Protect Yourself from Online Shopping Scams

The holiday season is prime time for fraudsters, so it’s important to be vigilant when hunting down deals and searching for the best gifts online. Here are some tips to keep your personal and credit card information safe:

• Shop only on secure websites. Double check that the website address begins with “https://” (the “s” stands for secure).

• Pay by credit card if you can. Never send cash.

• Be on the lookout for prices that are too good to be true. They’re likely counterfeits.

• Don’t use public Wi-Fi to shop online. Wait to get home, or use your data plan.

• Read the site’s privacy policy and find out how your information will be used.

• Don’t respond to an email or pop-up message that asks for financial information. Legitimate companies don’t ask for this information this way.

• Read your credit card statements and check for unauthorized charges.

• Don’t allow auto-fill for your passwords or personal information, like your address, and never allow a site to store your credit card information.

Find more tips online at canada.ca/money.

www.newscanada.com