The holiday shopping season is prime time for shoppers, for retail sellers — and for online scammers, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office, which has released a list of tips to avoid becoming a victim.

Here are some ways to avoid having your money or your identity stolen while shopping or selling online:

• When ordering an item online with a credit or debit card, make sure the website is marked as “https” rather than just “http.” The “s” at the end means it is a secure website, making it safer for you to input your credit or debit card information.

• If you are selling an item online, DO NOT accept a check for an item for more than the asking price. It is probably a scam. These people will often request that you send money back to them for the amount over your asking price. The check that you received from them is probably fraudulent and will bounce. And any money you send back will be lost.

• Do not ship any items or refund any overpayments until the check you receive has cleared your bank.

• Never wire-transfer money in order to make a purchase online. You may never receive the purchased item, and there will probably be no way to recover your money.