As the holidays approach, many of us will be scouring the Internet looking for the latest deals. But no discount is worth becoming the victim of identity theft. Stay alert, both at work and at home, and use these tips to help keep your personal information safe while you shop.
- Shop from reputable retailers on secure sites. URLs should start with https. Look for a trust seal (or lock symbol) next to the URL with the words “secure” or “verified.”
- Beware of too-good-to-be-true deals.Criminals list door-buster deals on marketplace sites trying to trick shoppers into giving up financial information. Never click on links from suspicious or unknown “retailers.”
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi.While encryption has improved safety drastically in recent years, some municipal and corporate Wi-Fi networks are open (meaning you don’t need a password to access them), leaving them vulnerable to hackers. Use your mobile data plan in public to stay safe.
- Watch out for shoulder surfers who may grab your private information. Cybercriminals don’t just exist online. They can also get your passwords and other private data by looking over your shoulder. Whenever you input a PIN, password or credit card number, look around to make sure no one is lurking and use your body to hide your activity.
