The holiday
season is one of the biggest times of the year for scam artists and identity
thieves. While most people are busy holiday shopping, criminals are busy
scamming the unwary. Don’t let this happen to you. Learn about the various scams
that occur every year, and what you can do to protect yourself this holiday
season.
Do you remember
the data breach affecting Target customers last year? Experts believe most
companies have had such data breaches by now, so it may be safe to assume that
bad guys already have some information that could be used against you. A good
way to protect yourself from possible data breaches is to use cash. If you plan
to do any holiday shopping online, experts recommend using a separate credit
card with a small credit limit. With credit cards, you have a little time
between purchase and paying your bill. If you get an unknown transaction during
this period, you have a chance to dispute it.
Maybe you’re
already aware of problems with opening spam e-mail. Scammers may send fake
advertisements for store deals and fake notifications about package deliveries.
Make sure not to open these e-mails, and be especially careful not to download any
unknown attachments. It is important that you have strong passwords for your
online shopping accounts, especially if you have provided credit card
information for that account. Never click on links that offer free gifts. Those
are most likely phishing scams.
When looking for
great deals online, you may be safer with established retailers, though of
course they all may be vulnerable to data breaches. Avoid online stores that
you don’t know about because they could be trying to scam you. Of course, many
smaller online retailers may provide excellent service, but you will do well to
check them out before ordering from them. Be sure to search online (away from
their Web site) for information about these stores; read reviews of their service
to make sure it is safe and legitimate. Also, if you order online, request that
your package be delivered to your Post Office box or your local UPS or FedEx
store. Package theft occurs all the time.
Lastly, before
donating to any charity, be sure to research the organization to make sure it is
legitimate, and that enough of your money will go toward the actual cause. You
can find information on any charity on www.charitynavigator.org.
READERS,
what do you think?
1. What are your thoughts about setting up a
separate credit card for online shopping? Do you think it is a good idea, or a
bad idea? And why?
2. What about sticking to cash purchases?
How do you think that could protect you from fraud? Do you see any drawbacks to
using cash?
Reference:
Anand, P. (2014,
November 27). 6 Holiday scams and how to protect yourself. Marketwatch.com. Retrieved December 1, 2014, from http://www.marketwatch.com/story/6-holiday-scams-and-how-to-protect-yourself-2014-11-26?page=1.
