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Be Safe Online is the message that's being broadcast for National e-Consumer Week, which runs from 20 September until 24 September.

Promoted by the Trading Standards Institute, online shoppers are being advised to be cautious of fake sites and fake products, through a series of events, competitions and information stands at schools, libraries and shopping centres up and down the country.

There are several things you can do to avoid situations online where your financial details could fall into the wrong hands:

• choose your shopping sites carefully
• help yourself - think price, place and packaging. Where and how are the goods being sold?
• ensure the site is secure - usually sites that have https in front of the web address indicates that the company has been independently checked; also, look out for a padlock symbol (it's a good way to check whether or not a website is secure)
• contact the authorities if you spot something suspicious
• keep a copy of your order, details of the website and acknowledgements

For further advice on how to shop safely over the internet, visit the Home and community section on Directgov (see link below).

More on Directgov

• How to avoid online fraud (home and community section)

Further information

• National e-Consumer Week Opens new window