalls of fraudulent spam, to buying products from secured sites, there are many ways to fight fraud and fraudulent activities that coexist during this technological age of the Internet and e-commerce. These technologies are offered from Storesonline free to their clientele in the efforts to promote the simplicity of e-commerce and e-retailing. Because Storesonline offers their clientele secured websites, their customers will avoid credit card fraud and will have their sensitive information protected from fraud. Storesonline From the protection that Storesonline offers, clients have the ability to retrieve the necessary information to make safe Internet merchant activities possible. This is done without the fear of losing vital information to hackers and phishers. Further descriptions of these listed technologies are provided under the Storesonline products page

Not only does this page have the Storesonline product link that can explain the many products they employ to prevent fraud and fraudulent activities, but Storesonline also supplies another link on this page to explain how to avoid Internet fraud. Storesonline also provides an information link about today's online security measures to prevent fraud. Shopping techniques to hinder fraud is also a link. And suggestions for who to report fraud to when you have been a victim is also supplied on this Storesonline website.

• Avoidance of Internet Fraud
  
• Online security offered today
  
• Credit card purchases
  
• Reporting fraud
  
• Storesonline products that fight against fraud
  

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Put simply, the answer is: yes. The Internet is an incredibly powerful tool for business, so you can't pass it over just because of a few crooks and conmen—even if they do seem like they're behind every pop-up window and banner ad. The truth is that you can create opportunity and make more money online than you could lose in fraud.

Better yet, you could lose absolutely nothing if you know the warning signs of fraud and the tricks to avoid danger during your Web-based business dealings.

Whether you're looking to buy or sell goods online, the first—and the best—way to fight fraud is prevention. There are certain warning signs to watch for, which should set off a chorus of alarms and flashing red lights in your head. Don't do business with this person! For buyers, these potential warning signs can be when a seller:

• Asks you to pay through non-traceable avenues, such as Western Union or MoneyGram, or a third party, or via an overseas address. You should ask yourself—and the seller—why he or she won't accept payment options that are traceable and convenient for you.posts an image on his auction or classified ad that's obviously from an outside source. Sometimes these images may not even match the type of item, let alone the brand, that the ad features.
  
  
• Sells a typically expensive item at cut-rate prices, which is a good indicator that it could be counterfeit.
  
  
• Refuses to provide tracking numbers when you purchase an item. Tracking numbers are another way to trace a valid transaction.
  
  
• Offers only excuses, instead of help, when your purchased item doesn't arrive at your doorstep.

If you're a seller, you ought to be wary of signs of a suspicious buyer, such as when a buyer:

• Asks to pay only some of the fee, offering to the pay the rest sometime in the future. This is the old excuse from Popeye's friend Wimpy, who always could be heard saying, "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." Wimpy never paid Tuesday.
  
  
• Sends you a cashier's check for more money than the agreed price "by mistake." In this scam, the buyer then asks you to repay him the difference by personal check, wire transfer, or money order—before you find out that the cashier's check didn't clear. Believe it or not, this scheme works because cashier's checks can be cashed before they bounce.
  
  
• Sends you a cashier's check for the correct amount of money but then demands a refund, requesting that you repay with your own money. See the scheme above for how this trick works.

These warning signs, of course, are only for a handful of the frauds and scams out there. Conmen are good at what they do, trying to separate you from your money. That's why it's best to always follow these golden rules of online commerce whenever buying or selling on an Internet auction or classified site.

Keep your common sense. No matter how good a deal seems, or how much clients say they want to pay, always remember the old adage: "If it sounds too good to be true…."

Do your business locally. Try to buy and sell from your neighbors as much as possible. It's safer, more convenient, and better for your local economy. What's more, it saves you the trouble of dealing with foreign vendors and buyers. Though they may be legit, dealing with them can be complicated because of different legal systems and customs, which can make any conflict difficult.

Seal the deal with plastic. Paying for items with credit cards, and allowing your customers to charge for purchases, is a great all-around business decision. Under U.S. law, all plastic purchases are protected from fraud and allowed to be disputed in case of problems.

Meet at the middle man. Intermediary services are virtual middle men that protect both buyers and sellers from cyber shysters. Services like Escrow act as a holding pen for both payment and sale items until both the buyer and seller are content. Only then will Escrow finish a transaction.

Purchase with PayPal. As Escrow and credit cards do, PayPal guards against fraud for both buyers and sellers. It's a secure and reliable way to transfer money over the Internet. No wonder PayPal is the most popular online money transfer service.

As you can see, the odds are actually in your favor when it comes to doing business online. The resource of the internet is far too valuable than to be taken away by a few crooks and conmen. It simply comes down to being smart, sensible, and observant whenever buying or selling on the Web. Then again, that's what all good business is about, whether you're doing it in a mall or on the information superhighway.

 Original Article by Donald Lee

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Your Responsibility To Maintain Online Security

As a consumer, there are certain responsibilities that are inherent to online security. While some may find this hard to believe, there are actual steps you must take while shopping online to insure and protect your personal information.

Is the site secure?
Most e-businesses offer secure areas for payment processing. However, there are still some holdouts out there who haven't implemented that feature on their website. If your browser doesn't display a locked padlock icon at the bottom of your screen, then the site isn't secure. You can set your browser to notify you before entering a secure area, to make sure that the information you are about to send is encrypted and secure.

Does the site's privacy policy protect your information?
On the other hand, does the site even have a privacy policy?
If you want to make sure that your information is not sold to the highest bidder, you need to read a website's privacy policy before making a purchase. You will need to make sure that it is clear and informs you of exactly what the site plans to do with your information. If you don't feel comfortable with their policy, find another store. Keep in mind that even reputable companies will share your information, unless they specifically state or ask you if you prefer to keep your information private.

Email is not for credit card numbers.
One of the biggest mistakes consumers make is trusting that their email containing valuable credit card information is secure. Unless you are using an encryption key, and the person receiving your email is as well, anyone with the proper knowledge could hack into that email and steal your information. Only submit credit card information or passwords through a secure site.

Be on the lookout for copycats.
A common problem right now is the copycatting of popular sites, such as Paypal, Earthlink, and other Internet providers. You might receive an official looking email asking you to update your password, or your billing information. Just because it looks official doesn't mean that it is. Check with the provider in question before changing anything. Emailed links can appear to be the real thing, but the actual web address that you are sent to will be anything but. Most providers clearly state that they will not ask you for your password or billing information via email. It is much better to be safe than sorry by falling for a carefully laid out copycat trick.

Is it really SPAM?
Nearly everyone on the Internet has had at least one complaint about the amount of SPAM they receive. In fact, odds are that every day you grumble about it. Before you hit delete, or report an email as SPAM, double check to make sure that it is not an honest company, or a company you've done business with in the past. Many reputable retailers are being lumped in with the bad guys by overzealous SPAM haters. If you have visited the site or ordered from them before, and they previously mentioned sending emails to you in the past, think twice before reporting them as SPAM.

Ok, it is SPAM and I'm sick of it! If you zealously guard your email address and you are still getting abundant SPAM, there are steps you can take to prevent this in the future. Before giving personal information to a company, make sure they clearly state how they plan to use your information. If you belong to a message board, or similar service, your email address may be being "plucked" by a SPAM'ers software. If you do need to input an email address and you not 100% sure, it is a good idea to set up an email account with a free provider to make sure that your main email account isn't getting drowned with SPAM.

It is possible to have a safe time shopping on the Internet. You will just need to be aware of your responsibilities and take an active role in guarding your information.

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What You Need to Know About Site Submission

When you have created an internet business, you may wonder how to bring people to your site without spending huge amounts on advertising. A prime method is to rely on site submission. Whether you use site submission as the only form of advertisement for your web site and the products or services which you provide, or submitting your web site to one or more of the many search engines, you can be certain that this will help to make your advertising resources go much further they would otherwise reach. This is an inexpensive method to get your site noticed by the most possible people. And, even more exciting is that the people reached are generally targeted so they will come to your web site already predisposed to buy.

Reaching the masses It is true that the more people that you reach with information about your business or organization, the more likelihood there is that your sales will increase. Unless you have a fairly defined niche market, it generally follows that more views equals more sales. So if you want to increase the number of people viewing your URL or contact information, one of the best ways is by using the concept of site submission. You send the information about your web address to the search engine and it is used to index your site so that it shows up in response to query terms. Reaching targeted audiences Targeted audiences are those that already have an interest or connection to the product or service that you are marketing. You can make good use of the site submission techniques to reach these potential customers efficiently.

Because your web page is indexed by the search engines, it is more likely to be returned as the answer to a query from a web questioner. Since the questioner is looking for your product you don't have to convince them in the same way that would be required for reaching a non-targeted customer. Economical Site submission as an advertising method is very economical. There are services that will submit your web site to many of the search engines at a very low cost. Since the process can often be automated, it doesn't require the manual entries that are so time consuming.

There is even relatively inexpensive software that performs the task of notifying the search engines of your web URL. There are companies that make a business of submitting websites to the search engines and again, the rates for these services are quite reasonable, and even more so when you consider the return on investment. Efficient Site submission is such an effective advertising method. You simply put the effort into the initial desire of your web page so that it as attractive and interesting as you know how to make it. Then you submit the address to the search engines. From there on, the search engines do the job for you automatically. Your advertising works 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. You don't have to wait for a printer to set up your advertising in the daily newspaper. Your advertising is built right into your web site. Furthermore, you need never renew your advertisement. So long as your website is growing and changing, the search engine will keep up with the changes.

Original Article by A. Lim