The LA County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) shared “five simple tips for safe holiday cyber shopping” this holiday season.
First, the LASD recommends shoppers update their personal computers to ensure their security software is up-to-date. Second, stick to trusted sites. “Do not respond to requests to ‘verify’ your password or credit card information unless you initiated the contact,” the LASD wrote on social media.
Third, secure your personal computers by installing or updating anti-virus software.
Fourth, the sheriff’s department recommended using disposable credit cards to shop, such as re-loadable credit cards and gift cards, rather than credit cards tied to a bank account or with a high credit limit.
Finally, use secure websites: “Look for the icon of a locked padlock in the URL address and ‘https’ in the URL address.”