Tips for Safe Holiday Shopping Online and In Person
As excited as you are about holiday deals, there are plenty of scammers and identity thieves who are just as excited about stealing your money and financial information. So here are some tips to keep yourself safe.
Thanks to our friends at the Ellsworth Police Department for sharing these tips, provided to them by Maine Identity Services, LLC. Check out the list and keep it in mind as you map our your Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping plans.
- 1
Don't Use Your Debit Card
Your debit card is like an open invitation to hackers who want to access all your account information. And it's possible that not all the fraudulent charges will be covered, if you don't report the theft quick enough. So give your debit card the holiday off!
- 2
Use a Prepaid Credit Card
The reason for this is obvious; if a hacker steals the information from your card during an online purchase, they only have access to the amount loaded on the card. Plus, it can help you limit how much you spend!
- 3
Don't Leave Your Wallet in the Car
I had a friend, many years ago, who always used to leave her purse in her car. It drove me crazy, because I was afraid she'd lose her cash. But these days, it's much more dangerous, as hackers can get access to your credit cards, driver's license, and other information that could end up costing you a lot of money. Put your money and cards in your pocket. Don't leave it in the car where thieves could get their hands on it.
- 4
Don't Keep Your Social Security Card in Your Wallet
It's amazing the avenues those nine digits can open up to an identity thief. I mean, face it, there's not much you can do anymore without your social security number. But if a scammer gets it, they could open up credit card accounts, bank accounts, or any number of other ways to steal your money. Find another way to carry the number, maybe with a '1' at the beginning or end to make it look like a phone number.
- 5
Change Your Passwords
The experts advise using different passwords for all your accounts, so if hackers get into one of them, they don't have access to them all. This is especially important when doing your holiday shopping online. Change the passwords to your shopping sites before you start. And try to make them unique, so a scammer would have a tough time cracking the code.
- 6
Record Your Credit Card Information
Close your eyes right now and ask yourself if you know your credit card number. Do you? How about the expiration date? Or that three-digit number on the back of the card? Chances are, you don't. So write all that information down, along with the name of the card and the number to call in case it gets lost, BEFORE you shop. That way, if it does get stolen or you leave it behind at a store, you can call immediately and cancel the card. Time is money when someone else has your credit card!
- 7
Make Sure You're On the Correct Website
I get a lot of offers in my personal email from retailers for holiday deals. But at least one of those emails has Chinese letters in the name of the company that are not usually there. While that particular scammer has tipped their hand, that's not always the case. Make sure, before you buy, that you're on the actual site for the retailer.
Enjoy a Safe and Happy Holiday Shopping Season!