Identity Theft: Staying Safe This Holiday Season

Although Cyber Monday is over, this is just the beginning of the holiday shopping season. As you know, more and more Canadians are shopping online and unfortunately that opens them up to identify theft if they neglect to protect their personal information. 
 
Here's some advice for a safe online shopping experience:
  • Reputation: Purchase merchandise only from reputable sellers
  • Follow Ancient Wisdom: If it looks too good to be true, then it probably IS too good to be true!
  • Only Shop Secure Websites: If you don’t know if a site is safe, look at the web address to see if there is an “s” following the http. The http”s” in the web address means the site is secure
  • Credit Not Debit: Additional protection is typically provided through most major credit cards so avoid using your debit card whenever possible
  • Keep Track: Verify all purchases you have made with your card statements to make sure no unauthorized purchases have been made
  • Identity Theft Coverage: If you are still worried about online shopping, talk with your insurance agent about identity theft insurance