The holiday season is a busy time as people hunt for the perfect gifts for family and friends. The Internet can make your shopping faster and easier, but there can also be disasters if you’re not careful. The National Consumers League, the Better Business Bureau and the National Cyber Security Alliance offer key advice to ensure you have a safe online shopping experience, so that your gift-giving is a joyous occasion, not an opportunity for cyber thieves to take advantage of you during the holidays:
Before connecting to the Internet, or shopping online, be sure to secure your computer and financial information from hackers and identity thieves by taking the following three core protections:
1) Install anti-virus and anti-spyware programs and keep them up to date;
2) Install a firewall;
3) Regularly update your operating software.
Go to www.staysafeonline.org to learn more about how to keep your computer secure.
Before shopping online with an unknown e-store, check out sellers with the Better Business Bureau and your state or local consumer protection agency. If you’re buying gifts on an online auction site, check the track record of the seller before you bid. Make sure to get the name and physical address of the seller in case something goes wrong.
Be suspicious if someone contacts you unexpectedly and asks for your personal information. Identity thieves send out bogus emails about problems with consumers’ accounts to lure them into providing their personal information. Legitimate companies don’t operate that way.
Make sure at the point that you’re providing your payment information, the beginning of the Web site address changes from http to- shttp or https, indicating that your purchase is encrypted or secured. Your browser, not the body of the website, should also have a signal that the information is secure with a symbol, such as a broken key that becomes whole or a padlock that closes. Never enter personal information into a pop-up screen.
Hackers and thieves can break into your computer and capture your financial information if you use an open/unencrypted wireless connection. Be sure to encrypt you wireless network and change all the default settings before you connect to the Internet or shop online. Moreover, don’t use other people’s open wireless connections in your neighborhood while shopping online. Anyone can view and record your online transactions while you use open wireless Internet connections.
When shopping online, it’s always a good idea to regularly check your credit card and bank statements carefully. If something does go wrong, notify the bank immediately of any unauthorized charges or debits, or if you were charged more than you should have been. If you think you are a victim of cyber crime or fraud, immediately call your local police department. You can also file a complaint online by going to www.fraud.org
NCSA, National Consumers League and the BBB
