When you think of holiday shopping do you think of dangers? No, you’re probably thinking of deals! If you’re like me you want to find the good deals and save time and energy, right??
Shopping Online offers just those things. In fact consumers are expected to do so much of their holiday shopping online that companies like UPS and FedEx are projecting increases of holiday deliveries of at least 10% (Plus there was a 10% increase last year and the year before!). Which means, they are hiring record numbers of seasonal employees to see to it that you get your shipments in a timely manner that’s good news! Who isn’t shopping with Amazon and such these days!!
So what’s the danger? The shipping companies are not the only ones who are aware of this shopping influx, unfortunately the hackers are also planning for the increase in online orders and the chance to get at your money and your identity!
So what can you do about it? Fortunately, there are some precautions you can take to protect your money and your identity. Check out these tips we found:
1. Protect your credit card information by using a digital wallet while shopping in stores so that a skimmer or other device cannot steal your information.
2. Use prepaid credit cards when shopping online. These cards are not linked to your bank account or credit history so they can stop thieves from accessing that information.
3. Do not click on that URL link that arrives in your Inbox. Instead type the direct URL for that store in your browser or call the nearby location to verify that the smoking hot deal for that TV or must have item is real and not a spoof that a criminal made up to look like a real offer.
4. Keep your online history private by being creative. You know that using the same password for all of your online account is a bad idea, well using the same user name can also be a bad idea. Be creative instead.
5. Read the privacy statement. You might be saying, “But they all say the same thing, why bother? If I want to shop on this site, I have to agree to the Privacy Statement.” That is so true. The problem is, sometimes you sign away your right to privacy and allow the retailers to sell your information because you didn’t read the Privacy Statement. If you don’t want them to sell your information, find a different site for those big deals and great savings.
By following these five tips, you can take the danger out of your holiday shopping this year. Good luck finding those super great deals for your family.
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