Berres recommends setting up a secondary e-mail address to use for ordering items over the Internet. The secondary address is easy to establish by using a site such as Hotmail or Yahoo. When setting up a secondary e-mail address, you don't have to give a lot of personal information about yourself, Berres said. You don't even have to give your real name if you don't want to. A common ploy is to provide a pop-up coupon for a free meal if you respond to 10 ads, he said.
People fall for it.
Using the computer does not provide the user with anonymity. Even using secondary e-mail addresses with false names doesn't protect identity, he said. Law enforcement officials also investigate harassing messages sent using e-mail. The department can trace where the messages come from, Berres said. Using the Internet for communication and purchases is as safe as any other method, Berres said.