The holiday season is right around the corner, meaning that more people will be out shopping and ordering online. Vice President of Security Savings Bank Dorothy Ricketts and Monmouth Police Chief Joe Switzer, offer tips so that you can protect yourselves from scams and identity theft.
When ordering online, Ricketts advises listeners to make sure you are on a legit website:
“If it seems to go to be true it probably is. So you really need to be checking the websites you are on and make sure they don’t have extra words in there, like ‘Deals at Famous Merchant’ type of thing. Just make sure you are on that merchants website. Otherwise you have given you’re personal information, you’re credit card or debit card information, home address, that type of thing. And if you get a product it will probably be shotty,” Ricketts reports.
For those getting packages delivered to your home, Switzer offers tips on how to make sure you items will not be stolen:
“Have it delivered if you can at a time when you’re going to be home. Or make sure you are at home when that delivery is going to be made. Or have it to your work, if your work allows that. Have it delivered to somebody that you know is going to be home when that delivery will be made. So that box is not sitting on your porch for four hours before you get home from work,” shares Switzer.
Ricketts and Switzer also offer tips on making sure to research charities to make sure they are real before donating, be aware of when purchasing gift cards, and putting your name on a star is not as real as it sounds.
To make sure you are protected from scams and identity theft, make sure to research and ask questions before taking action.
