‘Tis the season for gifts, meals and festivities - a time to enjoy the success you’ve earned over the past 12 months. Unfortunately, criminals also look forward to this time of year to take advantage of your generosity and good will in order to line their pockets, potentially steal your identity and ultimately start their New Year in a more prosperous manner.
Protect yourself, your assets and your family while making online purchases, doing in-person shopping and dining and even when at home with the following best practices:
Online Purchases
- Don’t use public Wi-Fi for online purchases. Use your cell connection on your device to prevent WiFi intrusions like packet sniffing. Or, consider a Virtual Private Network (VPN) any time you enter personal data, billing addresses and credit card information over Wi-Fi.
- Shop with known retailers. High-end and well-known retailers invest in more online purchasing security.
- Be leery of online coupons. Visit a seller’s website for their coupons/deals. Alternative “coupons” can be clickbait and phishing attempts.
- Use a single window browser. Once you’re done shopping, quit out of the browser fully.
- Make sure the merchant’s purchasing page includes a secure connection. Secure sites will begin with “https://” and feature the icon of a padlock or an unbroken key at the bottom right hand corner of the browser. Privacy seals including: BBBOnline, TRUSTe and VeriSign indicator the site has been certified for secure financial transactions.
- Use merchant-specific credit cards. If an issue arises, it’ll be easier to address with the merchant you are purchasing from directly versus a third party credit card company.
- Track purchases with your credit card report. Maintain receipts and records of your spending to mitigate fraudulent claims.
- Report fraud immediately. If you recognize disparities in your purchases vs. charges, or don’t recognize a charge, contact your credit card company immediately. When in doubt, cancel your credit card and request a new one be issued.
In-Person Shopping and Dining
- Pay in cash. Purchasing with cash prevents any person or organization from having access to your financial records and personal identity. The tradeoff is that carrying cash could add the exposure of theft. Carry only what you need when out shopping.
- Avoid using debit cards. Debit cards allow criminals direct access to your financial assets and bank account. When you use credit cards, you are dealing with an institution’s money. When you use debit cards, the money is yours.
At Home
- Be suspicious of unexpected calls/deliveries. At this time of year, delivery services are in a rush. They usually ring the doorbell and leave your package at the door. Be wary of deliveries that require or request to see you face-to-face. If it is a legitimate request from a delivery service, they will leave paperwork for you to sign.
- Don’t let packages collect outside your home. This is an invitation for nefarious individuals to help themselves to those items, or is a sure sign that you’re not home. Ask a trustworthy neighbor to collect your mail while you’re away.
- Be wary of phone calls for donations, or credit card cut offs. If you receive a call, don’t feel pressured to make an impulsive decision. Ask for their website to research them further, have them send you a brochure in the mail with a donation envelope.
Enjoy the Holiday Season
Safeguard your holiday season by not becoming a victim of holiday schemes and scams. Institute these best practices now and they’ll become a part of your regular, year-round shopping and solicitation habits. Happy Holidays!
Contact a HUB Advisor to learn more about how you can protect what matters most – through advocacy and tailored insurance solutions.