How to Avoid Identity Theft This Holiday
Most of the people that fall victim to identify theft during the holiday season are also guilty of being too relaxed when it comes to protecting their personal and financial information.
Did you know that more than 20% of online shoppers would provide their mother’s maiden name to complete a purchase? And many others also give out personal information such as birthdays, pet names, and even their social insurance number. This is information you should never give out when shopping online.
So for this holiday season be on the lookout for the following:
Online Scams
- Fake websites offering deals that are too good to be true
- Digital greeting cards with malware built in
- Fake shipping notifications
- Fake flyers and online ads
- Fraudulent emails from your bank or credit card
In-Store Identify Theft
- Be on the lookout for suspicious individuals
- Secure your vehicle and don’t leave any valuables inside that are visible. If you must leave any valuables in your car, be sure to place them in the trunk
- Keep your wallet on you at all times and don’t leave any credit cards in pockets that can be easily accessed
- Only take out your phone when needed
Tips to Avoid Identity Theft This Holiday Season
Whether you are doing your holiday shopping online or at the mall, the following tips will help you protect your identity and reduce the odds of you being a victim of identity theft.
- Change your password – Right Now! And change it again in a few weeks
- Create complicated passwords. The name of your dog or your phone number is not secure. A password like “ad@3gtd25Q” is much more secure.
- Review your bank and credit card statements in detail. Account for all charges and report unauthorized charges immediately.
- Only make online purchases from reputable websites that use secured checkout.
- Don’t trust public Wi-Fi and complete financial transaction or send sensitive information over public networks.
- Make sure your computer security software is up to date and working properly.
- Avoid making purchases at suspicious stores online or offline.
- Carry your wallet with you at all times when shopping. Don’t leave it in the car!
These tips will help you become less of a target, and give you one less thing to worry about this holiday season.