Fraud 101: Shopping & Credit Cards

Whether your holiday shopping is winding down or just getting started, remember these helpful tips to keep your accounts safe this season.

• Check your accounts for fraud. Use options like Veridian's online banking or mobile app to keep track of your balances and recent transactions. Notify your card issuer immediately if you notice any unauthorized or fraudulent transactions.
• Report lost or stolen cards immediately. You can greatly reduce the chance of fraud by freezing the account as soon as you realize a card is missing.
• Get a receipt. Make sure your transaction is complete and you receive your receipt before leaving any merchant location.
• Travel light. Only carry the cards you need to use; if your wallet or purse goes missing, that's fewer accounts to block. Don't keep cards loose in your pocket, either, as that raises the chances of accidentally dropping one.
• Use mobile payments. Add your cards to mobile payment programs like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay so you don't even have to pull out your physical card. It's also more convenient and can protect your card number from being stored in the merchant's database.
• Don't use public internet. Criminals can install programs to record keystrokes on public computers and intercept traffic on public wireless networks. They can then steal credit card numbers, passwords and other confidential information. 
• Keep your web traffic safe. Look for "https" at the beginning of web addresses when making an online purchase. The "s" in "https" stands for secure, and some browsers also indicate this with a padlock symbol. While the secure designation isn't a guarantee the site is legitimate, if it's missing, that's a giant red flag.
• Surf smarter. Limit your online shopping to merchants you know and trust. Be cautious of links in emails and pop-ups. If something looks suspicious or you're not sure where it's leading you, go directly to the merchant's website that you're trying to reach.
• Don't use autofill. While saving your personal information and passwords on various websites or in your browser can make transactions faster, it's also risky. Enter your information manually every time – or better yet, use a password manager to generate and store unique passwords for each site.
• Secure your mobile device and computer. Make sure your antivirus software is current and you've installed patches and other updates to keep hackers out.