Protect yourself from cyber criminals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- In recent decades, shoppers have lined up overnight on Black Friday in hopes of snagging the hottest deals in stores. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, however, more people are expected to do the bulk of their shopping online.
Before you input any of your personal or financial information online, make sure the website you're on is legit. Keep in mind, most safe websites clearly show an email address, physical, address, phone number, and if they have one; a return policy.
Experts also suggest using a credit card for all of your online purchases.
According to a warning from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, there are laws that limit your liability for fraudulent credit card charges, but you may not have the same protection with your debit card.
Plus, unauthorized purchases on your debit card may make it harder for you to pay other bills.
Something else to look out for; emails asking you for your personal information.
The CISA says cyber criminals may attempt to gather information by sending emails requesting that you confirm purchase or account information.
They say not to even click on the email. Instead, log on to the authentic website by typing the address in your browser.
When all of your shopping is done, make sure you compare all of your online receipts to your bank statement. If anything doesn’t match up, report it to your bank immediately.
Before you provide any personal or financial information on a website or app, take a look at their privacy policy to see how your information will be stored once you're done.
