Guidelines about how to keep your personal information safe when shopping online have been issued by the Office of Fair Trading.
They include; checking the security, and legitimacy of any websites - making sure there is a closed padlock in the browser frame and that the web address appears as an 'https' one, meaning there's a secure connection using encryption.
There's also information on the different levels of protection you get when using debit cards, credit cards or PayPal.
And there's a reminder to be wary of unsolicited emails claiming to be from retailers or companies, even if they are ones known to you.
For more information or advice you can call the OFT on 686500.