Don’t become the gift that keeps on giving
Image courtesy of Overstock.com
It’s Cyber Monday! Probably the second (if not first) greatest shopping day of the year. But with online specials, comes special online shopping problems. Here’s a quick list to protect yourself on Cyber Monday (or any day you shop online).
Use a credit card instead of debit card
Credit cards offer more consumer protections than debit cards, and the money doesn't come straight out of your checking account.
Watch out for Phishing Scams
Stay away from any online promotions via email, text or social media. It's always safer to enter the URL of a store yourself than to click on a link or attachment.
Beware of ‘clone’ websites or use an app instead
Look for "HTTPS" at the beginning of an official retailer's URL. Or better yet, use the retailers official app on your phone.
Don’t use the public wi-fI
Free wi-fi seems great until you’re giving away your account numbers for free. Hackers use it to intercept your internet communications so it’s never a good idea to connect to the public wi-fi. Use your personal wi-fi hotspot or the network connection on your smartphone instead.
Secure your mobile device
Make sure you have the most up-to-date anti-virus software and that you are using a PIN to lock your phone. In addition, use long and strong passwords that don't repeat across accounts.
Check your credit
Check your accounts regularly for any suspicious activity or unauthorized charges and set up notifications, through your bank or a banking app, which will track your credit card transactions and alert you of account activity.
DID YOU KNOW?
Shoppers are expected to spend a record $7.8 billion this Cyber Monday, up over 17 percent from last year. At the same time, attacks against consumers spike during the busy online shopping holiday, according to OpenVPN, a provider of networking and software technologies.
*Original article sourced from CNBC