TU Today

Follow these six tips to avoid online scams while holiday shopping

During the holiday season, your favorite retail businesses tend to increase the volume of electronic communications being sent out, which makes it a perfect time for scammers to disguise themselves as brands you know and trust. OTS’ Office of Information Security reminds the campus to be extra diligent during and immediately after holiday breaks. Scammers take advantage of increased shopping and seasonal distractions to steal your financial and personal information. Remember, mobile-friendly screens don’t always display all information, and it isn’t always easy to distinguish a legit email from a scam on a phone.

When shopping online over the holiday, protect yourself with these tips:

• Install all recent security patches and updates, as made available by your provider.
• Verify the URL is the actual website before entering any financial or personal information.
• Use caution when replying or clicking on links in an email, especially on a mobile device. Instead of clicking, type in the website address or use a search engine.
• Question all attachments before opening; scammers can send malware by impersonating your favorite retailer.
• Monitor your credit card accounts, avoid taking online surveys and don’t fall for fake purchase or shipping invoices.
• Be aware of the latest scams: learn about scams and alerts from the Federal Trade Commission, and report them to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

For more information on recognizing online scams visit www.towson.edu/phishing. If you have questions regarding your TU account, submit a TechHelp service request or contact the Faculty/Staff Help Center at 410-704-5151.

Categorised in: General

This post was written by Weldon, Jennifer