Today is Cyber Monday meaning a lot of people are hitting the stores, but not in person, they're doing it online. Cyber security experts want to make sure you are taking steps to protect your personal and banking information from scammers.
“They know that people are out there shopping and they're going to do what they can to try and lure you in,” said Michael Kaiser with the National Cyber Security Alliance.
Last year, more than 131 million people participated in Cyber Monday. Retail forecasters expect Americans will spend about $2.5 billion Monday alone.
The Washoe County Sheriff's Office has the following advice for online shoppers today:
- Read your credit card statements as soon as you get them to make sure there are no unauthorized charges. If there is a discrepancy, report it immediately.
- Always type a website address yourself or access it through trusted search engines.
- Never click on an email link, taking you to a purchase site. The link may take you to a fraudulent site.
- Don't allow online sites to maintain your credit card information. Although it's convenient, this is risky.
- When having items shipped to your residence, make sure they are taken inside timely, preventing thieves from taking them or realizing nobody is home and potentially leaving yourself exposed to a burglary.
- Always use a credit card instead of debit or check. Credit cards have an additional level of consumer protection in the event of a fraudulent purchase or disputed transactions.
- If it just looks too good to be true, it probably is.
A press release from the Washoe County Sheriff's Office contributed to this online report.
