Last Minute Shopping Advice to Avoid Scams, Identity Theft

As the holiday season winds down and the last minute shopping ramps up, Patch asked Sgt. Scott Trocchia, lead detective with the , for some tips on how to avoid credit card scams and indentity theft.

Top Scams to Avoid

Swiping and Skimming

What it is: A store employee takes a consumer's credit card for payment and swipes it in a "skimmer," a hand-held device that lifts the account information. "Thieves are devising new technology to compromise your credit card number," says Trocchia.

How to avoid: Trocchia advises shoppers to check their receipts when they are handed back to them after paying to ensure the amount they just signed for was the accurate purchase price.

Credit Card Theft

What it is: Don't leave your pocketbook sitting all alone in your shopping cart unattended at the as you wander to the next aisle to grab a bag of chocolate chips, advises Trocchia. Thieves can easily slip your credit card out of your wallet and either swipe it through a skimmer device or walk away with it, and it might be hours or days before you realize you've been targeted.

How to avoid: "It's good to keep your belongings with you at all times," says Trocchia. He also advises shoppers to avoid having a wallet stuffed with ten different credit cards and instead, take just one while finishing your holiday shopping.

Phishing

What it is: This online scam tries to lure users to provide personal information, like social security and account numbers, by sending emails and pop ups claiming accounts had been compromised. Trocchia explained that scammers send out messages to hundreds of users that seem authentic -- like from TD Bank or American Express -- "and could be totally credible to one person." He continues, "It only takes one person to bite."

How to avoid: Companies like TD Bank and American Express don't solicit that type of information online or over the phone, says Trocchia. If you think an account has been compromised in some way, he suggests you contact the company directly. "Let the consumer intitiate that phone call and know who they're speaking to," he advises.

Good Shopping Habits

In general, Trocchia says there are a number of good practices to start making a habit of in the new year to avoid scammers and maintain good financial health.

• Get into the rountine of calling your credit card company to check on your account balance and recent acitivity, which can be done in just a few minutes through automated systems. Trocchia points out that by waiting to see the monthly statement that's mailed out generally every 28 days, you miss out on valuable time to apprehend a suspect in the event your account has been compromised. "By that time the damage is already done," he says. The earlier you detect fraud, the sooner you can report it to the police who can access security camera footage and other methods to try to nail down the suspect.
• Consumers are eligible to receive a free credit report annually from the top credit sources and Trocchia suggests everyone take advantage of that offer to stay on top of overall credit activity.
• Secure all your personal information in your home, such as checkbooks and credit cards, in the event your home is burglarized. If checkbooks are left in a drawer, a thief can pull one or two checks from the middle of the books and withdraw money from the account.
• Use a secure system when shopping online, like PayPal, says Trocchia, as well as a secure browser, which encrypts information over the Internet. He advises folks not to store passwords and any other sensitive information online and also not to store account data on a site for a future purchase. Don't forget to log off a site when you've finished making your purchase, too.

What to do if you've been compromised:

• Contact the fraud department of a credit bureau, such as Equifax.
• Call the credit card number to report the incident.
• File a report with your local police department

Trocchia stresses contacting local police as soon as you realize you have been the target of fraud to allow officers to perform a thorough investigation. He says that his department was just able to make an arrest for this type of crime and attributes quick reporting to helping to identify the suspect.

"This probably affects a lot more people than those that are reporting it," he says.