In this season of joy and giving and shopping who wants to think about getting ripped off?
But in this era of cyber predators we must take as much care with information as you would with your wallet in a place frequented by pickpockets.
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (fcac.gc.ca) urges everyone to be a little extra vigilant during the holidays, since we are often rushed and trying to do two things at once.
Justin Hwang, associate vice president of Fraud Management at TD Canada Trust, says that bogus websites can easily snare the unwary.
He notes that website addresses beginning with https:// are usually secure. But if you update your antivirus software regularly you’ll be alerted to the phony ones.
With so much shopping going on at this time of year you should also take a glance at your credit card and bank statements more often than normal to catch any unauthorized activity.
When you are short of time it’s tempting to hand over your credit or debit card to a child to make certain purchases for you.
Aside from the fact that such use violates your contract with the bank, even the most responsible kids don’t necessarily understand the importance of being vigilant about fraud.
But, of course, many youngsters these days have their own debit cards and may be authorized users on a parental card.
Watch them as they use these cards and coach them about ensuring their card is always close at hand.
They shouldn’t put it on the cashier’s counter where others in line can see it.
And keeping their PIN one giant secret is vital. I recommend kids change their PIN every six months or so.
