BLOOMINGTON - Shopping from home avoids traffic, crowds and fights over rare merchandise, but it still comes with risks for those new to buying online.

Technology to protect Web-based shoppers continues to evolve, but that doesn't stop identity thieves from trying to trick the unwary.

"You just have to be very cautious, especially this time of year," McLean County Sheriff Mike Emery said.

Experts say there are some simple steps people can take to safeguard personal information, and one of the most important is keeping a healthy amount of skepticism.

Douglas Twitchell, assistant professor of information technology at Illinois State University, said people shopping online should try to use sites for companies they are familiar with.

A small lock symbol, which can be in the line for the URL or in the lower right-hand corner of a browser, will show communications on the site can't be intercepted by an outside party, he said.

Bloomington Police Detective Mike Fazio said a URL that starts with "https" is another sign the site is secure and the communication is encrypted.

Some sites offer to store credit card information, an option Twitchell suggested people decline. He said security of that service could later become compromised.

Fazio suggested people use credit cards with low spending limits for online purchases in case their information is stolen.

Fazio also said people should never respond to solicitations online. He said that if people want to go to a company or bank's site, they need to find it on their own, rather than using links found in e-mails.

"A link can take you anywhere but where you want to be," Fazio said.

Twitchell said criminals continue using "phishing" scams, sending people e-mails with links to look-alike sites where they ask for personal information. When people enter their user name, password or account numbers, that information goes to the criminal, not the person's bank or vendor, he said.

Emery said even he receives e-mails from people pretending to be from his bank, and the messages warn that his bank account will suffer some harm if he doesn't respond immediately.

Fazio said he doesn't know how common identity theft is in the area. But he said people wouldn't continue sending spam and scam e-mails if it wasn't profitable.

"A lot of that stuff never gets reported to us because people get embarrassed," Fazio said.

In general, Twitchell also said people should be suspicious of e-mails from unknown people or even strange e-mails from people they know.

Twitchell said attachments to e-mails can contain malicious software that allows hackers to use large groups of computers to launch combined attacks or send out spam or scam-related e-mails. He said it is important that people have up-to-date antivirus software, and he recommended software from Symantec, McAfee or Kaspersky.

Those companies also produce personal firewall software, and a firewall is included in Windows XP Service Pack 2, Twitchell said.

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Safety tips

When shopping online:

- Don't enter credit card information unless you see a lock symbol somewhere on the browser.

- Use a credit card instead of a debit card.

- Print off proof of your purchase, and write down the time and date if those are not shown.

- Check out a company before ordering.

- If using an online auction site, check out feedback about the seller.

When shopping at stores:

- Be alert.

- Keep purses closed and don't carry purses that gape open.

- Keep wallets in inside coat or front pants pockets.

- Don't carry or display large amounts of cash.

- Guard credit cards from people who could see and record the numbers.

- Don't carry too many packages so you can respond to a threat or quickly reach a purse or wallet.

- Park in a well-lighted area.

- Lock your vehicle.

- Don't leave packages in plain sight.

- Shop with others.