Cyber Safety Tips From The IRS Ahead Of Busy Shopping Season

This week will see some of busiest shopping days of the year. The IRS is warning consumers that this time of year comes with a heightened risk of identity theft.

Cyber thieves are looking to take advantage of holiday shoppers with fake websites offering fake products.

To defend yourself, make sure that you conduct business with websites that have a padlock symbol or an address that starts with HTTP-S, as the S stands for secure.

Shop only on sites that take safe payment methods, such as credit cards and PayPal. They'll give you buyer protection just in case there's a dispute.

When using a mobile device, avoid connecting to unsecured public wireless networks.

Keep records of all transactions, including the product description, the price, receipt, terms of the sale, and copies of email exchanges with the seller, in case you need to return a product.

Review your statements as soon as you get them to make sure there aren't any unauthorized charges. If there is a discrepancy, call your bank and report it immediately.

If you think that your information has been compromised or that you have been a victim of identity theft, CLICK HERE.