Classified advertising online has experienced a steadily growing pace during the past decade. While millions of people have bought and sold items, bartered goods and services, and even made pet adoptions, taking precautionary measures when using online services is still a good practice. Just as you would look both ways before crossing a busy intersection, applying basic steps to assure the party you’re dealing with is legitimate, should not be discounted when using classified advertising websites.

Just when the flu “formerly known as swine” was losing its headline luster for being too mild and ordinary a bug, the first global influenza pandemic in 41 years was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO). On June 11, 2009 the WHO raised the pandemic warning to level 6, the highest possible alert.