Satellite Beach Police Provide Tips for Safer Online Shopping Ahead of Cyber Monday, Holiday Season

Beware of ridiculously deep discount prices

BREVARD COUNTY • SATELLITE BEACH, FLORIDA – Satellite Beach Police Department officials provided some helpful tips for safer online shopping ahead of Cyber Monday and the holiday gift-buying season.

■ Use strong passwords: Make your password long. To make that long password easy to remember use a lyric from a song, a movie quote, or a nonsense phrase.

Add numbers, symbols, and uppercase and lowercase letters. Avoid using any personal information.

■ Do your online shopping with reputable retailers: Stick with retailers you know and trust. Bookmark their sites to go there directly rather than clicking on an ad, email links, or text messages.

■ Only shop on secure sites: Well-known retailers have secure sites. But, if you’re shopping at smaller or independent shops, look for a lock icon in the top left corner of your browser.

A secure site’s URL will start with HTTPS.

■ Beware of ridiculously deep discount prices: Don’t click on emails, text messages, pop-up browser windows, and Facebook and Twitter posts promising fantastic savings, especially if the link is a shortened URL.

Clicking on unknown links could lead to scams, phishing sites, or sites distributing malware. And, never open attachments in emails promising fantastic deals.

■ Review credit card transactions and bank statements regularly: If you find a transaction that doesn’t match your purchases, your account may have been compromised. If so, contact your bank or card issuer immediately.

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