One of dozens of independent delivery contractors for FedEx in the Phoenix market, Goosic wanted to create a means of information exchange between contractors. We ve found that communication between us has been to our advantage, and that s why we re starting the Web page, he says. Although more than half of online households now feel safe using credit cards on the Web up from just 15 percent in 1998, according to studies by Forrester Research Inc. lingering suspicions about safety and privacy remain. But you shouldn t let those worries prevent you from enjoying all the Web has to offer, any more than you d avoid leaving the house for fear of real-world crime. Online as well as off, he advises, use common sense and take a few simple precautions to protect yourself.
Most sites are perfectly legitimate.
There are some fraudulent businesses out there, some scams, so you need to be wary, but the overall majority of your shopping experiences are going to be positive, he says. The No.1 means of perpetrating Internet scams is through e-mail, Janal advises so don t respond when you receive messages promising things that sound too good to be true. Just hit the delete key. Don t use a debit card, which in the wrong hands amounts to a blank check. When asked to provide information online, protect your privacy, but consider who s asking the questions and why.