Christmas trees, mistletoe, candy canes, turkey and stuffing bring out scammers, phishers, burglars and identity thieves.
I’m not purposefully trying to be a Grinch here, but I’m just reminding you that good times, unfortunately, bring out the worst in bad people. This time of the year is prime season for criminals to seek out victims and separate them from their money and stuff.
Stay merry. Here’s how:
- Lock up. No matter how long you are gone, lock your home’s doors and use quality locks.
- Don’t forget car locks. Don’t leave your keys in the ignition; lock your car doors, even when you are at the gas station and filling up.
- Be aware. When in parking lots or garages, at malls or festivals, watch your back, be aware of your surroundings and look for red flags.
- Free up your hands. Don’t weigh yourself down with lots of bags and packages. Use a carriage.
- Get delivery notices. Package theft is big. Most shippers offer email notifications for tracking packages, so you have the tools with which to become acutely aware of when your stuff is supposed to arrive and be there to accept it.
- Set up security cameras. Inside and outside your home, you should have cameras to allow you to peek in on all home activity. They also act as a deterrent to burglars and thieves.
- Put your jewels away. When home or away, and even when you are entertaining, lock up your stuff in a bolted safe.
- Update your browser. Viruses often end up on a PC because the browser is out of date.
- Update your operating system. It’s not enough to have antivirus; you must also update the critical security patches in your computer’s operating system.
- Check your statements. Every week around the holidays, pay close(r) attention to your credit card statements and reconcile your charges.
Read more posts by Robert Siciliano here, Online Security Expert to McAfee and blogger for JenningsWire.
JenningsWire.com is created by National Publicity Firm, Annie Jennings PR that specializes in providing book marketing strategies to self-published and traditionally published authors. Annie Jennings PR books authors, speakers and experts on major top city radio talk shows that broadcast to the heart of the market, on local, regionally syndicated and national TV shows and on influential online media and in prestigious print magazines and newspapers.
