In just a couple of days the biggest shopping day of the year will be upon us. I’ve mentioned several times here on my blog that I am not a Black Friday shopper unless I shop online. However, it doesn’t matter to an identity thief if I shop in brick and mortar stores or on the internet. If I am handing over my personal information in any form, I’m vulnerable to the possibility of identity theft.
I’ve been fortunate in that I have never encountered a problem while shopping online. I can probably attribute this to a few things, so I thought I would share with you how I try my best to shop safely online. First, I only deal with reputable stores. If you come to a website/online store that is filled with typos and just looks disorganized, I would think twice before giving away any of my information, even my email address. I realize that some shop owners have small businesses and may not have a “fancy” looking website, and that’s completely ok. I usually do my homework by searching them out online to see if anyone else has had any bad experiences with them. Most smaller shops may also have their products listed on Ebay or Etsy where you might feel more comfortable purchasing from.
When shopping online, I also look for a secure checkout area when I am ready to complete my purchase. This is usually highlighted in the browser area, the site’s address always has “https” instead of just “http"”, and shows an icon that looks like a lock. This lets me know I am using a secure connection and my information will be protected.
Finally, I try never to store any of my credit cards online in a store’s database. Sure, it’s faster to check out online when your credit or debit card information is already saved there, but it also takes only once for someone to hack a company’s database and your information is now vulnerable and no longer private.
I’m so glad this holiday shopping season I have LifeLock’s comprehensive services helping to protect me from and alert me to potential credit card fraud and identity theft. How do you make sure you are shopping safely online? I would love to hear your suggestions and tips.
Be sure and follow LifeLock on Facebook, where you can enter the LifeLock For Life Sweepstakes and also on Twitter. There, you will find even more great tips for keeping your identity safe.
LIFELOCK BLACK FRIDAY TWITTER PARTY
Staying in on Black Friday? Join us for the LifeLock Black Friday Twitter Party on Friday, November 3 at 3 PM EST. Follow the hashtag #LifeLock and use the sign up form below. There are some amazing prizes being given away that you won’t want to miss out on your chance to win!
I wrote this post as part of a compensated blogger ambassadorship for LifeLock. All opinions are my own.
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