Shop Safely During the Holiday Season
Tagged as: Online & Mobile, Protecting Your Accounts
Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer really good deals but beware – along with deals come fraudsters and con artists who want to take advantage of the increase in online activity to access your personal information. Shop safer during the holidays with these simple guidelines.
Deals!
Be aware of online “deals” from unfamiliar sources – do not click on email links from unknown senders to avoid unknowingly downloading malware or computer viruses. “One day only” websites featuring the sale of hard-to-find items are probably too good to be true so avoid them.
Know your seller
Research online stores or sellers prior to buying or providing payment information; make sure the websites you are shopping from are legitimate. Here are few tips to research an online retailer.
Secure Your Computer
At a minimum, have anti-virus, anti-spyware, and a firewall. Turn off your computer when you’re finished shopping online.
Shop From Home
Avoid using public computers and if shopping from your mobile device, don’t use public Wi-Fi.
Look for the Lock
When shopping online, look for the “https” or the padlock in the address bar in the top left corner of your browser window while checking out, indicating you have a secure connection.
Research Retailer Apps
Be sure retailer’s apps transmit information through a secure connection. If you’re not sure, you should shop from their website instead of the app.
Protect Your Information
Do not provide personal information in exchange for online coupons or in response to emails, text messages, or phone calls. This includes Facebook personal messages. In addition, retailers typically do not need your social security number or date of birth to transact business so you should never provide that information.
Monitor Your Accounts
Knowing how your cards and accounts are being used can prevent unauthorized usage and allow you to respond immediately to any suspicious activity. We recommend setting up free text alerts to receive notifications about activity on your account.
- RELATED: How to Monitor Your Credit Report
As always, report scams to the Federal Trade Commission or call (877) FTC-HELP.
If you suspect that you have been a victim of fraud or your 1st United account has been compromised, immediately call us at (800) 649-0193. We can cancel compromised cards or change your account number if necessary.
Shop safely and have a happy holiday!