Protecting Your Online Identity During Holiday Shopping

The holidays are among us and with that comes an increase in online shopping. As military families we have become pros at clicking add to cart. With an increase in online shopping comes an increase in identity theft. Here are some great tips to making sure you keep yourself and your finances safe this holiday season. 

1. Use a credit card. While not everyone may have a credit card they do provide an extra level of security when making online purchases and should any unusual activity occur your card company will likely notice before you do. 
2. Avoid third party payment systems like Venmo and CashApp when checking out. While these may be great for sending quick cash to someone you know and trust. They do not provide purchase protection when shopping online vendors. 
3. If it seems too good to be true it probably is! Avoid clicking links on Facebook, Instagram and other social media sites promising you a deal of a lifetime! If they are offering you a free iPhone with a $100 purchase it’s most likely a scam. 
4. Only shop from secure websites. Make sure that the URL begins with “https” or “http”. These types of websites are en rooted and safe to enter your card information on. 
5. Ensure you are using unique logins for each site you are purchasing on. Not only does this help you keep your account secure it also provides you with easy access to see your past orders and tracking information. 
6. This may seem like a no brainer but as military families we are so used to providing social security numbers. Never enter your social for an online retailer to purchase something! They do not need it. 
7. Avoid clicking links and images in your email. Instead opt to go directly to their sites via your web browser. This ensures you are visiting a secure website. 
8. This one can be hard sometimes but avoid free public Wi-Fi. Hackers are known to create fake Wi-Fi networks to steal your personal information. 
9. Last but not least, monitor your card activity! Keeping track of what you spend and being vigilant will help you catch any unusual activity quickly. 

Online shopping has quickly become a convenient way to not only buy gifts for our immediate family but to also send gifts back to family we may not be able to be with during the holidays. Make sure you are doing your part to keep your identity safe this holiday season. 

This article is sponsored by IDIQ . IDIQ brings superior benefits and a team of U.S.-based experts to offer the highest level of customer service to bring you industry-leading identity theft protection, credit monitoring, and data breach management. Remember, children are just as vulnerable to identity theft as adults, but they don’t have access to the same system of checks and alerts. By falsifying birth dates, thieves can use your child’s Social Security number to open credit cards, take out loans, apply for government benefits, and more. To help protect your kids from identity theft, click here!

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