Posted by: Kristina Flores, Director of Marketing
For most consumers, the biggest fear they relate to Black Friday is the possibility of losing out on a great deal or having to take a few elbows to the ribs to ensure their place at the front of the line. While we encourage all shoppers to stay physically safe (and wear an extra padded winter coat to ward off those elbows) we also want to remind you of a less obvious danger on Black Friday – identity theft. Thieves see the chaos and distractions that come with Black Friday as an opportunity to take advantage. Here are a few tips to ensure you keep your finances and your identity safe.
- Leave any credit or debit cards that you don’t plan to use at home. If possible, try to use only one card for the entire day. (This may also help you to avoid the temptation to shop outside your budget and will help you more easily track your expenses.)
- Make a copy of the front and back of your cards so you have contact information in case your card is lost or stolen.
- Never carry your social security card with you.
- Don’t leave your card sitting out after you use it; swipe it and put it right back in your wallet or hold on to it. A simple click of a camera phone could capture all the necessary information that a thief might need.
- Keep all your receipts in your wallet – not in the bag. If a bag of merchandise is stolen, return to the store to report it as soon as possible. If a thief tries to return the merchandise for cash they will have a harder time and this might cause a sales person to remember and identify them.
- Men – do not tap or draw attention to the pocket that you carry your wallet in. Consider carrying your wallet in an inside jacket pocket instead of a pants pocket. Women – keep your wallet closed and purse zipped. Consider carrying a purse that goes across your body rather than just a shoulder. Don’t leave your purse in the cart.
- Keep all your receipts; check your account online when you get home and daily over the week following to ensure you quickly catch any suspicious activity.
- If there is an error when your card is originally swiped and needs to be re-swiped make a note of the time, the store, the register and the person doing the transaction in case you need to take action or report it later.
- When using your debit card choose credit and sign for your purchases rather than debit with a PIN.
- If carrying a Smart mobile phone, clear your cache and make sure you don’t have any passwords saved on it.
- Be aware of those just standing around and watching.
If you fall victim to identity theft you should file a police report, contact your financial institution and have them put an alert on your accounts, check your credit reports, notify other creditors and dispute any unauthorized transactions. You should also contact all three credit bureaus:
- Equifax: 1-888-766-0008
- Experian: 1-888-397-3742
- TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289
For even more information on identity theft, watch this short video. Safe and happy shopping to all!
