With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, you may find yourself doing more shopping than usual. During this busy season, here are a few important things to consider for protecting your privacy:
Swap Your Debit Card for a Credit Card or Cash
Debit cards put you at greater risk than credit cards. If your debit card information is stolen, your accounts can be wiped out in minutes. And while your money may remain missing as you and your bank sort out any theft… bounced checks, late fees and numerous other problems may occur in the meantime.
Look for the “s”
When shopping online (especially with smaller and lesser-known sites), make sure that the website uses encryption before you provide personal payment information. Just look at the address bar. You should see https://. The s displayed after http indicates that the website is secure (you may not see the s until you are on the order/purchase page).
Consider Turning Off Your Phone’s Wi-Fi in Stores
Mobile location analytics are rapidly changing traditional shops into smart stores that can observe your shopping habits to target you with offers. Your mobile devices emit Wi-Fi and Bluetooth addresses when these services are turned on. Retailers can use either their Wi-Fi or sensors in the store to detect your device's address information. To stop this, just turn off both your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth before you enter the store.
Want to learn more about shopping and your privacy?
We have several guides with more-detailed information:
