Protect your personal information during the holidays
Always be sure you interact directly with the retailer when you are making purchases or checking the status of orders, says Carrie Pace, assistant chief HIPAA compliance officer-security for USA Health.
As we enter the holiday season, when many of us are shopping online, it’s important to remember to protect our personal and financial information from hackers and thieves.
Here are some tips for keeping your information secure:
If companies such as Amazon, Target, Etsy, Instacart or any of your other online favorites have not emailed you all year with “questions about your order,” they are not going to start now. If you receive an email with this wording, do not click the link or open an attachment. Rather, go directly to the company’s website from your browser and login to check your order status.
Also, remember that before you enter your login information to get a deal you received by email, go to the company’s website rather than clicking the link in the email offer. If the deal applies to you as an established customer, it still will be promoted after you log in.
“The bottom line is that hacking your financial and personal information is lucrative for the scammers,” said Carrie Pace, assistant chief HIPAA compliance officer – security for USA Health. “Always be sure you interact directly with the retailer when you are making purchases or checking the status of orders by going to their website.”
If you receive an email from FedEx, UPS, the U.S. Postal Service or another shipping provider, do not interact with the email by replying, clicking on a link or opening an attachment. There is a very low chance that shipping companies have your email and order information. Instead, go directly to the retailer’s site where you purchased the items and obtain shipping information directly from them.
Use a credit card instead of a debit card if you can. Credit card companies have processes designated to help interrupt the sales chain and track or stop further processes in an expedited fashion. They also are more likely to credit the charges for the lost funds while they investigate. Banks can take longer to investigate debit card use and typically cancel and renew your card in the process, which can leave you temporarily without a debit card.
If you have a question about an email you received to your health.southalabama.edu account, be sure to forward it to itemailreview@health.southalabama.edu so IT can investigate.
