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The holiday season is the biggest shopping time of the year. This is also considered a “money-making” season for fraudsters to not only go after your cash, but your identity. According to CUNA Mutual Group, Credit Unions have reported that fraud losses have more than doubled year-over-year.

Make sure you are using your credit and debit cards SAFELY throughout this holiday season. To help guide you through this process, we ask our members to do the following:

Check Your Account – OFTEN! – With our home banking available 24/7 you’re able to be more aware of your holiday spending. It will keep you up to date with your current balances so that you would be able to detect if anything has “gone missing” or doesn’t look right. Monitor your account, and do so often. If there is any suspicious activity, report it to the credit union immediately.

Be Wary of Fraudulent Websites – For our online shoppers, make sure you are using a trusted merchant. Look closely at the company logo and make sure it is official, and that there are no grammatical errors in the text you’re reading. Fraudsters may be smart in the grand scheme of things, but they usually tend on leaving just an inch of detail that could possibly give them away. Remember, businesses will never request personal information to be sent via email.

Notice Suspicious Emails and Offers – “BUY NOW and you will receive a FREE iPhone 6!” If it seems too good to be true, it usually is. Be extra careful when checking emails this season. Suspicious emails offering once in a lifetime deals are heavy throughout the holidays, some of which require you to submit your personal information. These emails also include a wording that makes the request seem urgent in order to encourage a quick response from you. Ensure that your email spam filter settings are turned on so you won’t receive any emails people who are not on your contact list.

Keep an Eye on Skimming Devices- When you are at the check-out line; make sure you are looking for evidence of tampered devices. These can come in ATM’s, gas pumps, you name it. (Glue and overlays on card readers are common indicators of tampering.) Be aware if your card is taken out of view. Fraudsters are known to skim and with the new chip card, possibly remove the chip without you noticing. Members are encouraged to use their PIN to keep transactions concealed.

Stay calm, be aware, and use your common sense. The majority of websites are completely safe, and chances are you would be able to spot a fraudulent email by looking at the subject line, but it doesn’t hurt to stay on your toes during holidays. Be cautious and use your best judgment so that you can avoid falling victim during this wonderful time of the year.