ITRC Holiday Shopping Safety Tips to Keep You Cybersafe

• The holidays are here, and people have begun shopping. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), in 2022, 46 percent of consumers started their holiday shopping before November. In a recent survey, 39 percent of shoppers said they plan to start shopping earlier.
• The New York Times and NRF report that, while at a slower pace than in past years, holiday retail sales are expected to increase three to four percent compared to 2022.
• Before shopping, people should understand what they can do to exercise holiday shopping safety and protect themselves from an identity crime.
• Shop safely online by enabling two-factor authentication (with an app, if possible). Use secure and trusted websites, make sure your computer is secure with the latest updates, consider using digital wallets or virtual payment cards, and enable alerts on your payment cards.
• Be aware of unsolicited offers for products you didn’t initiate that arrive by email, text, social media DM or phone call that could be a phishing attack.
• To learn more about holiday shopping safety, or if you believe you are the victim of an identity crime, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center by phone (888.400.5530) or live chat on the company website idtheftcenter.org.

The holidays are here, and for many people, that means shopping. Unfortunately, scammers and identity criminals are already standing by to take advantage of consumers, increasing the importance of holiday shopping safety.

While Walmart warns of a more cautious consumer ahead of the holiday season, the National Retail Federation (NRF) says a recent survey shows 39 percent of shoppers plan to start shopping earlier in 2023 for the holidays than they typically do. The New York Times and NRF report that, while at a slower pace than in past years, holiday retail sales are expected to increase three to four percent compared to 2022. That equates to between $957.3 billion and $966.6 billion. E-commerce sales are expected to jump seven to nine percent.

Before shopping, it is important to understand what you can do to protect yourself and exercise holiday shopping safety.

Protect Your Online Accounts

To help protect yourself from identity criminals this holiday season, you should be prepared. If you are opening new financial accounts to make purchases, be careful where you sign-up online to ensure the website is legitimate and not a phishing website that looks real. It could be a site designed to steal your personal information. Also, use and enable multi-factor authentication if offered (preferably with an app) for all new and existing merchant and payment accounts.

Only Use Secure & Trusted Websites

When shopping online, exercise holiday shopping safety by making sure you are only using reputable websites. Also, be cautious about fake ads on Google or social media. Identity criminals will use artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT to make fake ads seem more legitimate.

Look for the HTTPS designation at the beginning of the URL that indicates a secure website. Be sure that you are not redirected to an impostor website that has been made to look like a real company. If you receive unsolicited emails, texts or messages from social media accounts offering great deals, don’t click on the links provided. Instead, go directly to the retailer’s website and search for the item you want. If you receive an email offer that seems too good to be true, go directly to the source to verify whether or not the offer is real.

Consider a Digital Wallet or Virtual Payment Card

Digital wallets on smartphones are safe and convenient ways to pay for online and offline purchases. Since your payment card numbers – credit or debit – never leave your device, criminals cannot intercept your information. Even if you don’t have a digital wallet option on your smart device, many banks now offer “virtual credit and debit cards” that generate unique numbers each time you use the card, ensuring your actual payment card number is never displayed or transmitted.

Computer Security

Before making any purchases online, exercise good holiday shopping safety by updating your browser, software and applications to make sure they are running the latest and most secure version. This will keep your devices as safe as possible.

Wi-Fi

If you are venturing out into brick-and-mortar stores for your holiday shopping, remember that public Wi-Fi can be problematic. Public Wi-Fi names can be spoofed, and you could log into a thief’s network rather than a secure one. Many retailers and restaurants offer free connectivity as an incentive to their customers. However, logging in may require you to provide personal information you may not wish to share. Unless you are confident the public Wi-Fi is secure, it’s best to skip the connection.

Enable Alerts on Your Cards

If you have not done so, contact your financial institution and enable alerts for suspicious activity on your account. These alerts will arrive as text messages or emails and immediately inform you when your credit card number is used.

The Real Work Begins After the Holidays

Once the presents are shared and the decorations are put away, your work is not done. Monitor your accounts carefully for any signs of suspicious activity and take immediate action if you see any charges that should not be there.

Contact the ITRC

If you have any additional questions about holiday shopping safety or believe you were the victim of an identity crime, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center. You can speak with an expert advisor toll-free by phone (888.400.5530) or live-chat on the company website. Just visit www.idtheftcenter.org to get started.

This blog was published on 12/4/2019 and updated on 12/4/2023