It’s that time of the year. Amid all the hustle and bustle it’s nice to shop online and hopefully save time and money. Here are a few tips I’ve gathered for staying safe this holiday shopping season.
Click smart.
Beware links in emails, tweets, and status updates claiming coupons, deals, and even what looks to be just a link to the store. Remember, it’s easy to modify all of these items and with short URLs you don’t know at a glance your final clicking destination.
Public WiFi and Apps
Think about what you’re doing over public wifi and if you really need that shopping deal app. It’s nice to window shop while enjoying your coffee, but browsing with public wifi can be risky. If you must complete your transaction, make sure to check out with HTTPS. While apps can make our mobile lives easier, they often collect (and sell) your personal information. Think before you install!
Change passwords
Change your passwords and review your credit card statements regularly. Follow up with any odd looking charges. Please careful of banks phoning to fix a fraud flag alert on your account. The system is set up so that you provide a considerable amount of personal information without them verifying their identity.
I hope these tips help you shop online with confidence.
This post was initially published on Nov 21, 2012 and was updated for 2017.