In this instance, the customers were not at fault, and could do little to have prevented this; the ultimate solution would be to not use your credit card online at all, but that would definitely be too drastic and impractical given the overall convenience of making online purchases.

Here are a few online shopping tips help ensure that your e-commerce experience is a safe one:

1. Use a secure Internet browser - Your browser should comply with, and support industry security standards and protocols, such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).  SSL encrypts your credit card and purchase information, helping to secure your transaction.  Many older browsers are not safe in this regard, so ensure that you have the most recent version of your favourite browser software before you proceed.

2. Shop at secure websites -Secure websites also comply with and support industry security standards and protocols such as SSL.  How can you tell if a website is secure?  Once you're on a webpage on which you're entering sensitive information such as your credit card number, a couple ways to check are: (i) Look at the top of your browser where the website address is usually displayed.  The site URL should begin with 'https://' instead of the standard 'http://' (ii) Look for a closed padlock image (usually yellow in colour) displayed at the bottom of the browser window.

3. Shop at websites that you know have researched or which are highly recommended by previous users - It is very easy to be anonymous on the Internet, and just about anyone can set up an e-commerce store; thus, do your homework before you purchase from an unfamiliar website.  A good place to start is by doing a search for the website or company name at Google.Com.

4. Keep records - Keep a printed record of your order(s) and check your credit card statement to ensure that they match back.

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

http://www.appletonvxip.com - Appleton V/X's newly launched website offers an 'interesting' take on a night in the life of a 'V/XIP'.

PODCASTING?

Podcasting is a term derived from the name of Apple's popular digital audio music device, the iPod, and is basically a method of publishing or broadcasting audio files online.  Almost any digital audio player (including the iPod) or computer with the appropriate software can download and play a podcast.  Some have described podcasting as online 'radio on demand', as many individuals have sought to use this technology to create what can be technically be described as their own radio show.  Of course, whether or not you have an audience will depend on how popular you are.  Http://www.caribbeanfreeradio.com describes itself as the Caribbean's first podcast.

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