Contrary to popular belief, not all of Santa’s elves are jovial, industrious toymakers; there are also evil elves that take temporary holiday retail jobs to commit ID theft and credit fraud. And, they’ll steal your identity in less time than it takes Santa to slip down the chimney.
Big retail stores hire as many as 50 new employees during the holiday season, and many of them don’t get vetted as thoroughly as year-round workers. Adding to the ID theft risk is the fact that these additional employees aren’t management—they double the number of employees management typically oversees.
So, how can shoppers protect themselves from the evil ID theft elves?
- Shop with cash. ID theft elves can only do their mischief with the information you give them.
- If you pay with checks, don’t have your phone number, birth date, Social Security number or driver’s license number printed on them.
- If you shop with a bank card/debit card, use it as a credit card; credit card companies will cover the expense of goods purchased fraudulently by ID theft, or charge you a maximum of $50. You’re betting on the bank or credit union’s benevolence when you use the debit side of the account.
- Don’t leave your wallet on the counter while waiting for your card or driver’s license to be returned. And thief can pick it up while you’re distracted. Instead, return it to your purse or wallet, and then pull it out again.
- Never let your card or driver’s license out of your sight. Clerks you claim they have to go to another register to check out your purchases could be creating an opportunity to write down your personally identifying information to commit ID theft later.
- Always check the credit card reader before swiping your card. “Credit card skimmers” can be inserted into the legitimate model, where they can record—and in some cases, transmit—the account information contained on the magnetic strip. Never use a credit card reader if the card slot seems wiggly.
Tags: Bad Santa, holiday shopping, ID theft, ID theft prevention, ID theft risk, ID thieves, Identity Theft
