The busiest online shopping day of the year, cyber Monday, is almost upon us.

Many people are taking advantage of buying their holiday gifts online now instead of fighting the crowds at the local malls or big box stores.

Trooper Joey Watson, safety education and public information office with ISP District 13 in Du Quoin, says if you are going to shop online, make sure you use reputable websites.

Watson says you should also check with your credit card company to make sure they have a guarantee that will protect you if something goes wrong while shopping online. He says some websites like Amazon and eBay also have remedies to help you in case a problem arises.