Thanks
Cory
Defensive Holiday Shopping
If you've ever seen a shopping centre parking lot after November 15th, it will come as no surprise that more and more people are avoiding the hysteria of malls during the holiday season. Online shopping is increasing in big numbers, with 55 per cent of Canadians planning to purchase most of their gifts through a computer, smartphone or tablet.
With the ease and convenience of never having to stand in line behind a coupon-clipper again comes the risk of your identity being kidnapped and your holidays not being happy. But for every risk there is a shield. Make sure you're equipped with the right armour so that shopping online doesn't become a bigger chore than finding a seat in the food court.
Shield your connection
Before even typing in the URL of a retailer's site, check your surroundings; are you using public Wi-Fi? You could already be at risk, so first things first: turn on your firewall. Gone are the days when you had to be a hacker genius to figure out how to infiltrate a Wi-Fi connection. Rookie hackers can now easily install a plug-in to their web browser and steal private information, such as credit card numbers and date of birth, being transmitted to unsecured websites.
A good rule of thumb is to always check for the padlock symbol beside the URL field and to make sure the URL begins with https, not http. The 's' is the difference between your private information being encrypted or not. If you find yourself in a position where you need to buy ASAP and are willing to take the risk, then your best bet is to use a credit card and not your debit. Should you notice something unusual about the transaction afterwards, you can always put a stop-payment on credit and you won't be out of the cash when you may need it the most.
Practice smart shopping on your smartphone
Smartphones are a new target for fraudsters looking to lift your identity and your money. From phony apps designed to steal your financial information to QR codes that install malware onto your mobile device, thieves have become more sophisticated and creative in their methods. Because so many of these features are new to us, it's much harder to recognize an illegitimate app than it is to know not to send your banking information to the foreign prince who just inherited millions of dollars that he wants to share with you. Here are some tips if you're keen on doing some shopping on your smartphone or tablet this year:
If you've ever seen a shopping centre parking lot after November 15th, it will come as no surprise that more and more people are avoiding the hysteria of malls during the holiday season. Online shopping is increasing in big numbers, with 55 per cent of Canadians planning to purchase most of their gifts through a computer, smartphone or tablet.
With the ease and convenience of never having to stand in line behind a coupon-clipper again comes the risk of your identity being kidnapped and your holidays not being happy. But for every risk there is a shield. Make sure you're equipped with the right armour so that shopping online doesn't become a bigger chore than finding a seat in the food court.
Shield your connection
Before even typing in the URL of a retailer's site, check your surroundings; are you using public Wi-Fi? You could already be at risk, so first things first: turn on your firewall. Gone are the days when you had to be a hacker genius to figure out how to infiltrate a Wi-Fi connection. Rookie hackers can now easily install a plug-in to their web browser and steal private information, such as credit card numbers and date of birth, being transmitted to unsecured websites.
A good rule of thumb is to always check for the padlock symbol beside the URL field and to make sure the URL begins with https, not http. The 's' is the difference between your private information being encrypted or not. If you find yourself in a position where you need to buy ASAP and are willing to take the risk, then your best bet is to use a credit card and not your debit. Should you notice something unusual about the transaction afterwards, you can always put a stop-payment on credit and you won't be out of the cash when you may need it the most.
Practice smart shopping on your smartphone
Smartphones are a new target for fraudsters looking to lift your identity and your money. From phony apps designed to steal your financial information to QR codes that install malware onto your mobile device, thieves have become more sophisticated and creative in their methods. Because so many of these features are new to us, it's much harder to recognize an illegitimate app than it is to know not to send your banking information to the foreign prince who just inherited millions of dollars that he wants to share with you. Here are some tips if you're keen on doing some shopping on your smartphone or tablet this year:
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Only download apps from trusted retailers. A recent scam called "toll fraud" guises itself as an app from a familiar retailer, but once downloaded, will start sending chargeable text messages from your phone. It's best to download apps directly from their website and not from links containing the retailer's name. Fraudsters can easily make a URL read whatever they want to direct you to a malicious site
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Try to avoid clicking social media links to special offers and discounts. Anyone can create a Facebook or Twitter account. Better to check the retailer's own site and see if they're offering the same promotion.
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Before scanning any QR codes promising a great bargain or an interesting newsletter, download a reader that will first let you see the URL you'll be directed to. Recent QR code scams attack mobile phones by stealing the private information they contain.
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Watch out for emails from familiar retailers asking you to "confirm your purchase" by clicking links or opening attachments. If you have made a purchase from that particular retailer and are unsure about the email, call their customer service line to get a confirmation.
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Use common sense. If you receive an email or Facebook post promoting iPads for half the regular price, think twice about it. During the holidays, it doesn't make sense to reduce 'hot' items by such a large percentage when people will buy them at full price anyway. When in doubt, leave the link alone!
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Only download apps from trusted retailers. A recent scam called "toll fraud" guises itself as an app from a familiar retailer, but once downloaded, will start sending chargeable text messages from your phone. It's best to download apps directly from their website and not from links containing the retailer's name. Fraudsters can easily make a URL read whatever they want to direct you to a malicious site
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Try to avoid clicking social media links to special offers and discounts. Anyone can create a Facebook or Twitter account. Better to check the retailer's own site and see if they're offering the same promotion.
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Before scanning any QR codes promising a great bargain or an interesting newsletter, download a reader that will first let you see the URL you'll be directed to. Recent QR code scams attack mobile phones by stealing the private information they contain.
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Watch out for emails from familiar retailers asking you to "confirm your purchase" by clicking links or opening attachments. If you have made a purchase from that particular retailer and are unsure about the email, call their customer service line to get a confirmation.
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Use common sense. If you receive an email or Facebook post promoting iPads for half the regular price, think twice about it. During the holidays, it doesn't make sense to reduce 'hot' items by such a large percentage when people will buy them at full price anyway. When in doubt, leave the link alone!
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There are some things you should be doing regularly, regardless of the season, to make sure your information is still yours.
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Check your accounts frequently; don't wait for bank statements. You're more likely to find irregularities sifting through a week's worth of transactions rather than a month's worth.
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Change your passwords often and make them complicated. Most websites have upped their password criteria to include numbers and capital letters and this is a practice you should adopt when creating passwords for anything.
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Get a copy of your credit report annually. You should be familiar with every detail in the report. If you're not, call the credit-granting institution and the credit report provider to correct any faulty information. If the activity winds up being fraudulent, there are options for monitoring your file that will safeguard you against future attempts at identity theft.
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The bottom line is to be very protective of your information, especially now that you don't know who is behind the desk asking for your credentials. All that a thief needs to inhabit your identity is your name and date of birth; very little to do significant damage. With a high guard and a watchful eye, you can still get great (safe) deals to give great gifts.
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