Holiday Season Tips: Identity Theft and Fraud Prevention

Whether you are at a mall shopping or shopping online, identity theft will always be a threat to those who are not educated on how to prevent it. Here are a few tips that you can use to prevent identity theft and fraud this holiday season.

1. Keep all receipts in a safe place. Receipts carry a lot of information on them regarding your credit cards or even your bank information. Make sure to always receive your receipts. Once you have received them, put them in a safe place where only you can get them. Never toss them in the trash or leave them behind.

2. If you're a man, keep your wallet in your pocket at all times until you are getting ready to pay for the items. If you're a woman, use a purse that is small and can be kept close to your body. Fanny packs are a great way to keep your information safe without someone grabbing it.

3. If you're leaving receipts inside of your car, make sure you turn your alarm on or lock your car doors. Identity thieves will stop at nothing to get your information. Be cautious.

4. If you are shopping online, be sure that you are shopping at a well-known site that is secured. Look up reviews of a site before you buy to make sure it's legitimate. Also make sure the site f you see an "s" in the "http" area. Then you know you are shopping at a secure website.

5. Limit the use of different credit cards. If you are out holiday shopping, choose one or two cards to do your shopping with. The more cards you use, the more at risk you are of being a victim of identity theft. Keep the credit cards limited.

6. Keep an eye on your credit card statements. If you are using numerous credit cards, be sure to keep an eye on your statements when they come in. Many times, you can go online and check your statements there as well. Either way, pay attention to everything you have spent and where.

7. Invest in a credit monitoring service for the holidays. If you plan on buying a lot of different gifts at a lot of different stores, it is recommended that you purchase a credit monitoring service for a small monthly fee. Once you have signed up, you will receive email alerts, text message alerts and snail mail alerts for any new activity going on with your credit.

Shopping for the holidays is stressful in itself without having to worry about identity theft. If you take the specific precautions above to ensure fraud prevention, identity theft will be the least thing on your mind while holiday shopping.