This season of holiday spirit and generosity, unfortunately, also is a time of increased thefts and scams.
The growing popularity of online shopping means thieves no longer are confined to pilfering from beneath Christmas trees in homes or vehicles in parking lots.
"The high volume of online transactions makes the season attractive to online identity theft scammers," said Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander.
The secretary's office recently provided six tips to prevent fraud.
They are:
• Protect your passwords. Create passwords for computers, tablets and mobile devices unlike those associated with banking, email or social networking accounts. Never save your password on financial institution or credit card company websites and avoid using your name or other easily identifiable words or phrases for access to your accounts.
• Don't email sensitive information, including credit card, debit card or Social Security numbers. Instead, use the company website to confirm verified, secure methods are used to transact business online.
• Reveal only necessary information. When creating an online account, user name or registration, complete only the fields marked as required (typically designated by an asterisk*). Read account disclosure information and privacy policies closely to determine the level of security of private information.
• Check website security. Verify that "https://" (not just "http://") is in the browser's address bar for the site you are viewing. All legitimate financial institutions and retail establishments use this security feature to protect their customer data.
• Monitor credit reports. Use the security features available from your bank or financial institution to alert you to potentially fraudulent charges and request free copies of your annual credit report to ensure no accounts have been opened in your name without your authorization. Under federal law, you are entitled to three free credit reports annually which can be obtained through www.annualcreditreport.com.
• Report suspicious transactions immediately. If you have any concerns or suspect fraudulent activity in your account, call your bank, financial institution and the Secretary of State's Investor Protection Hotline at 800-721-7996.
Additional information is available by visiting www.MissouriSafeSavings.com.
Practicing vigilance and following precautions will help prevent thieves and scammers from spoiling your Christmas season.