Five Ways to Keep the Grinch Out of Your Cybershopping: Tips from U.S. Bank Security Coach Jason Witty
November 27 2015 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
The thrill and chaos of holiday shopping is upon the American
public, and unfortunately with that comes the inherent risk of
cyber fraud. U.S. Bank is offering tips for online purchasing that
help shoppers see visions of sugarplums, and not sour apples.
Historically, Americans spend billions of dollars over the last
two months of the year. On Cyber Monday alone, as many as 183.8
million people will shop online, according to the National Retail
Federation. With an increased threat of digital fraud, what can
consumers do to secure their personal data?
“It’s important to remember the critical role consumers play
when it comes to protecting their personal information and data;
they can’t rely on businesses and retailers alone,” said Jason
Witty, Chief Information Security Officer at U.S. Bank. “Holiday
shopping is fun, but it’s important to always remember the risks
involved and take proper precautions.”
Witty is part of the U.S. Bank Coaches Program, which is a team
of experts offering practical insights and advice on relevant and
important financial topics. Witty has provided five tips for
protecting personal information while shopping online during the
holiday season:
1. Beware of the Grinch Lurking in Your Inbox:
It's always safer to manually type in the website of the company
you are looking to make a purchase from than click on a link from
an email. Criminals often times create "fake" advertisements
looking to fool the average holiday shopper – if it came in an
email and it's too good to believe, it's probably a scam.
2. Spend the Holidays with Those You Trust: There
are a lot of websites out there. Do you know the company you are
about to buy from? Did their website just pop up on the internet
this week? It's always a good idea to know who you are giving your
payment or personal information to. Generally speaking, if you have
never heard of a company, it's a bit of a gamble to give them your
information.
3. New Technology isn’t Just for Under the Tree:
New technologies like ApplePay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay
utilize a system called "tokenization." This allows you to pay
using a secure "token" that is tied to your credit or debit card
(and device), but is not the actual credit or debit card number. If
you don't have the ability to use one of these newer technologies,
try to pay using one of the newer "chip" cards that also provide
much more security than the traditional magnetic stripe on the back
of your card.
4. The More the Merrier: If you have more than one
credit card, you can manage your "hassle risk" much more
effectively if you use one card to put into websites that will
store that information (e.g. your gas/energy company, your phone
company, a major online retailer you use frequently) and a totally
different card that you use for holiday purchases.
5. Keep an Eye on Your Christmas List: Consumers
are the first line of defense. Check your accounts online regularly
(maybe even daily) to be sure there are no lumps of coal.
About U.S. Bank
Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB),
with $416 billion in assets as of September 30,
2015, is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association,
the fifth largest commercial bank in the United States. The
Company operates 3,151 banking offices in 25 states and 5,001 ATMs
and provides a comprehensive line of banking, investment, mortgage,
trust and payment services products to consumers, businesses and
institutions. Visit U.S. Bancorp on the web
at www.usbank.com.
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Dana RipleyU.S. Bank Corporate
Communications612-303-3167dana.ripley@usbank.comTwitter:
@usbank_news
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