During the holidays, online shopping increases in order to avoid all the crazies running around the mall frantically trying to get their christmas shopping done. This time of year also calls for an increase in fraudulent efforts as well. Therefore there is a need for the most security when online shopping. To avoid fraud, here are a few things you can do to keep your finances safe.
Create A Strong Password For Every Account
When creating a password for a site make sure it includes capital letters, lowercase letters, numbers and special characters. This is what determines whether your password is strong or not. Do not use the same password everywhere either, therefore if your password for one site is taken, they won’t have your password to all your other accounts. Keep them written in a notebook and kept in a secure location.
Install Anti-Virus Protection On Your Computer and Phone
Having anti-virus and malware protection on your technology is essential in this day and age. Make sure you stick to reputable companies or you may be sucked into an anti-virus app created by scammers.
Avoid Public Computers for Online Shopping
This seems like an obvious suggestion because you never know who has been on that public computer. A person that has previously used it could have installed a program that logs keystrokes and transmits your log-in information, allowing them to take your account information. It is strongly suggested that you don’t online shop on a public computer.
Set Up VPN of you use public WiFi
Connecting to public wifi increases your risk of identity theft. In order to reduce our risk, install a VPN to encrypt data sent over a public system.
Shop At Reputable Online Stores
It is important to exercise caution when you are online shopping, therefore do your research on the specific sites you want to shop at to make sure that the website it legitimate and has a history of happy and satisfied customers.
Always Use A Credit Over Debit
Credit card use is the better option over debit card use because charges that are made fraudulently don’t come out of your pocket. If a thief gets a hold of your debit card information they can wipe out your entire checking account.
