More than 12 million US adults have shopped online at least once in the past year while on a work-related conference call, according to an Ipsos Insight study sponsored by Bill Me Later.

The study found that 1 million people had been caught shopping during a conference call.

Men shopped online during conference calls more often than women. Frequent "secret shoppers" were typically college-educated, between 35 and 54, and earned more than $50,000 a year.

Of those who admitted to shopping during a conference call, 23% had done so five or more times in the past year, and 12% had done so 10 or more times.

Ipsos Insight surveyed 1,000 US adults randomly by telephone.