AAA urges online shoppers to take precautions against identity theft

With the holiday shopping season upon us, AAA is reminding shoppers to take precautions now to avoid becoming a target for identity theft, a crime that authorities say is growing in frequency almost daily.

• The frequency of identity theft has been skyrocketing over the last few years, including credit card fraud.
• The average money lost in identity theft has nearly doubled since 2019.
• With a $500 median loss, the cost to victims is growing as we become more digitally dependent.
• Last year, consumers experienced almost $400 million in losses from online shopping.

1. Closely monitor your bank account and review all credit card transactions. Immediately report any suspicious activity.
2. Don’t use public Wi-Fi. Doing so leaves users susceptible to hackers intercepting personal information or implanting malware on a targeted computer or device.
3. Make sure online shopping sites begin with https – not just http. The ‘s’ stands for secure.
4. Never share personal information with any incoming callers or anyone who reaches out by email, regardless of how legitimate, threatening or urgent the caller or email seems. Contact the person or company by way of an independent phone number (not the one provided by the caller or email) to ask if there is a problem.
5. Never click on links in emails or text messages unless you were expecting the communication and are 100% sure it is safe.
6. Enable two-factor authentication on accounts when given the option to do so. This provides an extra layer of security.
7. Freeze your credit, thus preventing anyone from opening an account or credit card in your name. It is free to unfreeze your credit should you need to open an account yourself.