How to shop safely online

Savvy online shoppers know they can get great deals on their holiday items without having to brave the Black Friday crowds.Cyber Monday will be packed with discounted products from many tech companies and shopping sites, giving savvy shoppers an opportunity to save big while skipping the Black Friday chaos.But before you let your keyboard doing the shopping this season, peruse this list of tips for safe online shopping.One reader who commented on a post I wrote on this topic a few years back recommended using temporary credit card numbers. Unfortunately, not all credit card issuers offer this service: according to the Credit.com site, American Express and Capital One do not issue temporary numbers.Even without a way to hide the true account number, credit cards remain the safest way to shop online because the Electronic Funds Transfer Act limits your liability to $50--and perhaps $0, depending on your bank--but only if you report fraudulent charges within two days of discovering them. For more fraud-prevention tips, see my post from last May entitled "How to avoid sharing personal information online."