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Attorney General Drew Edmondson today warned Oklahomans to protect their holiday shopping budgets from the "byte" of Internet fraud.

"Internet fraud is consistently the number one consumer complaint in Oklahoma," Edmondson said. "It seems that everyone is online, and that includes con artists."

With the holiday shopping season right around the corner, Edmondson is asking Oklahomans to protect their bank accounts and their identities from the nameless, faceless crooks who prowl cyberspace.

"'Cyber Monday,' as the Monday after Thanksgiving is called, gets lots of attention, but the threat of financial fraud and identity theft are there all year," Edmondson said. "Don't let the lure of saving a few dollars overwhelm your common sense."

The attorney general offered the following tips for online shoppers:

- Only do business with reputable companies.
- Confirm the online seller's physical address and phone number so you can contact them if you have problems.
- Check the company's privacy policy.
- Use a secure browser. Look for an unbroken key or padlock at the bottom of your browser window. The web site address should also start with https: instead of the typical http:.
- Make all Internet purchases using one credit card, and save or print all receipts and confirmations.
- Make sure you understand the company's return policy.

Today's alert is the final in a three-part consumer protection series called "Fraud Doesn't Take a Holiday." The campaign is designed to educate Oklahomans about common holiday scams and crimes and provide consumers with basic fraud-prevention tips.

Anyone with information regarding suspected fraud or scams can contact the attorney general's consumer protection hotline at (405) 521-2029. Edmondson's Consumer Protection Unit has statewide jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute violations of the state's Consumer Protection Act.