Watch Where You Shop Online

Ryan McVay/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- As online shopping continues to gain popularity, so do the chances of getting hacked or scammed.  That's why consumers need to be careful where and how they shop.

When shopping online, consumers are advised to stay with a name they know and can trust.

"You shouldn't trust a search engine to pull up a trustworthy site," says Cameron Huddleston with Kiplinger.com.  "Scammers, criminals will seed these search engines with fraudulent sites."

Those fradulent sites could then steal your personal information.

"If your credit card information is compromised, then you could become a victim of identity theft," he says.

And if you use eBay, craigslist or a similar site, beware of wiring money.

"If a seller is asking you to wire money, the alarms should go off," says Huddleston.

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