It can be a lot of fun to shop around online. But whether it’s the holiday season or you’re looking to fill some summer birthday wish lists, you have to keep cyber threats off your trail. Your financial details and personal information can be incredibly valuable, and there are plenty of hackers out there who want your details. That’s why you’ve got to take the right steps to protect your accounts.
How to Avoid Online Shopping Security Risks
Sometimes you have to act fast to get a good deal. But if you aren’t careful, you might accidently open the door to tricky cyber threats. Here are some of the most common ways that hackers could catch you off guard.
1. Misleading Emails
The first thing to keep in mind is that some sneaky cyber-criminals might create realistic emails to advertise special discounts. It’s often smarter to type in the company website on your own email browser before you click on those deals. Going to the legitimate site directly—from your own search bar—can help keep you from entering your payment information right into a hacker’s account.
2. Unsecure Networks
Also, don’t forget that public WiFi networks can be easily tampered with by hackers. Usually, it’s easier for your personal details to get swiped in public settings. Whenever possible, it’s better to stick to browsing and shopping on your home internet connection or another secure location, like your office.
3. Debit Accounts
The next step to consider is how you’re paying for your orders. With online shopping, it’s typically best to go with a credit card instead of a debit card. If someone has access to all of your debit information, they could potentially drain your entire bank account. You might be able to work with your bank to get refunds on what was stolen, but that would take some time—and there isn’t always a guarantee you’ll be protected.
4. Redundant Passwords
You can also protect your information by creating unique passcodes for every login you’ve claimed. Recycling passwords can help cyber-criminals tap into all of our accounts in one fell swoop. Imagine a robot using a password and login on multiple websites simultaneously. It wouldn’t take long for it to figure out a couple legitimate accounts and then collect more data on you and your family.
Working With the IRS After Identity Theft
Unfortunately, even if you follow all of the best practices, there are still ways for hackers and online threats to break through and steal your information. Because it’s an ongoing issue, you really have to stay on your toes year-round.
For example, even if your bank account looks correct after the holiday shopping rush, and every expense lines up with what you actually spent, there might still be an underlying problem. Sometimes we don’t realize that we’ve been hit with identity theft until months later. These problems might not pop up until you start working through your tax returns and hear from the IRS that they’ve already received your information. That is, a fake tax return made in your name.
If you ever have to deal with identity theft with your social security or through a falsified tax return, please know you aren’t alone. Our team atNSO and Companyhas helped clients resolve identity theft issues with the IRS before, and we know we’ll have to do it again. Hopefully you won’t have to experience it for yourself, but if it does, we’ll be here for you! Just call us at (317) 588-3131