Happy Cyber Monday!
Can you believe it is almost time for holiday shopping again? The season seems to come earlier and earlier every year – partially due to department stores chomping at the bit to get the music playing and the decorations hung – with the exception of Nordstrom’s, which promises to hold out this year until the day after Thanksgiving before filling its aisles with Christmas trees and Santa Clauses.
Getting your shopping done early can save you a lot of time and aggravation, especially if you do it online – unless, of course, you become a victim of identity theft. Use caution when shopping and you should be able to keep yourself safe. Here are some rules to follow when shopping online:
How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft Online
* Seek out reputable sites. There are fake ones out there – unfortunately – and there are a lot of them. What better way to get your address and credit card information than to sell you a fake product? Look out for nontraditional URLs, especially ones based in other countries, which can’t be regulated by the Federal Trade Commission. Also, watch for unsecure sites (no https or lock icon), ones flagged by your antivirus software, ones with bad reviews from the Better Business Bureau, and ones that are chock full of pay per click or pop-up ads. Not a pro at telling real from fake? Stick to the old standbys, like Amazon.com, which you can use to buy practically anything.
* Don’t fall prey to phishing. Make sure you are on the real site and not a fake one. Don’t fall for those phoney emails that send you to a fake site.
* Don’t give away your Social Security number. While you will need it to open a bank account or get a job, you should not need it to make a purchase. If a site asks you for it, just browse on by. If you are purchasing something that requires it – like perhaps a stock certificate or a savings bond – it’s best to do so in person so you know who you are working with.
* Shop on a secured network. While it may be convenient to make your holiday purchases while sipping a latte at Starbucks, you will pay a price for the ambiance. Places like coffee shops and libraries may operate on unsecured wireless networks, which means any hacker with a small bit of technical knowledge can access the information sent through it. Instead, hit the drive through and enjoy the coffee and shopping from the comfort of your password protected home or office machine.
* Make sure your internet security and virus protection is working properly and up-to-date.
* Keep your passwords safe and secure and ensure they are strong passwords. See this post for more password safety tips.
So go ahead, find some deals on Amazon.com and get a head start on your holiday shopping…. but do so safely by following the above tips. Online shopping is a safe activity for people when they are careful, use a bit of caution and a lot of common sense.
Stay Safe and Happy Holidays!