The person on the other end of the phone during a conference call may be doing more than checking their e-mails. They may be shopping online for an HDTV or a trip to Las Vegas. A Bill Me Later/Ipsos Insight survey revealed that more than 12 million Americans admitted to shopping online while on work-related conference calls.

Other survey findings include: Approximately 12 million Americans admit to shopping online during a conference call at least once in the past year; Approximately one million people admit to being caught while shopping during a conference call; Reactions of those caught ranged from embarrassment to discussing the items they were purchasing and asking for second opinions; Of the respondents who confessed, men shop online during conference calls more frequently than women.

Additionally, more frequent shoppers are college-educated, age 35-54, and earn more than $50,000/year. Of those people who admit to shopping while on conference calls, 23 percent admitted that they had done so five or more times in the past year, and 12 percent admitted that they had done so 10 or more times in the past year.

The survey, conducted by Ipsos Insight and Bill Me Later was a scientific, random sample telephone survey of 1,000 Americans ages 18 and older, and has a margin of error of +/- three percent.

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