Cyber Thieves do not Take Holidays off!

By SBA

Alert Summary: The holiday season is here, and scams may come in the form of emails or text messages containing malicious links or attachments. Traditional scam lures include holiday ecards, well wishes for the holidays, purported charities, retail and eCommerce sites, parcel services (Amazon, Walmart, FedEx, etc.). To help protect yourself and your information this holiday season, be sure to read the following tips to stay cyber smart this holiday season:

• Beware of phishing websites designed to steal your usernames, passwords, and payment card information.
• Remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Don’t click on links or open attachments in emails from unexpected or unknown sources.
• Watch out for malicious mobile apps.
• Be on the lookout for indications that a website may be compromised with a payment card skimmer.
• Carefully check gift cards before purchasing and look for any evidence of physical tampering and, if you receive a gift card, use it as quickly as possible to avoid loss or theft.
• Avoid connecting to unsecured public Wi-Fi networks.
• When possible, use credit cards rather than debit cards online and at physical retailers.
• Recycle your unwanted gifts, but never recycle your passwords!
• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for online accounts whenever possible to minimize the risk of your personal data being compromised.