Protecting Your Information During The Holidays

All through the year, millions of Americans fall victim to various kinds of fraudulent individuals who seek to get their personal information in order to perpetrate nefarious acts. And as the year goes on and winds down towards the holidays, it becomes increasingly more difficult to securely keep one’s information. This is because, during the holidays, we are much more distracted than we are at other times of the year. When you consider the endless shopping, runs needed to get the ideal gifts, getting the whole family down to the house and keeping the peace during family dinner, it is really important to be extra watchful during this period. Here are some tips to protect your personal information from thieves.

Guard your house: For many people, this is usually where they get it wrong. With all the extra people coming in and out of your home during the holiday season, it makes it very easy for someone to easily grab a checkbook or your credit cards or an important sensitive document. And while we would all like to believe we live in a world where the people we welcome into our homes won’t steal from us, the truth is a lot of times crime is committed by someone close to you. This is why to prevent this from happening, endeavor to lock all matters of sensitive documents locked inside a safe when you know you are expecting guests.

Choose your credit card over other forms of payment: Unless absolutely necessary, avoid using your checks or debit cards. The reason for this is the aforementioned forms of payments withdraw money directly from your bank account. And should fraud happen, it is difficult to have the money returned to your account leaving you stranded for the meantime. Using credit cards gives you about 90 days to detect the fraud and report it before you are held liable, unlike debit cards that give 30 days.

Visit trusted websites: Odds are if you see an offer that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Stay away from online platforms touting ridiculous prices and stick to familiar platforms. Also, in order to avoid being phished, opt to type in the URL you wish to visit into the address bar rather than clicking on a link. • If you must shop, ask questions:We understand that your favorite retailer may not have the item you are looking for forcing you to opt for platforms you are not completely familiar with. Before you decide to use a new platform, take time out to do a simple search online, read the necessary reviews and consider the experiences other people have had.

Leave the purse: You do not have to take the purse that contains all the cards you have been issued in your life with you every time you go out. Simply take out the cards you need per event and keep it in a wallet that can fit into your pocket. This reduces the amount of exposure you would have should your wallet get missing or stolen.

Keep an eye out for your statements: Most of the time, all forms of theft can be caught on time thanks to a timely intervention that happens if you keep an eye on your account reports regularly. It is important to remember that the earlier you spot suspicious activity, the quicker you will get the whole thing sorted out. To make it easier, monitor your account online so you can be able to check if wherever you are in the world. But if any of these seem too stressful, you can request for automatic alerts on your accounts. This way, you get notified on every transaction made with your account and you can easily report the purchases that are not yours.

Become more aware of the Wi-Fi networks and computers you plug into: The year is 2018 and public computers and hotspots should only be used for your sensitive needs if you have no alternative. When going out, it is important to treat all public hotspots and computers as they have been compromised even if they look safe. Restrict the type of information you send out through them, this includes logging into any of your accounts or typing in your card information. Also, make sure your devices are set to ‘ask’ before joining new hotspot networks to prevent automatically connecting to a fraudulent Wi-Fi network.

Invest in the gift of identity monitoring: The truth is, it is growing increasingly impossible to figure out all the ways our information is exposed. With breaches happening all around us to companies like Facebook, it is important to find a great identity monitoring service that meets your needs and purchase it. It will help you keep track of everything that pertains to you online.

Additional ways of keeping your information safe when working online during the holidays:

Do a double take before opening attachments or selecting links: Regardless of the sender, it is important to fully scan and check links and attachment sent to you. Messages are easily faked today. Which is why you should use known and trusted URLs instead of simply selecting links. Also, opt for known expected attachments. Also, some mailboxes these days come with an inbuilt virus scanner. Utilize this if your mailbox has this to ensure you are not falling victim to a phishing scam. If you are not completely sure of the link or attachment, discard it. Some of these links and attachment come with tracking software which would be used to steal your information.

Use strong passwords: Stop using easily guessed passwords like your first crush or your first kid’s name. these days, the best passwords and alphanumeric in nature with a special figure like ($, %, # etc. ). If possible, employ the use of two-factor authentication to make sure your account is never hacked.