8 Ways to Ensure Safe and Secure Online Shopping this Holiday Season

So, who's on your holiday gift list this year? That list is a lot longer than you think; consider all the names of hackers that have not yet appeared on it. Scammers will do whatever it takes to get on your holiday gift list! Here's how to keep these cyber thieves out of your pocket:

• Before purchasing from a small online merchant, see what the Better Business Bureau says and also search Google for reviews.
• If you see an unexpected e-mail allegedly from a retailer you shop at, don't open it. Scammers send out millions of trick e-mails that appear to be from major retailers. They hope to trick gullible shoppers into clicking on them and revealing sensitive information. So many of these scam e-mails get sent out that it's common for someone to receive one that appears to be from a store they very recently purchased from.
• When shopping online at a coffee house or other public spot, sit with your back to a wall so that "visual hackers" don't spy over your shoulder. Better yet, avoid using public Wi-Fi for online shopping.
• Back up your data. When shopping online it's highly probable you'll stumble upon an infected website designed to inject malicious code on your device. Malware called "ransomware" will hold your data hostage. Backing up your data in the cloud to Carbonite protects you from having to pay the ransom.
• Save all your financial, banking and other sensitive online transactions for when you're at home to avoid unsecure public Wi-Fi networks.
• Change all of your passwords to increase your protection should a retailer you shop at fall victim to a data breach. Every account of yours should have a different and very unique password.
• Ditch the debit card; a thief could drain your bank account in seconds. Use only credit cards. Why? If a fraudster gets your number and you claim the unauthorized purchase within 60 days, you'll get reimbursed.
• Review your credit card statements monthly and carefully. Investigate even tiny unauthorized charges, since thieves often start out small to "test the waters."