Fraud Prevention: Credit Card Security and You

The holiday season is a busy time for making purchases and other financial transactions. 

Unfortunately, fraud spikes during the holiday season as well, so it's important to be mindful of hazards.

Online Security

• Check your website passwords and change them if they are more than 6 months old or are not rated "strong" by the site's standards. Never use the same password for different sites.
• When shopping online, make sure the checkout page is secure before entering personal information and credit card numbers. There should be a padlock symbol in the browser bar with the URL, and the URL should begin with "https" (the "s" is for "secure").
• Beware of phishing and other email scams. Common scams include false package delivery notices, fake data breach alerts, and phony holiday ecard greetings.

Safe Shopping

• Be alert when checking out in stores. Thieves may take advantage of your being busy with packages to read your credit card numbers or steal your wallet.
• Beware of "skimmer" devices at ATMs and payment terminals. Always cover the keypad when entering your PIN.
• Be sure to put your card back in your wallet after each purchase.

Comprehensive fraud protection information is available on the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Information site at. www.consumer.ftc.gov

Comprehensive Fraud Protection

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Better than a handgun

If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone’s evil plans for you.  Did you know this? I didn't. I never really thought of it before.  I guess I can get rid of the baseball bat.

Wasp Spray*

A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead.

The wasp spray , they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray , they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection.

Thought this was interesting and might be of use.

On the heels of a break in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo dead, self defense experts have a tip that could save yourlife. Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School. For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed.

Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them."

Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says "spray the
culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades.
It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray.

"That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out."
Maybe even save a life.


*from a forwarded email