Holiday Cyber Shopping Tips
Shop only at Internet merchants you know and trust. If in doubt, check with the Better Business Bureau.
During the holiday season (and year round) check your credit card and bank account transactions online. Don’t wait for the bill to come in the mail. A little bit of monitoring can stop unapproved use of your credit cards or criminals dipping into your bank accounts. It’s also a wise thing to check your credit reports on a regular basis for incorrect information that may be a sign of identity thieves at work.
Keep printouts of the Web page describing the item you ordered and the price you’re paying, any e-mail messages, and the page that shows the seller’s name, address and telephone number.
Never buy anything, no matter how good the advertised price is, from an unsolicited email (spam). When tempted to buy that replica watch because that’s exactly what your friend wants, just imagine that same item being sold from a cardboard box out of the car trunk by an unsavory looking individual. Also remember, buying from a spammer could cost much more than the price of that cool replica watch — giving your credit card information to unknown entities over the web may place your identity in jeopardy.
Finally – Turn off the PC when you’re done shopping. With the proliferation of broadband Internet access, many users now leave their computers on ’round the clock. This opens up the door for criminals who, once they’ve infected your PC, will turn it into their “robot” and commit cyber crime.
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