Attorney General Robert McDonnell has released a list of shopping tips to Virginia consumers when it comes to online shopping.

In addition to knowing who you are dealing with, you should also know what to look for to ensure a site is safe.

Tom Dickinson, also known as the PC Doc from the Computer Medical Center in Front Royal, knows the rules of the E-Commerce game well.
"Is online shopping safe? Yes it is. You wouldn't necessarily use your credit card for someone who is selling pencils on a street corner but yet you go to Food Lion, K-mart, Wal-mart you use your credit card all the time because you feel safe and secure. They are a company you know you can deal with. If you don't know the company and they don't have a secure site, don't deal with them."

Secure sites will feature lock type icons either in the bottom right of your browser or near the web address.

There will also be an "s" next to the h-t-t-p portion of the address.

Unsecure sites may not end in ".com, they could end in the abbreviation for a foreign country and their web addresses are usually long and jumbled.

Phishing is the act of creating a fake website that "looks" reputable with no intention of selling a product but rather to steal your money and information.