The holiday season is just around the corner, and while many shoppers are rushing to the malls for last-minute offers, others are looking for those perfect bargains online.
Merchants are pulling out all the stops, but so are cyber criminals. They know people are looking for a good deal and are trying to take advantage of unsuspecting online shoppers. By creating very real looking offers and emails, criminals trick people into sharing personal information and payment details.
To help shoppers stay safe during the shopping season, we have developed a “NICE” list – four simple steps to shop online more safely:
- Never click on unknown links. We tell kids not to take candy from a stranger, and need to follow that advice ourselves online. Even if an email or link looks legitimate, make sure you check before clicking.
- Insecure public WiFi should be used with caution. While public WiFi may be free, it doesn’t offer strong security protections. Before connecting, confirm it is a trusted network and only make purchases when connected to a more secure network so personal data isn’t seen by prying eyes.
- Check out digital wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Masterpass to pay online. This technology masks your card number for added security and simplifies the checkout process. And never ever email your card details.
- Enable two-factor authentication and sign up for alerts wherever possible. This extra layer of security will also give you a heads up if someone tries to gain access to your accounts.
Be NICE and share these valuable tips from Mastercard with friends and family to ensure online shopping during the holiday season is a joyful experience for one and all!
