Newswise — It's safe to shop online this holiday season, but consumers would do well to follow these tips from Judith Collins, a Michigan State University expert on identity theft:
1.Update anti-virus and anti-spyware software. These will help protect consumers from hackers who try to capture consumers' personal information even as they type it into a Web site.
2.Place a password protection on credit card and bank accounts, including checking and savings accounts. This prevents unauthorized purchases from being sent to an address that is different from the credit card's billing address, as well as unauthorized transfers of money and withdrawals. Using a password, consumers still can call the credit card company to approve that merchandise be sent to a different address, such as with a gift purchase.
3.Use a low-limit credit card for online shopping. Even if credit card information is stolen, this minimizes the amount of damage a thief can inflict.
4.Maintain checking accounts separately from savings accounts. Linking a checking account to a savings account to cover potential overdrafts risks the loss of money from both if one is accessed.
5.Cancel any automatic withdrawal payments and instead have them billed to a credit card. Automatic withdrawals, while convenient, allow for too much access to consumers' money.
6.Shop with reputable businesses with secure sites. Look for a lock symbol in the lower, right-hand corner of a site as well as a letter "s" in the https part of a Web site address. This ensures that the site is encrypted and safe for business transactions.
7.If shopping through an unfamiliar site, research its origin through sites such as www.samspade.org, which give information about the site's technical and administrative contacts. Also check for complaints with the Better Business Bureau where the company is located.
8.Read an online vendor's privacy statement. Some companies automatically collect and use customers' names, addresses and other personal information into its database. This information may be shared with other companies, and it is hard to ensure whether their database is secure.
9.Consider doing business with banks and credit card companies that provide customers with free services in the event they become victims of identity theft. Some companies capitalize on consumers' fears of becoming victims of identity theft and sell them unnecessary services, such as credit reports, which consumers may access for free.
10.Check for and review a company's return and shipping policies to avoid unnecessary or unauthorized fees.
Step-by-step instructions on what consumers can do if they're victims of identity theft are available from Collins' Identity Theft Partnerships in Prevention in MSU's School of Criminal Justice at http://www.cj.msu.edu/~outreach/identity, [email protected] or at (517) 432-7170.
Consumers who suspect they have been victims of unscrupulous business practices or of identity theft should report suspicious activity to the Federal Trade Commission at http://www.econsumer.gov or (877) FTC-HELP.
FOR MSU ID THEFT SPECIAL REPORT, see http://special.newsroom.msu.edu/ID_theft/
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