Scammers, hackers, and thieves are out for your information and dollars, and they know spending is up during the holiday season! No, I'm not trying to scare you, but I do want you to be aware and vigilant to keep your information and wallet safe. Here are three major online safety tips, for every age:
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When you're shopping online, especially from a new shop, check the website URL to make sure it starts with "https" instead of "http." The "s" stands for “secure” and indicates that the site uses data encryption, which helps reduce the risk of data breaches and theft. (P.S. Look at the current URL of the Shooting Starz site. That HTTPS is what you're looking for.)
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Be careful with your inbox! Phishing emails are getting more and more professionally fake. What I mean is, emails have been very well disguised to look like they are coming from major companies you likely already have accounts with, like Apple, Google, Amazon, etc. (I routinely get legitimate-looking emails about billing errors and account issues that are not real.) If you get an unexpected email from any company asking you to click a link, open an attachment, or fix an issue, please LOOK AT THE EMAIL ADDRESS. I cannot stress this enough. If the email is irregular or does not end in thecompanyname.com (i.e. info@shootingstarzshopette.com or billing@apple.com) then DO NOT click or open anything. Report and delete the email. If you're unsure, contact the real company's customer service to ask them about the email and its contents.
- Keep your online accounts more secure. Use longer, complex passwords for your accounts. Keep a record somewhere safe, or use a password manager to help you create and remember complex passwords.
Stay safe, Starz! Wishing you happy, healthy, and warm holidays!