Have you been doing lots of shopping this holiday? You probably aren’t worried about having your identity stolen, but you should still try to be aware of it. Why? According to the https://www.ncjrs.gov/, the majority of identity theft victims (86%) experienced the fraudulent use of existing account information, such as credit card or bank account information. Most likely you are using a card during your shopping trips. That’s it is important for you to be reminded of a few things when you are shopping this holiday.
Here are some tips on how to avoid identity theft:
- Avoid scams online and in person! Websites that starts out with the “https” will tell you that they are actual online shops. So don’t buy in on spam emails that say they are from your favorite stores. Also, the common knowledge is to avoid buying anything from people who are randomly selling products because you never know where it is from and what it is.
- Keep track of all of your spendings! Most importantly, keep track of your credit cards and debit card. If you notice that there is money being taken out of your card, contact your bank or credit card immediately.
- “Under federal law, your liability for unauthorized use of your credit card tops out at $50. If you report the loss of your credit card before someone else uses it, you are not responsible for any charges you didn’t authorize. If your credit card number is stolen, but not the card, you are not liable for unauthorized use.” – http://mn.gov/commerce/
- For debit cards, it is your liability to report it as soon as possible as money is being directly taken out from your account.
- Make sure that you buy things online buy it through Paypal or create an account with the stores so that your financial information is secured. If not, it is best to go directly to the store then clicking on a unknown link.