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Holiday Shopping Tips From The Auto Club

Insurance & Consumer Tips
Santa shops online

As shoppers snap up gifts, décor and travel arrangements for the holidays, they can take steps to protect themselves both online and at the shopping center, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

 

With credit and debit cards being swiped at the fastest rates of the year, there are multiple opportunities for ID theft both while shopping online and in the store. Auto Club members have access to two excellent member benefits that provide identity theft monitoring. The free member benefit ProtectMyID® Essential provides basic credit monitoring of members’ Experian credit report, while ProtectMyID® Deluxe offers comprehensive daily monitoring of credit reports from all three major credit monitoring bureaus, plus many other valuable features to safeguard identities of both members and their children.

 

To prevent theft of your credit card or other personal information over the holiday, the Auto Club recommends:

 

  • Stick to familiar websites that you know are secure. Don’t use a new website to buy something before checking consumer reviews, and make sure it offers a secure web page for credit card transactions.

 

  • Beware of fake gift cards offered through websites or third parties. Buy gift cards directly from the retailer. When buying a card from a kiosk in a store, ask the clerk to check the card and activate it before you buy. Scammers have been known to tamper with cards and then put them back on shelves.

 

  • Be wary of who you accept an e-card from. Cyber criminals can load e-card links or attachments with viruses and malware that download to your computer once you click on the e-card.

 

  • If you donate to the needy during the holidays, be sure the charity you’re donating to is legitimate. Never give in response to an email solicitation or phone call. Instead, identify a charity you want to support, research it thoroughly and make a donation securely, either through snail mail or the charity’s own secure website.

 

  • Don’t shop online or access/type personal data while using an unsecured wi-fi connection in a public place or on a public computer. Hackers may be able to steal that information.

 

  • When shopping at retail locations, don’t let your credit card out of sight when paying for purchases. Make sure your purse or wallet is secure at all times. If using a debit card, protect your pin number from sight.

 

  • Keep your smartphone in a secure place when shopping or out, and use a passcode lock feature if it has one. Thieves can access a trove of personal data by stealing an unsecured cell phone.

 

Auto Club of Southern California members can enroll in ProtectMyID Deluxe by calling 877-279-6418 or by visiting AAA.com/creditmonitoring.

CST 1016202-80 Copyright © Automobile Club of Southern California. All Rights Reserved.
The Automobile Club of Southern California is a member club affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and serves members in the following California counties: Inyo, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura.