Tis the season for Santa, stockings, sugar plums and… scam artists looking to suck your bank account dry. You can kiss your merry Christmas goodbye if that happens.
According to money experts, the months of November and December see the greatest number of fraud victims. The idea of spending cash instead of charging up huge totals on your credit cards is a good one. However, you need to be especially vigilant when using a debit card online to purchase holiday gifts. If you become a victim of a fraud, you can potentially lose all of the cash in your bank account, and it can take a long time to recover the money. A safer alternative is to open a bank account for online shopping only, and keep a limited amount of money in the account to pay for your purchases.
If you are planning to make multiple purchases on Cyber Monday or any time between now and Christmas, take steps to keep your personal information safe. Never make an online purchase if you are on a computer that does not have active antivirus software. Another way to stay safe is to shop exclusively at sites where URLs begin with “http.” Also, look for sites that display a padlock symbol indicating a secure transaction.
Online bargains are a dime a dozen during the holiday season, though not all of them are legitimate. Before snagging an Internet deal read the fine print. Get details on the company’s return and exchange policies. What’s more, some seasonal offers have expiration dates or other contingencies. Be sure you know what you are getting yourself into before you agree to the purchase.
Finally, when using coupons see how you can maximize their value. Some places allow you to double up while others will let you combine coupons with gift certificates or other daily deals.