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Tips to Stay Safe During the Holidays

Written by Andrea Klinedinst, Compliance Assistant

We are right in the middle of holiday season. While we can get caught up in the busyness and festivities of the holidays, we can’t forget that scammers also take advantage of the holiday season. During the holidays, scammers know that we shop online more, and they can create fake websites and apps to lure you into giving away your information. Here are some tips to follow to help keep your financial information safe this holiday season and all year round.

1. Don’t click on suspicious or unexpected links. Scammers try to take advantage of people shopping for the holidays and good deals. If you get an email or text message with a link to a really good deal, think twice before clicking the link. Does the link look suspicious, does it some from a source that has sent you messages before? Be sure to consider all these things before clicking anything or you may inadvertently download malware or give your sensitive information to a scammer.
2. Don’t open suspicious attachments. Retailers always send out coupons trying to get you to buy something, this is especially true during the holidays. Everyone has a deal that you “need.” If you get coupons via email, make sure you check that it is from a legitimate source before you click on anything. Often, legitimate retailers will embed the coupon into the text body of the email, so if the coupon comes as an attachment, that could be a red flag. This is not always the case, so just always be wary of the legitimacy of the sender before downloading anything from an email.
3. Watch out for spoofed mobile apps. It’s not uncommon for some retailers to offer discounts or special coupons for using or downloading their app. Just be careful where or how you get the app and whether you get the correct one. Many times, if you search for an app in the Apple or Google Play store, a similar app to the one you searched for will pop up first. This is not necessarily a malicious app, but it could be the wrong one. Always verify the app is the correct app you are looking for before downloading. Also, do not download apps from text messages or emails. Always go to your corresponding device’s store and find the correct app to ensure you are getting the official app and not one created by a scammer.
4. Don’t send sensitive information over public wifi. When you’re out and about, it can be tempting to connect to free public wifi, but when you do that, anyone else using that public wifi could gain access to the data you are sending, for example, usernames and passwords or financial information you input on a shopping website. You want to be careful. If you do use public wifi, ensure that any sites you visit start with https rather than just http. The “s” at the end of https stands for “secure.” Or even better, use a VPN software on your device that will encrypt all the data you are sending wirelessly. Using mobile data (ie. 4G or 5G) on your device is not the same as using wifi and is safer for you to use.

Cybersecurity is important all year round. Don’t forget to remain vigilant during the holidays as well! If you believe you have been on the receiving end of a scam, report any suspected fraud to the MNB Customer Service Department at 877-647-5050 or visit any banking center. Be informed and stay safe!