Shopping Online: Tips for shopping online: It's safe, but consumers would do well to follow this advice 1

It's safe to shop online, but consumers would do well to follow these tips from Judith Collins, a Michigan State University expert on identity theft:

1. Update anti-virus and anti-spyware software. These will help protect consumers from hackers who try to capture consumers' personal information even as they type it into a Web site.

2. Place a password protection on credit card and bank accounts, including checking and savings accounts. This prevents unauthorized purchases from being sent to an address that is different from the credit card's billing address, as well as unauthorized transfers of money and withdrawals. Using a password, consumers still can call the credit card company to approve that merchandise be sent to a different address, such as with a gift purchase.

3. Use a low-limit credit card for online shopping. Even if credit card information is stolen, this minimizes the amount of damage a thief can inflict.

4. Maintain checking accounts separately from savings accounts. Linking a checking account to a savings account to cover potential overdrafts risks the loss of money from both if one is accessed.

5. Cancel any automatic withdrawal payments and instead have them billed to a credit card. Automatic withdrawals, while convenient, allow for too much access to consumers' money.