The holidays can be a hectic time of year. One of the most stressful things is buying presents for all of your loved ones. Have you ever been in a store or online and rushed to checkout so that you can get a great deal. If so, don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Even in a situation like this you’ve got to keep a clear mind to protect against identity theft while holiday shopping. Criminals would love to turn your information into a gift (or many) for themselves. The tips below will help you keep your information safe and your holiday season a happy one.

Tips For Safe Holiday Shopping

• Keep An Eye On Your Financial Statements – During the holidays you are likely to be doing a lot of spending. This can include lots of little transactions that can clutter up your bank statements. Keep track of your transactions and keep an eye out for anything fraudulent or suspicious. The faster you can catch identity theft, the less work it will be to clear things up.
• Shop Online Via A Secure Network – If your home WiFi is set up properly, you shouldn’t have any worries about shopping online over your network. This isn’t the case with public WiFi. When using public WiFi, many people have access to the same network. This means that any information you send or receive through the internet can be obtained by a savvy thief. You should never shop while using public WiFi.
• Shop Only On Trusted Websites – In your search for gifts you may come across a crazy deal and want to jump on it as fast as you can. This is understandable, but you must make sure the website you’re purchasing through is legitimate. There are many websites that are set up to accept your payment with no intentions of shipping any product. It is also important to check the security of a website by looking at the URL. Any website with https:// at the beginning is secure. This is an important key to protect against identity theft while holiday shopping.
• Skip Using Debit – When shopping you should elect to use cash or a credit card instead of a debit card. A credit card offers much greater protection against fraudulent activity as opposed to a debit card. Since money is taken from your account the instant a transaction is made with a debit card, it falling into the wrong hands can be a real problem.
• Watch Out For Skimmers – Skimmers are devices attached to ATM machines or card readers which are designed to steal your credit card information. We recommend always jiggling the portion of a machine where your card is designed to be inserted. If you have the option to use Apple Pay or another form of card-free payment, this is recommended. Often a skimmer will feel loose and may even detach when jostled a bit. Also, keep your pin code protected from shoppers behind you in line or at the ATM.

The holidays are meant to be a time of joy and giving. Use these tips to protect against identity theft while holiday shopping so that your holiday season is just that.

We are closing in on mid-term elections in the United States and you’re surely seeing political advertisements and signs everywhere. As November 6^th approaches, the frequency of ads, campaigning and donation requests are sure to increase. Like many Americans, you may have very strong feelings about a specific issue, amendment or politician. This is excellent, but there are illegitimate organizations which will use your emotions to try and fraudulently obtain some of your money through a donation. Below, we will outline a few guidelines to follow so that you don’t fall for political donation scams.

Do Your Research

Before you make any donation to an organization or political campaign, take a few minutes to research exactly who you’re donating to. Political Action Committees (or PACs) are “organizations that raise money privately to influence elections or legislation, especially at the federal level.” You must be aware that many PACs do not follow through with their stated goals and may never use your money to move forward the cause you donated toward. Take some time and research the organization who you are considering donating to. Make sure you know exactly where the PAC spends their money. OpenSecrets is a website which will show you exactly how much money a PAC raises and where it’s being spent.

Tips On How To Donate

• If you’re looking to donate to a candidate, you should do so through their official website, not over the phone.
• In fact, you should never give a campaign donation over the phone. A caller ID can be manipulated to make the call seem legit, all while being completely fraudulent.
• Find out if your donation is eligible to be tax deductible. Depending on where a PAC does their lobbying can determine whether you can write off your donation.

Election season is a whirlwind that is very easy to be swept up by. Please use these tips to ensure your money actually goes toward an issue or candidate that you believe in. A few minutes of research will ensure you don’t fall for political donation scams this election year.