As a final step before purchasing from a new trading partner, if the company is in the United States, check the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) site for complaints against the company. The FTC has lists of complaints filed against internet companies. They show letters sent to the company, tell if the case went to court, explain how the case was resolved, including any fines levied against the company. In some cases, companies committing internet fraud are shut down by the FTC. The FTC has a complaint area on their site, for online complaint submission.