A new online tool aims to help consumers avoid online rip-offs and to know which sites they can trust when shopping on the internet.
The 'Howard' web tool, developed by the European Commission, will allow online shopper to check if a particular web trader can be trusted.
"Dodgy web traders had better watch out," said Martin Territt, director of the European Commission Representation in Ireland.
"The European Commission is determined to protect consumers from rip-offs and to build confidence in on-line trading and 'Howard' will help to do this."
Howard can gather information on an individual website, including when and where the site was registered, whether it has 'trusted site' accreditation and official company registration held about the site.
Howard also gives consumers advice about their rights when shopping online in Europe.
The European Consumer Centre (ECC) network was set up by the European Commission to provide free information on consumer rights and to assist in cross-border disputes.
"Online shopping knows no borders or frontiers so the ECC is ideally placed to protect European consumers from rogue traders on the net," the ECC said in a statement.
Further information about the ECC in Ireland and consumer rights in the EU is available at http://www.eccdublin.ie/