And with expanded shopping hours and month-long cyber
sales, there's no time like now to read these tips from Maine Identity
Services, LLC:
* DO NOT USE YOUR DEBIT CARD
Your
debit card can give a hacker an open door into your bank accounts, so don't use
it to shop. Under the laws that govern the fraudulent use of your debit card,
you may lose some or all of the amounts involved if you don't respond in time
to the theft. And even the new computer chip cards won't protect you if you are
using it to shop over the internet.
* USE A PRE-PAID CREDIT CARD
For
online and in store shopping, consider using a pre-paid credit card. These can
be quickly obtained and will not allow a thief access to your bank or other
credit card accounts. Plus, a pre-paid card has the added benefit of letting
you limit spending before you start shopping.
* CHECK THE ATM AREA CAREFULLY
Tug on the key pad and the debit card slot to make sure that no skimming devices are reading your information as you enter it. Check the area around the ATM machine to look for what may be hidden cameras or other devices.
* DO NOT LEAVE YOUR WALLET OR PURSE
IN YOUR CAR
A
locked car door is no protection from a thief who wants your checkbook or credit
and debit cards. It's always "shopping season"
for these thieves who operate in organized gangs- so make
it a practice never to leave these items in your vehicle - no matter how
quickly you expect to return.
* TAKE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY CARD OUT
OF YOUR WALLET
Your
social security number is prized information for a thief because it can be used
and re-used for repeated fraudulent activities. If you must carry the number
with you, write the number on a separate piece of paper as if it was a phone
number (place a "1" as the first or last number to make it appear as
a ten-digit phone number.) In this way, the information will appear as (XXX)
XXX-XXX1 instead of your social security number XXX-XX-XXXX.
* CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS
If you have favorite online shopping sites,
make sure that you are using a different password for each one. Using the same
password across all the internet sites you visit means that hackers only have
to have your password from one site to be able to use your identity to shop on
other sites or use your financial accounts.
* RECORD YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION
Write
down the number of the credit card you will be using to shop, in case the card
is lost - or worse - someone helps themselves to it by picking your pocket.
Before you leave home, make sure that you have recorded the number of the card
and the customer service number of the card issuer so that you can call
immediately to report it as missing.
* IS IT THE REAL WEBSITE?
It's
easy to be lured to a website for deals that sound too good to be true - and
thieves are hoping that will happen. Make sure that any website you visit to
make purchases is the real deal. Don't open links from attachments, instead use
your browser to go to the business' actual web site to make your purchase. If
you are still in doubt, either don't make the purchase (one less thing for poor
old Santa to carry) or phone the legitimate store number and make the purchase
via phone.
We hope you have a happy and safe shopping season!
