9 Ways to Protect Personal Information from Scammers during Holiday Shopping
With the start of the holiday shopping season, scammers are becoming more aggressive. According to the Federal Trade Commission, consumers said they lost more than 1,48 billion in fraud last year, an increase of 38% from the year 2017. Writes about this Dayton Daily News.
When the holiday season comes, crooks know: people are always in a hurry and spend a lot of money. Therefore, all sorts of thieves tirelessly cash in on the Americans. How to protect yourself during the holiday shopping?
1. Use credit cards instead of debit
If fraudsters steal debit card information, they may empty the bank account. But when a credit card is hacked, lenders are more likely to return the money to the consumer.
“Credit card companies will not insure your purchase if you use a debit card, so rule number one is to always use a credit card. Considering this is a holiday season, try using only a credit card for purchases, or even better, a separate card with a lower balance, said Sean Waldman, founder and CEO of Secure Cyber Defense. “This is the time of year when you have to be very careful with your cards and make sure that no fraudulent activities are associated with them.”
2. Check for broken or loose items at the terminals
Broken and loose parts at a terminal or ATM can sometimes indicate that information is being transmitted to fraudsters. ATMs are best used in well-lit and vibrant locations. Bureau President John North believes that those ATMs and terminals located in dark and remote places are more likely to be hacked.
3. Use unique passwords for all accounts
Using the same passwords for all sites and accounts that contain sensitive information will help you gain access to many when hacking one account, said Dave Salisbury, professor of cybersecurity at Dayton University.
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When hacking accounts, hackers often try to use a combination of username and password on other sites. Salisbury recommends using the lyrics of your favorite songs as passwords, replacing “a” with @ or “i” with 1.
4. Check the presence of “s” on the addresses of the “https” websites and the blocking sign before entering information on the websites
Never provide any information through a website that does not contain the letters “https” in the address bar, as well as the lock symbol, said Natalie Dunlevi, president of National Processing Solutions. Sites without these elements are not secure.
5. Do not take part in online quizzes / games that ask for personal information
The tests themselves can be a fraudulent trick by which cybercriminals want to find answers to your secret questions, Salisbury said.
6. Freeze your credit
Although frozen credit can be a problem when buying a home or getting a new credit card, this is one of the most reliable ways. protect your funds from hacking.
7. Check your email
Many experts advise checking your mail for suspicious emails. Buyers should check the links and make sure they go to a legit website. To do this, before clicking, you need to move the mouse cursor over the URL and make sure that the sender address is the address of the real company. You should also check for grammatical errors and typos, which are sometimes signs of fraud.
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8. Beware of urgent calls
An emergency in calls often signals fraud. Often criminals try to convince consumers that something bad will happen if they do not take immediate action. At the same time, they require you to provide personal or financial information, Salisbury said.
9. Check Gift Cards
Gift cards are best bought directly from the seller or at the checkout, and not at the kiosk in the aisles of the store.
“Is there a slight scratch on the map?” You must make sure that it is not damaged. Otherwise, it is quite possible that the scammers have gained access to your money, ”said Dunlevi.
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