Tips For Avoiding Identity Theft This Holiday Season
With the holiday and gift-giving season here, it’s a good time to be thinking about security threats and scams that can ruin all the holiday cheer.
Online shopping offers both the convenience and comfort of shopping from home, which is why every year more and more consumers are doing their shopping online, but that also means more shoppers are at risk for online identity theft.
According to a recent study by Experian, forty-three percent of shoppers who have had their identity stolen say that it occurred while online shopping during the holidays.
So, we are rounding up a few ways to keep your personal information safe and secure this holiday season.
Be cautious with emails: Everyone loves a good deal, so while browsing through your inbox be cautious of any emails you receive that boast coupons or promotions from unfamiliar senders, as they could be phishing emails. Not only do these emails try to get you to enter in personal information, they can also download a virus onto your device. The best practice here is check the sender address and when in doubt do not open the email and just delete it.
Be aware of gift card scams: While a lot of criminals are out to get your credit card and personal info, be just as cautious of where you put your gift card information, as that is just as good as money. Avoid sites that only allow you to use gift cards as payments.
Pay attention to websites: Just like emails can be disguised as legit, so can websites. Most of us browse several websites looking for the best prices for wish-list items. Keep an eye out for ‘outdated’ looking sites and sites that have more than one window that pops up when you go to the website. A legitimate website should have a padlock icon on the left side of the search bar and / or it will say HTTPS.
Don’t shop on unsecure networks and devices: When entering in personal info and shopping online, be sure you are using the proper firewalls to keep your information secure. Avoid all public computers and any public WiFi networks. A good added safeguard is to change your passwords every couple of months.
Monitor your card statements: Paying with your credit card and PayPal is a great idea, because they add another level of consumer protection to help you avoid fraud, but it is always best to closely monitor your paper or online statements to make sure only purchases you have made are appearing.
At Extract, we know that sensitive information resides in many different forms, That’s why we’ve worked with 400 state and local governments to redact sensitive information on documents like court filings and land. So this holiday season we encourage you to be safe and think twice before entering in any personal information online so you don’t fall victim to a not so jolly situation. If you’d like to learn more about how we do this, please reach out today.
