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Consumers spent $7.87 billion on Cyber Monday in 2018, the
heaviest online spending day in history – according to a report by
eMarketer.com. This year, spending is expected to be even higher.
Online shopping is also fertile ground for thieves looking to steal your financial information
and your money.
Here are ways to stay safe online:
• Secure your computer. Check to see if your computer has updated security
software installed, and run regular system checks to keep viruses away.
• Only shop from a secured home network. Don't do your online shopping
with the Wi-Fi at the local café, airport or other public places. ese open
networks are easier targets for identity thieves to hack into your computer.
• Click carefully. Beware of phishing scams. Fraudsters use email or text
messages to trick you into giving them your personal information. ese emails
may look like they are from your favorite store or the postal service. Don't give
out your passwords, account numbers or Social Security numbers when you did
not initiate the contact.
• Lock down your site. Check for "https" at the beginning of the URL on
a retailer's website. is "s" – along with a small gold lock in your browser –
indicates an extra level of security.
• Choose credit, not debit. rough the Fair Credit Billing Act, your liability for
a fraudulent credit card charge is limited to $50, whereas it could be up to $500
for an ATM or debit card, depending on how quickly you report a loss or theft.
Shopping Online
AND STAYING SAFE
