Everyone loves shopping, especially when there are so many great deals. Seeking the perfect deal on gifts during Black Friday or Cyber Monday is becoming a tradition during the holidays. While holiday shopping is always fun, you’ll want to ensure you’re taking every precaution to shop safely and securely.
Check Your Account
Whether it’s through the Credit Union’s mobile app or online banking, keep tabs on your account to make sure there isn’t any suspicious activity. With many different transactions taking place during the holiday season, it’s essential to ensure your account is correct.
Use Control My Card by KTVAECU®
The Control My Card app enables you to turn your credit or debit card on or off anytime, anywhere. This can save you if there is suspicious activity on your account. You can also set alerts based on your shopping location so if a purchase happens outside of your designated city or area, you will be notified. Control My Card allows you to be in complete control of your cards.
Use Stronger Passwords
With so many online accounts, it’s extremely important to have secure passwords. It’s common practice to cycle through simple passwords so you can remember them, but this puts your account information at risk. Use strong passwords when shopping online. Do NOT use the name of your kids, pets, favorite team, or city of birth. Also, make sure you’re not using your birthday, anniversary, or any other important number associated with you. You’ll want to use a combination of numbers, lower case letters, upper case letters, and special characters.
Use Safe Payment Options
Using safe payment options can significantly improve your overall security while shopping. Credit Cards are usually the safest option because the money is not directly taken from your account when using them.
Never Use Public Wi-Fi for Purchases
Using public Wi-Fi for purchases will increase your chances of identity theft, among other problems. The safest option is to use your own cellular network when making online purchases.
At the end of the day, the holiday shopping season is about having fun and buying gifts for others. The most important thing is staying safe and secure. Hopefully, these tips will assist you in shopping safely and securely this holiday season. Have fun and be careful!
