Holiday Hacking is Very Risky for You and Your Family

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It’s the holidays once again, and each year, people flock to the internet to do online shopping. Hackers know this, and they set themselves up to steal your data.

Every year there is a big hack, and this year will likely be no different. Here are some tips to protect yourself shopping online now and in the future:

Do Business With Trusted Sites

There are zillions of websites that look perfectly legitimate even using HTTPS in the URL. Many of these sites utilize perfect grammar, they incorporate an online “chat” feature where someone engages you immediately, and they even have a functional shopping cart. But they are in fact built specifically to scam you. You will generally stumble upon these sites in Google search when looking for a specific hard to find item.

To prevent being scammed, only pay by a credit card which you can be refunded upon learning of the scam, never wire money, or use Zelle or PayPal or Venmo etc. And search the name of the company and its URL to see if anybody else has been scammed. You might find references via the Better Business Bureau, “Scam detector” or other reputation based sites, or various forums revolving around that specific product category.

Only Use Strong Passwords

You should have a different password for every site you use. Keep in mind that this password might be the only thing stopping someone from accessing your personal information including your address, credit card information, and more. The best passwords should contain upper and lower case letters, symbols, and numbers. Also, avoid choosing anything obvious like the name of your pet, and never, ever use the same password for more than one account.

Update All Device Software

All of us are probably guilty of not updating our software when it needs to be updated. However, there is one type of software you never, ever want to skip updating: your anti-virus software. Anti-virus software helps to prevent hackers from getting access to your accounts, and make sure to update your operating system and other software on your devices.

Always Use Two-Step Verification When You Can

Many companies offer two-step verification for customers If this is available, choose it! This adds one more layer of security that a hacker has to get through, and it’s quite difficult to do because not only do they need access to your account, but also need access to your device. Most major retailers allow this, including Amazon and eBay.

Ignore Strange Looking Emails

Also, keep an eye out for strange looking emails. Many companies send holiday sales emails, for instance, and some hackers will take advantage of this. They will send an email that looks like it comes from a legitimate source, like Macy’s, but it’s actually a fake email that is coming from a weird email address and not Macys.com.

Watch Your Credit Card Statements

It is also important to watch your credit card statements, and if something looks strange, report it immediately. Consider getting notifications and alerts for any charges.

Keep Your Devices Locked

Another thing you can do is make sure all of your devices are locked. A device that is unlocked can easily expose your personal info to hackers, so keep those devices locked with a biometric option, like a finger print, or a strong password.

Don’t Use Unsafe Apps

If you are shopping from an app, make sure it’s a trusted one. You should only download apps from the Apple App Store, the Google Play Store, or Amazon App Store. Also, make sure that you are looking into what permissions you are giving these apps. For example, does an app need access to your contact list? No, it doesn’t.

When Shopping From Your Computer, Stay Safe

Even if you are shopping from a computer or mobile phone, you need to be connected to a safe and secure network. Don’t use public Wi-Fi unless you are also using a virtual private network, or a VPN.

Though it should be the responsibility of online retailers to ensure their sites are safe, but we all know that this just doesn’t always happen. So, make sure you are taking these extra steps to stop hacking.

Written by Robert Siciliano, CEO of Credit Parent, Head of Training & Security Awareness Expert at Protect Now, #1 Best Selling Amazon author, Media Personality & Architect of CSI Protection Certification.

12 Tips to Safe Shopping Online

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These days, shopping online isn’t a risky, crazy or scary task, but with all of the cyber criminals out and about, you might want to think twice before clicking “submit payment.”

If you are going to be shopping online, there are some things that you can do to keep yourself safe. Here are some tips:

Tips for Avoiding Online Shopping Scams

  1. Think about this; if you were a cybercriminal, how would you lure a victim? You might put an ad on social media, for instance, sharing an amazing deal. If you see a deal that looks too good to be true, it probably is.
  2. What if you want to look at the deal? It doesn’t hurt to look, right? Wrong. Sometimes even clicking on the ad can download a virus onto your computer.
  3. Back up your computer regularly, especially before you start shopping online.
  4. You can be protected if you use security software like firewall software, antivirus software, antispyware, and antiphishing, even if you go to a malicious site.
  5. Don’t use a debit card if you can help it. If you pay with a debit card and a scammer takes your money, you might never get it back.
  6. It’s much safer to use a credit card. If you pay with a credit card, you can dispute the charge, and the credit card company will work with you and reverse the charges.
  7. Also, if you use a credit card, contact the company to find out if they have a “one-time use number” for the card. This way, if you do make a purchase to the scammer, they can’t use that number again.
  8. If you are shopping for common, everyday items, only buy them from reputable, big-name retailers. All of the URLs should have a padlock symbol next to them, and they should say “https” not “http.”
  9. If you are buying from a merchant you are not familiar with, familiarize yourself with the site’s reputation. Do some research to find out if anyone has had issues with the site in the past.
  10. Take a look at the merchant’s privacy policy and see what the limits are.
  11. Keep in mind that a merchant doesn’t need any more information than your name/address, credit card info, and shipping info. If they ask for other information, like a birthday or Social Security number, do not give it. It is probably a scam. Do not give retailers like this any information about you.
  12. Don’t shop online when you are connected to public Wi-Fi. If you don’t have a choice, you can use a VPN, virtual private network, to make sure all of your information is encrypted.

Consider identity theft protection as an additional layer to protect your identity from various scams. No one is immune from fraud or all scams, but identity theft protection services are there to watch your back and assist in case something goes wrong.

Online shopping should be a very worry-free process, but there are some things you can do, as listed above, to reduce your risk of danger. By making these practices a habit, you can stay safe now and in the future.

ROBERT SICILIANO CSP, is a #1 Best Selling Amazon author, CEO of CreditParent.com, the architect of the CSI Protection certification; a Cyber Social and Identity and Personal Protection security awareness training program.

10 Ways to Keep Yourself Safe from Shopping Scams During the Holidays

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The winter holidays are a time for friends, family, and fun…and also fraud. Here are 10 ways that you can protect yourself from shopping scams this holiday season:

Gift Card Scams

Don’t ever give anyone your credit card information to claim a gift card that you hear about via email.

Shop Smart

Online shopping? Don’t do it while connected to a public Wi-Fi connection. These are not secure, and anyone can get access to your bank account, credit card, or log in information. Instead, use a VPN or your home network.

Be Careful with Coupons

Coupons can be great deals, but if they look too good to be true, you should assume that it is

Protect Your Passwords

Make sure you change passwords regularly for all sensitive accounts. Also, make sure that you don’t repeat passwords from account to account. When you create your passwords, you should randomly make them a mixture of both upper- and lower-case letters along with symbols and numbers. Make it at least 12 characters. You can use a password manager to help you remember it.

Set Up Two Step Verification

Consider setting up two step verification. Once you log into an account, you will receive a numerical code via text, which serves as a second verification for your account. This stops people from logging into an account unless they have both your log in information and your phone.

Think Before Clicking

Don’t click on links that come into your email, even if you think it’s from someone or a company you know. Big companies like Walmart, Kohl’s, Macy’s, etc, usually do not send links like this in email, so if you see one, ignore it. Scammers create these links in the hope that you will click it. If you do click one, it may download a virus to your computer or take you to a fake site, where you might be tricked into entering your credit card information.

Keep Your Bank and Credit Card Secure

Look into the type of security measures that your bank uses, and then use them. You also might consider setting up push notifications or push alerts through your credit card company so you get an email or text message with every charge.

Employment Scams

You are likely to see ads during this time a year that advertises for jobs that pay way more than they should. $50 an hour for filling out surveys? Skip it.

Review Your Financial Health

Each month take some time to review all of your financial accounts to see if there is any activity that seems suspicious. Even a small charge can be very suspicious. Often, a scammer will make a small transaction to test things out.

HTTP vs. HTTPS

When you see an “S” at the end of the HTTP portion of the URL, it means that the site is secure. Only do shopping on sites with that “S.” Finally, make sure you update your browser before you shop.

ROBERT SICILIANO CSP, is a #1 Best Selling Amazon author, CEO of CreditParent.com, the architect of the CSI Protection certification; a Cyber Social and Identity and Personal Protection security awareness training program.

Protect Yourself from Holiday Shopping Scams

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Even though the highly publicized retail data breaches have involved off-line brick and mortar stores, this doesn’t mean that security is high with online shopping. Scammers and hackers are waiting for you in more ways than you know, such as: 9D

  • Fake product reviews
  • Non-existent products
  • Delivered products that don’t match what was seen on the retail site
  • Shoppers being tricked into typing their credit card information into a purchase form on a phony shopping site
  • Malicious attachments and phishing emails offering too good to be true discounts to install malware on your device.

Let’s explore online shopping scams in more detail.

First up are malicious links and malments (malicious attachment).

  • You receive an e-mail pitching a great product deal; click on the link to learn more or to make the purchase. The scammer often makes the e-mail look like it came from a leading retailer. Clicking the e-mail may download a virus, or take you to the scammer’s website where you’re tricked into “buying” non-existent products—giving out your credit card information.
  • An e-mail may contain an attachment that, when opened, downloads a virus.
  • The e-mail may appear to come from UPS (but it’s really from the crook), and if you just by chance recently ordered something for delivery by UPS, you’re then easily tricked into clicking a “track your order” link.
  • Never click links or open attachments from e-mails that you’re not outright expecting, especially if there are typos in the message.

Coupons

  • If it’s too good to be true, then it’s too good to be true.
  • Be suspicious if a coupon site with fantabulous deals wants all sorts of personal information from you, as in, “What do they need to know that for?”
  • Fraudulent coupon sites often have typos including poor punctuation.
  • Annoying pop-up windows should send you running.

Gift Cards

  • Same thing as above: If it’s too good to be true, then assume it’s a scam.
  • Just delete any gift card e-mails pitching amazing deals, especially if there’s a link in the message.
  • Never fill out personal information in a form inside an unsolicited e-mail for some fantastic deal.

Not every gift card related e-mail is fraudulent. If the e-mail appears to be from someone you know, contact that person for verification before opening any attachment or following any links. A tip that it’s legitimate is that it has a code so that you can claim the gift; a tip that it’s a scam is that it’s asking you for your credit card information.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to TheBestCompanys.com discussing  identity theft prevention.

8 ways to avoid holiday shopping scams

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So what will you be doing this holiday season to avoid getting scammed? The scammers really come out of the woodwork during the holidays, waiting to snatch their victims. It’s easier than you think to avoid getting ripped off or getting your entire bank account sucked dry. Here’s how to avoid getting tangled in a scammer’s net: 9D

  • Always inspect every purchase on your credit card statements to make sure you recognize them.
  • If you must go with a lesser-known seller (because the product is very unique), then first Google them for any bad reviews. Keep in mind that raving reviews may have been set up by a scammer, but the presence of bad reviews is very telling. A clue that excellent reviews were set up by a fraudster is that identical ones appear on different sites.
  • Back up your data. Why? When all else fails and your data and devices have been destroyed by malware, a cloud backup like Carbonite allows you to not only recover all your data, but it helps you sleep at night.
  • Never click a link inside an e-mail that appears to have come from a retailer, UPS, the government, etc. Even if you just purchased something from Amazon, that e-mail “from” Amazon that contains a link is –you can bet on this — the work of a scammer. Clicking on the link may download a virus, or lead you to a site that lures you into giving your credit card number, SSN and other vital data to a cyber thief.
  • Sellers can also be victims of scams. A common one is that the buyer overpays the seller with a phony check, pretends it’s an innocent mistake, and then asks you to wire back the difference.
  • If you’re buying from individuals instead of businesses (think: eBay), meet potential buyers and sellers in public locations. If you’re buying, inform the seller you’ll initially meet without cash just to inspect the item.

Robert Siciliano is an expert in personal privacy, security and identity theft. Learn more about Carbonite Personal plans. See him discussing identity theft prevention. Disclosures.

8 Ways to Ensure Safe and Secure Online Shopping this Holiday Season

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So, who’s on your holiday gift list this year? That list is a lot longer than you think; consider all the names of hackers that have not yet appeared on it. Scammers will do whatever it takes to get on your holiday gift list! Here’s how to keep these cyber thieves out of your pocket:

  • Before purchasing from a small online merchant, see what the Better Business Bureau says and also search Google for reviews.
  • If you see an unexpected e-mail allegedly from a retailer you shop at, don’t open it. Scammers send out millions of trick e-mails that appear to be from major retailers. They hope to trick gullible shoppers into clicking on them and revealing sensitive information. So many of these scam e-mails get sent out that it’s common for someone to receive one that appears to be from a store they very recently purchased from.
  • When shopping online at a coffee house or other public spot, sit with your back to a wall so that “visual hackers” don’t spy over your shoulder. Better yet, avoid using public Wi-Fi for online shopping.
  • Back up your data. When shopping online it’s highly probable you’ll stumble upon an infected website designed to inject malicious code on your device. Malware called “ransomware” will hold your data hostage. Backing up your data in the cloud to Carbonite protects you from having to pay the ransom.
  • Save all your financial, banking and other sensitive online transactions for when you’re at home to avoid unsecure public Wi-Fi networks.
  • Change all of your passwords to increase your protection should a retailer you shop at fall victim to a data breach. Every account of yours should have a different and very unique password.
  • Ditch the debit card; a thief could drain your bank account in seconds. Use only credit cards. Why? If a fraudster gets your number and you claim the unauthorized purchase within 60 days, you’ll get reimbursed.
  • Review your credit card statements monthly and carefully. Investigate even tiny unauthorized charges, since thieves often start out small to “test the waters.”

Robert Siciliano is an expert in personal privacy, security and identity theft. Learn more about Carbonite Personal plans. See him discussing identity theft prevention. Disclosures.

Post Holiday Online Shopping Security

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When it comes to online security, don’t let your guard down just because the holiday shopping frenzy has passed. In fact, this may be the very time to put your guard up even higher.

4HThough it’s smart to have your radar on for the scammers during the holidays, the scammers don’t exactly go slithering back under their slimy rocks once the New Year is here. So here’s how to be safe online during, and after, the holiday season.

  • Never click a link inside an e-mail. Better yet, delete, without even opening, any e-mails with subject lines promising great offers, gifts, prizes, money or other hyped-up things.
  • If you don’t see the “https” before the Web address in the address bar, the site is not secure. A secure site always has “https” preceded by a padlock symbol.
  • Be suspicious of “too good to be true” offers that are tweeted or messaged through social media.
  • Do you shop on eBay? Then shop on eBay, not through e-mails supposedly sent by eBay. These are scams.
  • Speaking of eBay, always review the feedback of the seller.
  • Another thing to look for is the domain name of anything you received via e-mail. Scammers typosquat or cybersquat on legitimate domains.
  • You can upgrade your protection by doing your online shopping only with reputable, well-known retailers. Though some purchases will be an exception (e.g., home-baked chocolate chip cookies), other purchases like electronics, appliances, linens and consumables should be purchased from trusted merchants.
  • Shop online only when your connection is secure; Unless you use a VPN, never shop in cyberspace from a hotel’s, airport’s or café’s Wi-Fi connection. And make sure your computer’s security is always updated.
  • Never use a debit card online, because if a scammer takes your money, it will be gone that instant from your checking account. With a credit card, at least you won’t have to pay the bill if the fraud is reported within 60 days.
  • Never make an online purchase with your checking account—this means money being withdrawn before you receive the product…that you might never receive anyways.
  • Check credit card statements every two weeks if it’s set up online, and check every paper statement.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing  identity theft prevention.

7 Careful Commerce tips when Shopping this Holiday Season

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Frosty the Hackman is teaming up this season with the Grinch to scam people out of their money. Shopping online is a godsend, but it brings with it a pristine opportunity to be ripped off.
http://www.dreamstime.com/stock-images-online-risks-sign-road-banner-image34668294

  1. Avoid Phishing Scams. Never click on links inside e-mails even if they’re (allegedly!) from Macy’s, Kohl’s or some other big-name retailer. Scammers can easily make an e-mail appear legitimate. The e-mail inside the message may take you to a website that downloads a virus to your computer.
  2. Thwart Visual Hackers. Planning on doing some online shopping on your lunch break? Some hackers steal data by literally snooping over the shopper’s shoulder and if your credit card number, social security or other personal identifiable information happens to be on display on screen, you will be at risk. If you couple the 3M company’s ePrivacy Filter with their 3M Privacy Filter, “visual hackers” won’t be able to see from side angles, and you’ll be alerted to those peering over your shoulder and from most other angles.
  3. Do Your Research. If you want to buy from an unknown little retailer, hunt for reviews first. Be alert to phony reviews to make them look great; identical reviews across different sites are a bad sign. Check the Better Business Bureau’s rating for retailers you visit.
  4. Be Wary of Free Wi-Fi While it might be tempting to double check your bank account balance or get some emails done while you’re waiting in line for the register, if you’re accessing an unencrypted network you are putting yourself and your personal information at risk for data theft.
  5. Credit over Debit. If you get ripped off, the money is gone the second the card is used. At least with a credit card, you have some time to issue a dispute, and the card company will usually give you a full credit.
  6. Review Your Credit Regularly. Since you’ll be using your credit cards more frequently during the holidays, it’s important to stay on top of your statements to make sure there are no fraudulent charges.
  7. Mind your Passwords. To increase your security across the web, update your passwords during the holiday season in case one of your favorite retailers is hacked. Even if these sites are not infiltrated, right away consider changing your passwords across the board to better protect yourself down the road. And while it is annoying to remember different passwords, it’s important to very them for optimal protection.

Robert Siciliano is a Privacy Consultant to 3M discussing Identity Theft and Privacy on YouTube. Disclosures.