Protecting Your Finances During This Year’s Holiday Shopping Season	Print Issue
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Another tip in a series provided by the
Offices of Information Systems & Computing and Audit, Compliance & Provacy

Growth of online purchases continues to outpace growth of sales at traditional “brick and mortar” outlets with 2013 online buying expected to increase by more than 15% over 2012. Regardless of how you choose to shop this holiday season, being vigilant and following a few simple precautions can help protect your finances:

• When shopping online, check for https:// or a locked padlock in your web browser to give you the assurance that you’re using a “secure server” site.
• Use trusted computers and networks (e.g., ones you own and maintain) for online shopping. 
• When shopping offline, watch to see if credit cards are taken away from the counter and/or out of your sight when your purchases are being authorized. If you can’t see your card or the clerk, you don’t know if your card information is being written down surreptitiously.
• Use credit cards instead of debit cards. The maximum liability for unauthorized charges on a credit card is $50. The liability for unauthorized use of a debit card can drain your bank account immediately which can lead to bounced checks or missed payments. In addition, liability for unauthorized debit card purchases can be much higher than the $50 maximum on credit cards, depending upon when you report the loss.
• Use credit cards instead of writing checks. Checks can easily be altered to change the payee and amount. If you do find yourself writing checks, use a pen with pigment-based rather than water-based ink, and either write the payee name yourself or ask that the store stamp be applied in your presence.

A final caution in these times of heightened credit awareness: under Federal law, you are entitled to one free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies per year. For the report to be truly free, without qualification, you must visit https://www.annualcreditreport.com/ which is the official provider of free credit reports authorized by the Federal Trade Commission.