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Don't let concerns about security hold you back from shopping online. Although there is no such thing as a cast-iron guarantee that your financial identity won't be stolen - we hear with monotonous regularity about financial institutions whose staff take home notebooks containing all their clients' details and then leave them in the pub - this isn't unique to internet trading or making online payments. Your details are just as much at risk if you have given them in person or over the phone. It could be argued that making an online payment via a secure server involves less risk than handing over your credit card to a waiter in a restaurant.

Even safer are the many dedicated systems for making online payments where a buyer's financial details are not shared with the seller at all, but handled by an intermediary. To stay safe online, keep these points in mind:

Only deal with reputable suppliers, preferably ones you know or who have been recommended to you. If you wish to buy from an unknown supplier, at least make sure the company is VAT registered and that its site discloses a landline telephone number and street address.

Only shop on secure sites displaying a locked padlock security icon in the bottom right of the browser window and look for 'https' at the beginning of the checkout URL.

Double-click the security icon to check the security certificate, making sure the website identity on the certificate matches the URL in the address bar.

Print a copy of your order and keep safe any email notifications you receive about the purchase.

Never supply your PIN to any internet website, not even that of your bank.

Check your bank and credit card statements as soon as you receive them and if there are any suspicious transactions, report them at once.