The rise of the internet and the availability of online shopping has turned us into a nation of bed and couch shoppers. Last year alone, e-commerce sales in the United States alone amounted to $289 billion dollars! 

Take time to look over a checkout page before typing in your card information

However, legitimate retailers aren’t the only ones cashing in on the online shopping boom; hackers, scammers and other “e-criminals” are also getting in on the craze by luring shoppers into inadvertently giving them personal and financial information.

We want to take this opportunity to educate our customers about the perils of online shopping and how to ensure your transactions are safe and secure.

Find the Extra “S”- First and foremost, never make an online transaction or even input your name and address without first checking that the address at the top of the page starts with “https.” There should also be a padlock signaling that these pages are encrypted and safe to type in personal and financial information.

Beware of Public Wi-fi- Yes, shopping while chowing down on a Big Mac or while getting groceries may be convenient, but it’s also convenient for criminals to get your personal info when you’re on a public Wi-Fi network. Wait until your back at home to purchase your goods.

Update Often- Whether you’re using your desktop or laptop computer, smartphone or tablet, be sure security and apps are up to date. Updates are general fixes for backdoors or gaps that hackers can infiltrate, so stop hitting “update later” and take a little time for better security.

Extra Credit- Most cards offer payment protection if your card number is stolen, and lost money can almost always be recouped.

Sure, online shopping is convenient and can be done from almost anywhere these days. However, in order to prevent someone from going on a shopping splurge with your information, use these steps to protect yourself online.

If you think your card number or other information has been compromised, we encourage you to call your Lincoln Savings Bank branch immediately so we can help.

Until our next post later this week, shop safe and stay alert online!