But it may take some hunting and searching this year to find the ones that are actual deals not pick pocket scams. Times are tough and the scams are on the rise.
The deals are starting to show up online now and as we have in the past, we are searching them out for you - but we still want you to be safe while shopping on the net!
First things first.
Keep your personal information and vital records safe. Keep your wits and watch your step. If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is not true.
Here are a few simple things to keep in mind while shopping and scanning the Internet for those Cyber Deals.
(If you already feel you have a good handle on internet security go ahead and skip this post!)
Watch out for phishing. These cyber bad guys will be attempting to gain access to your accounts using several of there better scams during this Holiday season. The con-artists will be baiting and attempting to set there hooks by using spoof web sites. Be Careful. There are many spoof websites that have been active for some time. With our economy in the turmoil that it is we should expect that there will be even more as we move forward and get deeper into the Holiday season. For example we all know google.com but there is also a squat site called agoogle.com and also googlee.com (schemers like to use incorrect spellings for websites - the site will look the same as the real site) If you find one of these phising sites report it. The US Government takes these types of crime very seriously. You can report this type of site by clicking here.
Make sure you recognise the address that is in your browser, but Do Not rely only on the text in the address bar as an indication that you are at the site you think you are. There are several ways to get the address bar in a browser to display something other than the site you are on.
If it is a transaction site, bank account or credit card site, log in or account site of some type - Before you submit any personal information, ensure that you are indeed on the Web site you intend to be on.
Secure site lock icon. If the lock is closed, then the site uses encryption. Double-click the lock icon to display the security certificate for the site. This certificate is proof of the identity for the site. When you check the certificate, the name following Issued to should match the site that you think you are on. If the name differs, you may be on a spoofed site.
A secure Website uses the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol to securely transmit information on the Internet. SSL creates a secure channel between your computer and the Web site's server. The SSL setting in your Web browsers is turned on by default. This means that you do not need to turn it on.
The easiest way to identify a secure website is by the Web address in the URL (Uniform Resource Locator). If the Web address begins with https://, then you're in a secure site. If the address begins with http:// (without the "s"), then you are in a non-secure Website. Also, your browser displays a padlock icon to indicate you are in a secure site. Usually, this icon is displayed near the bottom of the browser window.
There are some devious minded folks in the cyber world. They are after your credit card numbers, your bank account information and what ever other information they can dupe you into giving them.
The Cyber crooks will be casting lines into more than just spoof websites this year. There will be a large increase in the old fashioned bank account e-mails and the shopping spree con e-mails. Do not let these e-mails fool you into giving up your information.
Be cautious about clicking links in e-mail messages or in ads from retailers you don't recognize or trust.
If you have any doubt about a link, do not click it.
Instead, type the Web site address directly into the address bar of your Web browser, or try to confirm that the link is legitimate. Remember, if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
The best way to deal with this type of problem is to have a good defense in place to handle it. Good antivirus software includes anti phishing and anti mal ware into one package. If you do not have anti virus software installed on your pc currently - this is probably not the time to go online shopping for cyber deals because you may get much more than you are looking for. If you are looking for Anti Virus and Anti Spyware software I would recommend the following:
Computer and all your information protected?
GOOD!
Now lets move on to the Holiday 2009 Deals!
