Don’t let the Grinch steel your Holidays. Stay safe when doing online shopping for the holidays and all year long!

Always protect your card and account PIN. Be sure it is not easily guessable, do not enter it on a non-secure site. Make sure the URL of the website you are on starts with “https”. The “s” stands for secure and means the site is encrypted which makes all data transmission much safer to guard against hackers. You can also look for the small padlock which also shows the site is secure.

If you get a suspicious call, email, or text, don’t disclose any personal information, period. Contact the company directly and verify it’s from a legitimate source and a legitimate request

If you run into a computer problem, only allow remote access into your computer when you’ve initiated the contact with a company you know through a verified phone number or website.

Set up 2-factor authentication on your accounts with all the companies you deal with online. Even if a hacker obtains some of your information, they will not get access into your account and you will be notified if they try to long in. This is one of the best ways to keep your accounts safe.

If you suspect one of your accounts may have been compromised, immediately change your user ID and password and closely monitor for any fraudulent activity.