CPAs Offer Ten Consumer Tips for Safe Online Shopping.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 6, 1999--

A record number of consumers are going online this holiday season to let their mouse do their shopping. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) recommends that consumers follow 10 simple tips to make their cyber-shopping experiences fun and safe.

"As e-commerce reaches record levels this season," says Anthony Pugliese, Director of Assurance Services of the AICPA, "many consumers are searching for sites they can trust and looking for assurances of privacy protection and a quick way to resolve customer complaints."

The AICPA is offering these cyber-savvy shopping tips:

- Be cautious about giving personal information. Personal

information such as your Social Security number, bank account

numbers, and mother's name - which often is used to confirm

identity - should never be required to make purchases.

- Use a secure browser. Software that encrypts or scrambles the

purchase information you send over the Internet will guard the

security of your online transactions. Most computers today come

with a secure browser already installed. Look for a padlock

symbol or similar icon at the bottom of your browser screen, or

check with the software manufacturer.

- Make sure the vendor site is secure. Take a look at the

merchant's site address, referred to as the Uniform Resource

Locator or "URL." A secure URL page begins with the code "https"

rather than "http." In addition, check the security disclosures

of Web sites you visit, along with their privacy policies

regarding collecting and using your personal information. Some

disclosures are easier to find than others. Look at the bottom of

the company's home page, on order forms, or in the "About" or

"FAQs" section of a site. If you can't find these policies,

consider shopping elsewhere.

- Never give your password to anyone online. This warning includes

your Internet service provider. And, be original when you create

your password. The safest ones use unusual combinations of

numbers, and upper- and lower-case letters, in addition to

symbols.

- Look for the company's physical location. The name, address and

contact information for the company should always be given.

- Check refund and return policies. Both will give clear

indications of how strongly the company stands behind its

product. In addition, returning merchandise to an online vendor

may be more complicated than just revisiting a store. Before you

buy anything, know what will be required of you.

- Make sure shipping charges are clearly stated. By doing so, you

minimize the chances of being in for an unpleasant surprise.

- Keep records of your online transactions. Always print out a copy

of each purchase order with a confirmation number and file it.

This information could be useful if you need to contact the

business again.

- Check your monthly credit card statement as soon as it comes in.

Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, your financial liability is

limited to $50 if you report fraudulent use of your credit card

promptly. It's also a good idea to check your credit report once

a year to make sure that fraudulent accounts haven't been opened

in your name.

- Do not allow children to shop on the Internet without

supervision. Besides the havoc they could wreak on your finances,

children are particularly vulnerable when it comes to giving out

personal information. Therefore, it's wise to supervise all

Internet purchases.

- Check sites for assurance seals. You can feel safe dealing with

any merchant that displays the CPA WebTrust seal, provided by a

Certified Public Accountant. This seal assures online customers

that the businesses carrying it on their Web sites adhere to a

specifically designated set of criteria on business practices and

controls and have the ability to maintain privacy and security

for Internet transactions.

With WebTrust, CPAs and their international counterparts examine online businesses to determine if they are legitimate, their transactions are secure, the information they collect from customers is kept private, their business practices are fully disclosed to customers, and they have a mechanism to resolve customer complaints.

The first in a family of assurance services, CPA WebTrust is part of a global effort by the accounting profession to bring effective private-sector solutions to e-commerce. WebTrust is now being offered in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Australia. Negotiations are underway with other European and Asian countries.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is the ISO 9001 certified national professional organization of CPAs in the United States with more than 330,000 members in public practice, business and industry, government and education.

For more information about CPA WebTrust, please visit www.cpawebtrust.org.