SmartMoney has a list of six scams every online shopper should watch out for, but which we like to think Consumerist readers already know about. Still, better safe than sorry:

1. Missing Auction Goods – Auction fraud represents over a third of Internet scam complaints every year. Your safest bet is to pay with plastic so you gain the protections of the Fair Credit Billing Act. When plastic’s not an option, setting up an account through PayPal or BillPay that connects to your credit card is the next best bet.

2. Free Stuff – You already know the drill—free Xbox 360! Right after you jump through these six customer acquisition hurdles and agree to these trial offers and sign up four friends. If there’s a free deal you feel you have to take advantage of, use a disposable secondary email account. Heck, that’s what Google and Yahoo! are there for.

3. Bogus Payments – We’ve covered check fraud here and also here. Don’t ever accept checks for larger than the amount, and make sure they clear before you proceed with the rest of the transaction.

The other three scams are Stealth Sign-Ups, Fake Sites, and Counterfeit and Gray-Market Goods—read the full article for details.

“Six Online Shopping Scams” [SmartMoney]

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