6 ways to protect yourself from fraud this holiday season

The holiday season can be a joyous time of year with gifts, celebrations, and time with loved ones in abundance, but it can also be stressful. Especially if you experience account fraud.

Protect yourself this holiday season with these six tips:

Use caution when shopping online.

Online shopping scams are common and unfortunately can lead to financial loss for their victims.

Avoid shopping on websites you’ve never heard of before – use reputable, secure companies. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Marketplace ads or unknown websites that claim to have highly in-demand products at surprisingly low prices are typically red flags.

Kinecta’s credit and debit cards have fraud monitoring tools that will text, email, or call you to alert you of unusual card activity. Ensure your contact information is up to date in Online Banking so you can be prepared if an alert is sent. When in doubt, call Kinecta directly to confirm any alerts received.

You are also not liable for any unauthorized card transactions or ATM withdrawals when you notify us promptly.

Safeguard your passwords.

Taking time to secure your online accounts before the holidays helps minimize the possibility of your information being compromised.

It’s best to use unique, hard to guess passwords for each of your accounts so scammers can’t use the same password to access all your accounts.

Consider turning on multi-factor authentication wherever possible, which requires you to take an extra step to verify your identity before you can log in.

Be aware when using ATMs.

Skimming devices and other ways scammers compromise ATMs are on the rise.

Always inspect ATMs before you use them: make sure the card slot has not been tampered with and check the keypad to ensure there isn’t an overlay. If anything appears suspicious, do not use the ATM.

ATMs at financial institutions are less likely a target for scammers. Use Kinecta’s mobile app or access our Branch and ATM locator on Kinecta.org to find a convenient ATM nearest you.

Check your account activity frequently.

Often you won’t know right away if you’ve been a victim of account fraud and holiday season spending can make this even harder to detect.

By closely monitoring your account activity, you can catch any unauthorized transactions and report it to your financial institution quickly, potentially saving you money.

Accessing your accounts on the go is easy with Kinecta’s highly rated mobile app. If you haven’t already, download it today to start monitoring your accounts anywhere, anytime.

Beware of text and email scams.

Sending emails and texts that impersonate businesses is one way scammers attempt to obtain your personal information.

Be vigilant when you receive unsolicited texts or emails. Never verify personal details or respond to requests for personal information through a text or email.

Remember, Kinecta will never text you to ask for your personal information.

Get ID theft protection.

There’s a heightened risk of falling victim to identity theft during the holiday season, especially as the busyness of shopping and celebrations takes over.

If you’re concerned your personal information is being used without your consent or you’d like extra peace of mind, consider getting Identify Theft Protection from a reputable source.

If you believe you have fallen victim to identity theft, there are steps you can take to protect yourself.

To learn more about how to keep your accounts secure, visit Kinecta’s Security Center.