Credit Union Tips to Keep Your Financial Information Safe While Holiday Shopping

The holidays are fast approaching, which means that many of us will be gearing up for some serious shopping. Fortunately, the days of suffering through retail congestion in the store are a thing of the past because a lot of holiday sales happen online. But beware! Cyber-Scrooges are looking for ways to scam holiday shoppers with various tricks and deception to get your money.

Thieves always follow the money. Most of us have heard of a Card Skimmer that thieves use to steal data when you swipe your card at the gas pump. But an e-Skimmer is one of the new ways thieves try to steal your credit card information and it is impossible to spot. An e-Skimmer is a code on a website or is built into a weblink to steal the credit card information as an online shopper tries to complete a purchase. Click “Check Out” and your data will be sent to the attacker without you even knowing.

So how do you avoid the holiday crowds without compromising your Cyber-Security with Online Shopping? Clark County Credit Union has some tips that will help.

Tips to Keep Your Information Secure While Shopping

Software and antivirus. Make sure they are up to date on any device that you use for online shopping. And by device it does not only mean your computer, but your smartphones and tablets as well.

Account passwords. Secure all your online accounts with strong, unique passwords for each account.

Check your credit card activity regularly. Check the credit card’s transactions and balances regularly—at least every few days—during the holiday season for any unknown charges.

Avoid clicking links. Do not click on links in emails or text messages for deals that seem too good to be true. Instead go straight to the website in your browser.

Check for encryption. Look for "HTTPS" and/or a closed padlock icon to the left of the browser address. If you don't see these, it is not a secured site.

Do not shop over public Wi-Fi. If you must shop when you are not using a trusted network, do it over your cell phone data. Public Wi-Fi opens the door to a cyber thief to snoop on your internet activity and steal the information you input online, including logins and payment information.

Do not shop on a borrowed or public computer. Your card number and any other personal information may show up when some else uses the machine later on and starts to enter their information and/or a credit card number.

If something seems suspicious or too good to be true, don't ignore your instincts. When it comes to being safe and secure online when shopping online, you can never be too careful. Happy Holidays and stay safe!

Clark County Credit Union Offers a Variety of Financial Resources

In addition to keeping your cyber information safe, there are many important practices to keep you in good financial health. Clark County Credit Union offers free financial resources to help you stay on track with your spending, saving, credit, and other financial aspects with Banzai. Call 702-228-2228 to learn more.