Preventing Identity Theft During the Holiday Shopping Season
Is Holiday Shopping Putting You at Risk of Identity Theft?
It's time for holiday shopping and that means an increased risk of identity theft. The last thing you need this time of year is to discover you've been made a victim of the crime. Fortunately, there are some ways you can avoid that situation. These tips can help...
Keep Your Credit Cards Safe
Making so many purchases in such a short period of time can lead to carelessness. It's amazing how many people lose track of their credit cards this time of year, leaving them in stores and even in ATM machines.
If you don't want someone to steal your credit card information (or your identity) make sure you keep a close eye on your cards.
Watch the Web
A lot of us do our shopping online, especially during the holidays. If you don't want to fall victim to identity theft, make sure you only shop with reputable stores that have secure checkout pages.
Remember, anyone can throw a site up on the Web claiming to be a legitimate operation. It's your job to make sure a site really is legit before providing them with your personal details and credit card information.
Try To Avoid the Phone
This time of year you want to avoid calling credit card orders into smaller stores. You don't know if the person taking your credit card information is writing it down, and if they do write it down what happens to it afterwards?
Remember, businesses employ human beings, and not all human beings are trustworthy. Don't give your credit card information over the phone if you can avoid it.
We'd like to think that everyone is full of the holiday spirit this time of year. Unfortunately, some people are just full of greed. Don't let them take advantage of you. Use the above tips to avoid becoming a holiday identity theft victim.