Shopping Safety Tips for Cyber Monday:
Here's how to avoid crooks and scammers on Cyber Monday.1. When shopping online you should always use your own device and avoid using public Wi-Fi networks. Hackers can easily steal your personal information when connected to a public Wi-Fi network.
2. A safer way to pay for your holiday shopping is with a credit card because credit cards offer more protection than debit cards. By using a debit card, your bank account could be wiped out by the time you realize a hacker got your information.
3. When shopping online, make sure the URL of a website begins with "https." You know it's a secure site when you see an "s" instead of "http.”
4. Be careful clicking on “pop-up ads”. Use caution, some of these ads will take you to an unsecured website and as soon as you enter your information, you have been hacked. It’s better to go to the company website before you click to make sure you’re on a secure site.
5. During this holiday season don’t fall victim to being scammed or hacked as scams are on the increase. An e-mail phishing scam is when someone receives a message to enter a payment or personal information on a fraudulent website designed to look like a real one. If you receive emails or texts from people you don’t know or you haven’t solicited, that’s a warning sign to not click on those sites.
6. Ignore advertisement pop-ups. Many pop-ups could contain fake coupons, redirecting you to malicious sites, or expose you to cross-site scripting attacks. Beware if a coupon pops-up out of nowhere with a too-good-to-be-true offer. Remember, the safest way to close the window, is to click Ctrl+Alt+Del or better yet, block unwanted pop-ups in your browser settings.
We all love a good deal, but sometimes when something seems to be too good to be true, it usually is.
Eddie Hawkins, Sheriff
Original source can be found here.
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