Cyber Monday Scams

Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving!!! Lookout for Cyber Monday Deals-and Scams Turkey, pumpkin pie, and football aren't the only things that are part of many American's Thanksgiving traditions. Steals, deals, and bargain prices are also becoming a part of the holiday season-and more and more people are going online to find them. Cyber Monday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year for consumers and retailers, also provides a golden opportunity for scammers and spammers looking to take advantage of the higher than normal amount of people shopping online. On Cyber Monday, hackers use tactics like preying on popular keyword searches, such as "jewelry" or "flat screen TV," to lure unsuspecting shoppers to malicious websites. The Department of Homeland Security's Stop.Think.Connect.TM Campaign offers the following tips to help safeguard your personal information and transactions on Cyber Monday and throughout the holiday season: Keep your computer, browser, anti-virus and other critical software up to date. Security updates and patches are available for free from major companies. Pay attention to website URLs. Malicious websites may look identical to a legitimate site, but the URL may use a variation in spelling or a different domain (e.g., .com vs. .net). Also look in the address box for the "s" in https:// before any transaction. That "s" tells you that the site is taking extra measures to help secure your information. Beware of deals that sound too good to be true. Use caution when opening email attachments and do not follow unsolicited web links in email messages. Pay special attention to extremely low prices on hard-to-get items. Check privacy policies. Before providing personal or financial information, check the website's privacy policy to ensure your safety. Use a credit card. There are laws to limit your liability for fraudulent credit card charges, and you may not have the same level of protection when using your debit card. Keep a record of your order. Retain all documentation from the order in the event your purchase does not ship or if there are unauthorized charges on your bill. Check your statements. Keep a record of your purchases and copies of confirmation pages, and compare them to your bank statements. If there is a discrepancy, report it immediately.