5 Minutes Online

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) – A 12 On Your Side scam alert: Be careful when shopping online. Scammers have targeted a new company and are working to rip people off. A local mother called 12, to warn others, after she received a suspicious e-mail, phishing for information.

Last winter, I spent a good hour shopping online for the perfect black leather boots. I used tabbed browsing to open at least 25 Web pages, comparing each pair’s cost, heel height, zipper, leather and toe style.

The latest survey on online shopping habits by MasterCard Worldwide revealed that online shoppers shopped more frequently and spent more money shopping online in 4Q 2008 than in the prior year.