Tips to Protect Your Identity This Holiday Season

Identity Theft Prevention Tips

During the holiday season, you may find yourself spending more time at the mall or online to cross everything off of your loved ones wish list. While shopping this holiday season, it is important to make sure you know how to keep your identity safe. Keep these holiday identity theft prevention tips in mind to ensure that you stay safe this season.

• Only bring what you need when you are going shopping. Do not bring extra credit cards or your passport with you to the mall unless they are completely necessary.
• Only use ATMs that are connected to a bank. Free standing ATMs are much easier for thieves to install skimmers, which will steal all of your information when you put in your card.
• Do not use a public Wi-Fi connection. Public Wi-Fi connections can easily be hacked. Make sure to only enter your personal information when you are connected to a private Wi-Fi connection.
• Check the URL to ensure that you are on a secure network. Only enter your information onto sites that start with “https” and not “http” since the “s” means that it is secure.
• Change your passwords every three months. Choose a password that is hard to figure out. Do not choose a password that is connected to a known fact about you, such as your birthday.
• Use your credit cards instead of debit cards. Credit card companies are not linked directly to your bank account so your account will not be drained if your information is stolen.
• Closely monitor all of your accounts. If you see any discrepancies, make sure to report them as soon as possible to your bank or credit card company.

Having the right insurance policies is the best way to ensure that you are protected from any unfortunate situation this season. Contact the insurance professionals at Robert J. Los Insurance Agency in Hamburg, New York for all of your insurance needs.