How to protect yourself from cybercriminals during the Christmas season

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – The 2024 holiday shopping season is already breaking records. Many people may want to purchase gifts online or take advantage of offers; However, cybercrime also increases at this time of year.

According to the FBI, more than 12,000 Americans lost more than $73 million to cyber fraud while holiday shopping in 2022 alone.

Yuliang Zheng is chair of the Department of Computer Science at UAB. He said that you should be very careful every time you enter your ID online.

If you’re shopping on an unknown website, you’ll want to double-check that it’s a reputable site. Try searching for the website and see if it comes up or ask for a second opinion.

“I would recommend people look at search sites and talk to people. Like friends or colleagues before actually visiting the website if it is an unknown website,” Zheng said.

If you want to avoid credit card damage, never store your number on a website or browser. Zheng said you can also get a temporary, one-time-use number to use when purchasing online.

“The next time you buy a different item, you will get a different number. So it’s like using it once and then throwing it away,” Zheng said.

If you’re worried you’ve been the victim of a data breach, monitor your credit card for unauthorized activity and freeze your funds.

Get news in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.

Copyright 2024 WBRC. All rights reserved.