Shopping Locally or Online, Sales are On

Black Friday sales are in full swing, as the day following Thanksgiving begins the start of the holiday shopping season.

Many people are urging shoppers to spend their money locally. Six districts in the Austin area are promoting their stores as having products not found at the "big box" retail stores. They are the South First Street district, South Lamar, Guadalupe, Northcross, East End and North Loop.

With so much plastic being waved at cash registers across the city, Capital One is giving shoppers tips on how to protect themselves from ID theft and fraud. In addition, Cyber Monday will invite online shoppers to do some or most of their buying via the internet. A press release from Capital One said that a recent MarketLive survey reported more than half of people plan to go online to shop. The number of online shoppers is expected to be up over last year, where 49 percent of people did their shopping online. The report says people can become vulnerable when shopping online.

“Shopping online is a great way to comparison shop and save money, but we encourage all consumers to be vigilant,” said Shelley Solheim, Director of Financial Education, Capital One. “By taking a few simple steps, shoppers can help protect themselves both online and in stores and safeguard their personal information from identify thieves.”

Here are some tips from Capital One for online shopping:

· Use secure online shopping sites – To ensure that your information is protected when shopping online, look for an unbroken key or padlock at the bottom of your web browser. When you’re asked to provide payment information, the beginning of the Web site’s URL address should change from http to shttp or https, indicating that the purchase is encrypted or secured.

· Check out the seller – Look for online merchants who are members of a seal-of-approval program that sets voluntary guidelines for privacy-related practices, such as TRUSTe (www.truste.org), Verisign (www.verisign.com), or BBBonline (www.bbbonline.org). If it’s your first time on an unfamiliar site, call the seller’s phone number, so you know you can reach them if you need to. If you can’t find a working phone number, take your business elsewhere.

· Use caution with social media – Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are increasingly used by retailers to promote new deals and disseminate coupons. Unfortunately, scammers are also using these sites, often masquerading as a friend to deliver malicious links that can allow hackers to steal personal information. Keep this in mind when using social media tools and be particularly suspicious of messages or promotions you did not sign up to receive. Instead of following links, go directly to the store’s website and navigate to find the special sale item.

· Never give out your account information or social security number – Never respond to emails or instant messages that ask you to provide account information for “verification.” Don’t follow links to websites in such emails either. These are known as “phishing” scams and are used to collect account information that can then be used for fraudulent purchases.

· Consider how you’ll pay – Credit cards generally are a safe option because they allow buyers to seek a credit from the issuer if the product isn’t delivered or isn’t what was ordered. Don’t send cash or use a money-wiring service because you’ll have no recourse if something goes wrong.

· Keep your password private – Many e-commerce web sites require shoppers to log-in before viewing or placing an order. When selecting a password, do not use commonly known information, such as your name, birthdate, or numbers from your driver's license or Social Security number. You should also refrain from reusing the same password for multiple sites.

· Keep a paper trail – Print and save records of your online transactions, including the product description and price, the online receipt, and copies of any email you exchange with the seller. Read your credit card statements as soon as you get them to make sure there aren’t any unauthorized charges.

· Use a secure computer – When you’re away from home, do not save private information onto computers used by the public. If you're accessing a private account at the library or another public place, be sure to log out completely from your accounts, and do not save login information (like your username or password) on these computers.

When at the mall

· Streamline your wallet – Before shopping at the mall, clean out your wallet and take only the credit cards, checks and/or cash that you need for the day. Never carry your social security card in your wallet.

· Be aware of your surroundings – Be conscious of other shoppers standing nearby when you are making purchases. Identity thieves have been known to copy credit card information or take pictures of cards on their cell phones.

· Hold on to your receipts – Keep receipts with you – and get gift receipts that can be used for returns or exchanges. Shred receipts after you’re certain the charges match to those on monthly bank and credit card statements.

· Don’t leave valuables in your car – Your car’s glove compartment isn’t a secret hiding place. Wallets left in glove compartments account for thousands of credit card thefts every year.

· Watch out for “skimming” – “Skim Artists” are thieves who use small electronic devices, known as “skimmers” to capture a person’s credit card information. When consumers make a purchase, their card is first swiped through the legitimate machine but is also secretly swiped through the smaller skimmer machine.

If you think you are a victim of identity theft

· Place a fraud alert on your credit reports– Call one of the three credit reporting agencies, TransUnion, Experian or Equifax. Report that you have been an identity theft victim and request a “fraud alert” and/or victim statement to be placed on your credit file. The company you call is required to contact the other two.

· Close the accounts that you believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently – Contact someone in the security or fraud department of each company, and follow up in writing.

· File a police report – Call your local police department to file a report. List any suspects that could have committed the crime.

· File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission – You can file a complaint with the FTC using the online complaint form, or call the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline – 1-877-ID-THEFT.

Consumers can find more information about how to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft and what to do if they do fall victim in a free guide from Capital One and national consumer advocacy group Consumer Action called ID Theft/Account Fraud Prevention and Clean Up – available at www.money-wise.org.