Online Shopping:
Help ensure your information stays safe by only shopping with well-known established retailers. Enter the web address yourself (instead of clicking through served ads or suspicious links in emails), and don’t allow sites to store your payment information for future purchases. It’s also good to avoid using a public Wi-Fi connection when entering your personal information.
Holiday Travel:
Before you even set out on your trip, think carefully about what's really needed for travel. Lighten your wallet and leave unneeded credit cards (and a list of all items in your wallet for travel) at home in a secured location, bringing only the essentials with you for payment and identification on the road.
Be leery of skimmers:
Remain on the lookout for devices attached to card readers or ATMs that could steal your financial data. Also watch out for anyone behind you in a checkout line that could be snapping a photo of your credit card number or other personal information.
Check your statements and credit reports:
Always check over your credit card statements and credit reports, especially during high-volume shopping periods like the holiday season. Remain vigilant and inquire about any suspicious activity to catch any attempt at identity theft before it escalates. Also be sure to shred any documents with your personal information instead of throwing them away in the trash.
