The Season of Giving

As the holiday season approaches, many of us will be looking to get the perfect gifts for our loved ones.

#blackfriday2021 and #CyberMonday (the Monday after Thanksgiving) are the two busiest online shopping days of the year. In the US alone, 2020 Cyber Monday sales showed a 15.1% increase coming in at a whopping $10.8 Billion. According to the National Retail Federation, 186.4 million consumers will be taking advantage of sales.

You may find yourself eager to dive into the digital deals available on these days. Unfortunately, this is also when bad actors are eager to dive into your personal and financial information. According to an Experian Survey of 1,000 people, 1 in 4 respondents have fallen prey to fraud during the holidays.

With #Ransomware and other online scams on the rise Forbes magazine has indicated that nearly 90% of Americans are concerned over hacking attempts targeting them. Now is the time to be extra careful with how you use your personal/financial information online.

Here Are Some Tips to Ensure That You Shop Safely and Securely:

* Know your online shopping merchants. Purchase from websites that you already know, trust, and have done business with previously.

 * Don’t fall prey to a look-alike domain. Hovering the mouse cursor over hyperlinks and images will show you the address. If it looks ‘off’ in any way, don’t use it.

 * Do not use public computers or Wi-Fi access. These may contain malicious software (Malware) that can steal your financial information when placing your order. 

 * Some things are too good to be true.

Be wary of websites that:

• Advertise dramatically cheaper prices
• Claim to have products that are sold-out nationwide

* Do not respond to pop-ups. When a window pops up promising cash or gift cards for answering a question or taking a survey, close it by pressing control + F4 for Windows or Command + W for Macs.

 * Read the reviews! Type the URL into a search engine and see what other people have said, looking for terms like “fraud,” “scam,” etc.

 * Do not save your payment information on your accounts. While convenient, it leaves your information vulnerable to cyber thieves or data breaches. Whenever possible check out as “guest” instead of storing your information.

 * Look for “HTTPS” when making an online purchase. Most browsers show a connection is encrypted by having a lock and/or the letters HTTPS (S for Secure) in green right before the website’s URL.

 * Keep an eye on all your accounts. Check statements for fraudulent charges at least once a week, or set up account alerts. When you receive a text or email about a charge, you can confirm if it is legitimate.

 * Ensure that your anti-virus software is up to date.

 In This Season of Giving …

• Give gifts,
• Share Knowledge of staying safe online when you meet family, friends and even your grandparents,
• Accept requests asking for help if you can, but Don’t Take the Bait!
• Spend some extra time looking into your credit/ debit account statements and even pending transactions.

Lookout for exciting offers from Rainbow Secure to secure your business in today’s digital world.

Wishing you all happy thanks giving and happy holiday season ahead.