Holiday shoppers are dashing through the stores trying to find the best deals. 🏃💨 Unfortunately, crooks are also lurking in the corner, waiting to steal your stuff…especially your financial information. 🦹
Whether you're buying gifts online or kicking it old school and heading to the mall, it pays to safeguard your credit card. 💳 The last thing you want for Christmas is a drained bank account and days spent on hold with your bank! Although sometimes that hold music has a pretty sick beat. 📞🎶
Here’s Five Fast Facts on how to avoid credit card scams:
- 💲 Credit Cards Only - When you're shopping online, avoid using your debit card. If your debit card gets stolen, crooks can easily access the funds in your bank account, which would be a huge disaster. Although banks are good about getting your money back, it could take weeks for them to investigate the fraud, leaving you short changed in the meantime. On the flip side, if your credit card is stolen, your bank account stays safe and you're not on the hook for any false charges.
- 💻 Cybersecurity 101 - In addition to using your credit card to shop online, take your safety up a notch by keeping your web browser and computer up to date. This makes sure you're browsing with the latest security features in place. Ensure your passwords are super-strong and don't use the same password for everything. Oh, and don't shop online while using public wi-fi.
- 👛 Go Digital - It might feel a bit too George Jetson for some people, but if you don't use a digital wallet, it's sure worth a try. Digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay are some of the safest payment options out there. Linking your credit card to a digital wallet encrypts your actual account number, making it really tough for a crook to steal your info. Plus, it looks cool to pay for stuff with your phone.
- ✅ Checkin' It Twice - One way criminals try to fool people is through fake websites. Even if you think you're shopping through your favorite store, double check the website URL just in case. Always look for that little lock symbol next to the web address to ensure you're shopping on a safe site. When in doubt, avoid clicking on external links to get to a store's webpage and type the address in yourself.
- 🚨 I Didn't Buy That - Most of today's credit cards offer free security features to keep you safe. Take advantage of them! For example, you can set up fraud alert notifications and get a text or an email when something shady happens. Log into your credit card's app or online account to learn more.
🔥Bottom line: Cyber criminals get smarter every day, so make sure you're shopping alert and aware. Taking the time to follow these extra steps will save you from a huge financial headache. Thinking of going all out on a gift for that special someone? Think twice before buying the gifts on this list…they might backfire!
Have you ever had your credit card stolen?
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