Internet commerce is no more prone to fraud than other types of payment mechanisms.
Know who you re dealing with. Look for a company s privacy policy or a link to their privacy statement when you visit their web site. Pay attention to what information they gather, how they use it, and who they share it with. Check if the site has an opt-out policy, which allows you to prevent further solicitation or sharing of personal information with third parties. Be familiar with the encryption level of your browser and what it means to your privacy.