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Holiday Shopping Safety

Jackie here. The holiday shopping season is here. How are keeping yourself safe from ID theft? Here are some essential tips for safe holiday shopping.

Check Your Statements More Often– As you start making more holiday purchases, it can be more difficult to spot credit card fraud. During the holiday season, pay extra attention to your banking and credit accounts. Look for suspicious purchases, including low dollar purchases. Many thieves make smaller purchases because they are less likely to be noticed, but will still add up over time. You may want to use one card for all holiday shopping to simplify the verification process.

Shop at the Right Site– Look alike websites are a problem this year. Before you shop, make sure you’re using a legitimate and secure site. Don’t follow links embedded in emails and navigate to the site on your own.

Use Credit, Not Debit– Card cards offer richer fraud protections than debit and are a safer choice for your holiday shopping. Debit cards also pull directly from your bank account. If your account is compromised, you could end up with an empty account while you wait for the issue to be resolved.

Don’t Use Public Wi-Fi– When it comes to online shopping, public Wi-Fi is a no-no. Wait until you have access to a secure connection, like your home network or a data plan. Your payment information is at risk when transmitted over a public connection.

Watch for Skimmers– Skimmers are a common problem during the holiday season. If a payment terminal looks tampered with, use a different one.

Protect Yourself– Thieves use the hustle of the busy holiday season to steak phones and wallets. Be on the lookout for thieves. Don’t set valuable items down or leave them unattended. Keep your cards on you at all times (consider taking only one card when you holiday shop in case your wallet is stolen). Be careful with your phone. Cards have theft protections, cash doesn’t. The holiday season is also the season of theft.

For more great tips, check out this article from U.S. News. How do you protect yourself when holiday shopping?

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