November 28, 2022
Dear NCRA member:

In the midst of the holidays, we wanted to wish you a happy – and safe – holiday season. Unfortunately, this season brings with it a significant increase in cybercriminal activity. We hope that you will remain vigilant.

Here are a few suggestions for staying cyber-safe from the NCRA Technology Committee:
Online Shopping
  • Never click on ads or email links for deals that are too good to be true.
  • Purchase from online retailers by navigating to their site directly using your web browser, not through links in email messages.
  • If you are shopping with a mobile device, use the official mobile app for the company.
  • Only shop from popular retailers that you know and trust.
  • Only shop online while you are on a secure Wi-Fi network (no public Wi-Fi networks) and only shop on websites that have "https" in the website URL. It is never safe to submit payment information or login credentials on non-secure websites or public Wi-Fi networks.
Charity or Donation Requests
  • Never give your credit card information over the phone to anyone who calls you unexpectedly.
  • If you receive an email from a charity or non-profit requesting donations, review the links, the sender address, and other email components to ensure the email is legitimate. Additionally, follow up with a phone call to confirm the organization's legitimacy.
  • When donating, use your web browser to go directly to the charity or non-profit's official website. Most have methods to donate securely through their site.
Delivery or Shipment Notifications
  • Look closely at delivery and shipment notifications to make sure they are legitimate.
  • If you shop online, go directly to the store websites to track your orders and shipments rather than clicking email links.