Holiday shopping can be stressful or straightforward. It can be done from the comfort of your home or amid thousands at nearby malls. You might want to buy something from a major chain or a mom-and-pop shop, but no matter how you do your shopping, one thing you can never neglect is how to shop safely during the holiday season! With the threat of identity theft and scams increasing, you need to be careful now, more than ever.
Online holiday shopping in Canada is expected to reach record levels, making digital safety more important than ever. From phishing scams to fake retail websites, shoppers must stay alert. Whether you’re shopping online or at your local mall, following a few smart safety and security practices can help protect your identity and your finances this holiday season.
Shop Safely During The Holiday Season: Online
As online shopping increases, so does the chance of encountering online fraud. While it may be the best, easiest, and fastest way for people to do their holiday shopping, it’s always important to protect yourself. Here are the seven best ways to safely shop online:
1. If It Looks Too Good To Be True, It Probably Is
Online fraudsters often choose popular items and trends, listing them at low prices to lure in customers. Instead of a great deal, you will be giving away your payment information. Please always check the website URL for misspellings and make sure that their checkout is secure before sending payment.
2. Shop Online From Anywhere At Home
At home, your router can only be accessed by you, meaning it’s safe from tampering or intrusion. When you use a public or free Wi-Fi access point, the data transmitted across those signals can often be open to anyone. That can enable someone else to ‘sniff’ that data and steal your information.
3. Make Sure Websites Are Secure
When you visit a website, look beside the address bar – you should see a little padlock and the word “Secure”. That means the data being entered on the site is encrypted. If it doesn’t show the padlock, you’ll see a circle with an “i” in the middle. You should avoid entering any credit card or personal information into those sites.
4. Use Anti-virus, Anti-malware, and Shop-safe Tools
Many computer anti-virus/malware tools also come with shop-safe tools. These tools add an extra layer of security. Programs like Bitdefender, Kaspersky, and Norton have their versions of this – use one!
5. Don’t Use The Same Password For Every Account
It’s always said, but it needs to be repeated – do NOT use the same password for every online account. Once an online scammer figures out one password, it’s easy for them to turn around and try it on all of your accounts. Also, don’t worry if you have a hard time remembering all of your passwords. Most retailers now can instantly verify your identity, so you can quickly reset your password each time you sign in.
6. Monitor Your Accounts Using Automatic Alerts
Check to see what alert options are available for your credit and debit cards. You can often set different alerts that quickly notify you via text message or email when something is detected. Alerts can range from transaction amounts to frequency of charges, and even the location of purchases.
7. Check Out As A Guest
Most online checkouts will ask you to sign up for an account or allow you to check out as a guest. When you create an account, the website can store your personal and purchase information on the website’s internal server. While not common, if that company experiences a data breach, then your saved personal information could be at risk.
Shop Safely During The Holiday Season, Offline
Though online shopping has become increasingly popular, many people still prefer shopping at centres or malls. If this is more your style, you’re likely already mindful to keep your credit cards and wallet tucked away safely. What you may not know is how new tools enable criminals to take your data without ever touching your wallet. Here are seven ways to shop safely in public:
1. Shop Safely By Using An RFID Wallet
The same technology that enables tap-and-go payments can also be used remotely. An RFID wallet prevents the radio waves that make that technology possible from being sent outside the wallet. This prevents someone with a mobile scanner from placing it near your wallet and copying your data or taking your money!
2. Use Credit Cards Instead Of Debit
While debit cards have become safer in recent years, credit cards remain the safer option. If someone steals your card information or makes a fraudulent charge, your credit card will reimburse you almost immediately. Debit card fraud makes it more difficult to receive reimbursement because personal items are often attached to it.
3. Avoid Using Random ATMs
Ensure you use only your bank’s ATMs during business hours. Small card readers can be installed over existing ATM slots, and a mini camera can track your PIN. This enables a criminal to copy your card data and your PIN. Bank branches inspect their machines daily to ensure there is no such tampering.
4. Checking Out
Use Apple Pay or a store payment app, if available. Use a credit card instead of cash, but make sure you disinfect your hands regularly while shopping.
5. Shop Smart and Early
Go shopping early in the day to have access to the widest selection at the store. If you’re a senior, find out when the early senior hours are so you can shop in a clean, less-crowded store. Also, try to be organized with a list so you can navigate the store quickly and consolidate trips. Leave the kids at home, if possible, so that you can shop more efficiently. However, if you can’t, being organized can help make the journey quicker and more painless for everyone.
Shop Safely: What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed
Cyber threats can be challenging to spot. You may not even know that you’ve been tricked until it’s too late. If you are the victim of a scam or a potential compromise, you should take the following actions to report and lessen the risk:
- Contact your credit card company.
- Reset your account credentials for related accounts, such as your email or social media accounts.
- Report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or online at antifraudcentre.ca.
If you are concerned about any data breach while shopping, report it immediately. Your credit card company can implement measures to prevent and track potential fraudulent activity. Your bank can also put a hold on your debit card to prevent further purchases, if necessary. The earlier you report, the quicker they can put a stop to it. Other than that, the best advice we have to shop safely during the holiday season is to trust your instincts because we’re far more intuitive than we give ourselves credit for. If something doesn’t feel right, walk away from it or close the browser.
Conclusion
The holidays are the perfect time to make sure your insurance is up to date. Additionally, please ensure you follow our holiday budget tips to stay on track. It is always essential to ensure that you are properly insuring any major items you purchase this holiday season. If you have any questions about which insurance policies are right for you, contact us at isure or request a quote today! Happy Holidays from the isure team!
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