Payments
Black Friday as we know it—a post-Thanksgiving rush for the best shopping deals—began in the 1980s. Since then, however, it’s grown into an extra-long weekend of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday.
Unfortunately, the holiday shopping season is identity thieves and hackers’ favorite time of year to steal from honest, hardworking individuals. With the abundance of data breaches that have taken place this year, it’s now more important than ever to make sure we’re all being vigilant and taking the appropriate steps to protect ourselves, our payment card numbers, and any personally identifiable information.
Whether you’re planning on camping out for doorbuster deals, having an online shopping spree during your lunch break, or donating your end-of-year bonus to your favorite charity, safety should always be top-of-mind. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you buy gifts for your friends and loved ones:
Black Friday
Over the last year, we’ve seen a lot of data breaches involving point-of-sale (PoS) systems. In most cases, thieves have been able to infiltrate the systems businesses use to process payments by installing malware. So if you swipe your card on an infected PoS system, your payment information can be sent straight to the criminals who are hoping to drain your bank account.
How can you avoid falling victim to a PoS attack or another type of Black Friday scam? Using cash is always safer than using a credit or debit card. Just remember to hang on to your wallet in busy stores! If you’re not a fan of using cash, credit cards are usually better options than debit cards. Credit card companies tend to offer better protections and if a thief tries to steal money from you, they won’t be holding up tangible funds in your bank account that you may have set aside to pay upcoming bills.
Cyber Monday
There are no physical PoS systems to swipe your card online, but that doesn’t mean Cyber Monday scams and identity theft risks don’t exist. It may be tempting to visit a website that seems to have the best deals, but never make a purchase on a website unless it is absolutely secure.
What are some signs you’re on a secure website that can be trusted? The URL should always begin with “https” rather than “http”—the added “s” means it’s secure. Some browsers also include a padlock symbol in front of the web address to show the site has a trusted security certificate. Likewise, some browsers will also tell you if it appears that a website is not secure or dangerous.
Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is the perfect day to give back and support charitable initiatives you feel strongly about. Even though you have the best of intentions, cyber criminals and identity thieves can still take advantage of your generous spirit.
Before you donate any money on Giving Tuesday, make sure that the charity or organization you’re contributing to is legitimate. It’s also smart to be wary of any fraudulent GoFundMe pages or other crowdsourced initiatives—unless you know the person who posted the page and you’re sure your money will go to the right place, it’s sometimes best to direct your charitable dollars elsewhere.
These tips aren’t meant to put a damper on your holiday shopping plans. We just want everyone to enjoy the season of giving, while still remaining vigilant and aware of the ways identity thieves may try to take advantage of their trust or kindness.