‘Tis the season…for stealing your identity and financial information. There’s a large number of malicious apps out there anxious to trap you by filling your In-Box with offers of fantastic prices and discounts. Beware! Here are a few tips:
- Watch out for texts that contain spelling or grammatical errors. Legit retailers pay good money to make sure their promotional materials don’t have such mistakes.
- Avoid third-party app stores. Stick to real, established ones, like Apple and Google.
- Look at the URL. Be sure it starts with HTTPS. If not, forget it.
- If the prices are too fantastic to be true–and items are not being sold from the trunk of a car–it’s a scam.
- Shop only from retailers you’re familiar with and ones you trust.
In short, make sure you don’t bestow the gift of your money and private information on scammer.