HERE ARE A FEW FACTS AND FIGURES TO CONSIDER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON 1 43% of holiday shopping identity theft occurs online 2 28% of consumers said they would risk being a victim for a good Cyber Monday deal 3 In a 2020 survey, 22% reported being victims of holiday identity theft not from online shopping, but from having their wallets or purses stolen or lost 4 However, 27% of U.S. adults are not concerned about the safety of their personal and financial information when shopping online 5 33% of consumers will use a credit card designated to online
Beware the “It” gift If it’s too good to be true, it is. Scammers pose as advertisers via websites, emails and social media accounts hawking must-have gifts, but really are “phishing” after payment for a non-existent gift via a third-party payment app such as PayPal or Venmo. Bust the porch pirates Box bandits love the holidays because of a surge in package deliveries left at your door. Help prevent theft by requiring a signature, installing security cameras or set up a lockbox outside to protect your goods. Practice “Giving Tuesday” safety Avoid holiday charity scams. Check the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch or GuideStar to verify your charitable donations are being sent to trusted, reputable nonprofit organizations. Checking it twice with account alerts Most financial institutions offer customizable transaction alerts via email or text to manage your accounts, but also to see if others are accessing your information during the frenzy of the gift-giving season. Not-so-jolly jacking Juice jacking is a scheme where public USB ports are hacked to install-data stealing malware onto your phone, which allows criminals to access passwords and other sensitive financial data. When traveling over the holidays, bring an AC charger or portable battery. Good to know Credit cards and digital wallets, instead of debit cards or peer-to-peer app methods, are better choices to make online payments to avoid fraud losses.
purchases to help protect themselves while shopping 6 Credit card users are generally on the hook for only up to $50 in cases of fraud thanks to the federal Fair Credit Billing Act 7 The FTC received more than
2.1 million fraud reports from consumers in 2020
SOURCES: EXPERIAN, FCC, FTC
calbanktrust.com/ inyourcorner
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