Renowned Fraud Expert Offer Simple Tips to Avoid Scams When Shopping Online

ATLANTA, Aug. 5, 2009 -- The car is for sale at a ridiculously low price because the owner, a soldier, is being shipped off to Iraq. The new computer must sell quickly because a widow needs the money to pay her rent. A shipping company with a recognized name will ship the item (any item) once payment is received. These are some of the most common online scams criminals use to separate consumers from their money. And the problem is only getting worse.

Online fraud is a serious and growing issue: the latest report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crimes Complaint Center found a 33 percent jump in online fraud complaints in 2008 from the previous year and those reported complaints totaled $265 million in lost or stolen money. Add in victims who do not report they've been scammed and you're looking at millions more.

AutoTrader.com, the largest automotive marketplace, recently surveyed consumers to gauge their worries about falling victim to Internet fraud. The study, conducted by Harris Interactive, finds that two out of three Americans (65%) worry about being scammed while shopping online, and nearly one in three (29%) has either already personally fallen victim to an online scam or know someone who has. Despite their worries, the survey also revealed that only one in eight people feel "very confident" that they know enough to protect themselves from online fraud.

AutoTrader.com is dedicated to providing its visitors with a safe environment for shopping for new, certified pre-owned and used cars and sharing information with consumers on how to safely shop online. The company has partnered with renowned fraud prevention expert Sid Kirchheimer to spread the word.

"The Internet has made shopping easier than ever, even for high-ticket items like homes or vehicles," he says. "But with this increased convenience comes a growing number of scams, and the greater need for people to learn what to look out for and how to protect themselves."

Kirchheimer offers the following online fraud awareness advice for consumers:

  --  Research the average prices for the cars, computers, furniture or
      whatever you are shopping for online.  If you see an item priced far
      below similar items, be suspicious.  Scammers use these dramatically
      lower prices on high-demand items to get shoppers excited and to lower
      their guard.
  --  Don't let a seller rush you.  Many criminals advertising items for
      sale online will insist a sale must happen quickly for one reason or
      another.  This is another ploy to get shoppers to lower their guard.
  --  Watch for Scammer Grammar.  In emails or web ads, frequent
      misspellings, misused words or other common language errors a person
      fluent in English would not likely make should be a red flag that an
      ad might be fraudulent.  And if a seller refuses to speak to you on
      the phone, that should also be a red flag.
  --  Never conduct online shopping from a public computer or even with your
      own computer in a location with Wi-Fi access.
  --  Don't click on "update your account" or other links or attachments
      provided in email messages. This is a popular method to get users to
      inadvertently download malware or input personal or financial
      information into bogus web sites that look just like sites from
      trusted companies or financial institutions.

  --  Avoid using words from the dictionary as passwords, even when
      duplicated or spelled backwards.  Come up with interesting and unique
      combinations for passwords that include symbols and numbers, as well
      as letters.

Kirchheimer is the author of Scam-Proof Your Life: 377 Smart Ways to Protect You & Your Family from Ripoffs, Bogus Deals & Other Consumer Headaches (AARP/Sterling) and "Scam Alert" columnist for the AARP Bulletin.

"AutoTrader.com understands how easily the average consumer can be duped into an online scam, and we want to make sure that we are providing tools they can use to protect themselves when looking for a car or any other items online," says Chip Perry, AutoTrader.com president and CEO. "By visiting www.autotrader.com/fraudtips, consumers can find out everything they need to know to protect themselves and their money when shopping online."

About AutoTrader.com

AutoTrader.com, created in 1997 and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is the Internet's leading auto classifieds marketplace and consumer information website. AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location about 3 million new cars, used cars and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of dealers and private owners and the site attracts about 14 million unique monthly visitors. Through innovative merchandising functionality such as multiple photos, videos, detailed descriptions and comprehensive research and compare tools, AutoTrader.com unites new and used car buyers and sellers online to improving the way people research, locate and advertise vehicles. AutoTrader.com is a majority-owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. The venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is also an investor. For more information, please visit www.autotrader.com.