Illinois residents urged to be vigilant while shopping online

DIXON – As people gear up for seasonal shopping events, the Illinois Department of Revenue reminds shoppers to keep a watchful eye for potential online threats.

“Throughout the year, IDOR, members of the Internal Revenue Service and other state tax administrators all work together to safeguard taxpayers’ personal information,” IDOR Director David Harris said. “This time of year, as holiday shopping begins and Black Friday and Cyber Monday online sales tend to hit record highs, there is often an increased risk of cybercriminals taking advantage of unsuspecting shoppers.”

The IDOR offers the following tips to keep shoppers’ personal information safe from online thieves:

• Avoid sharing too much personal information online, including addresses, birthdates, bank account information and Social Security numbers.
• Use strong passwords that are easy to remember and hard to guess. Using a password manager to store passwords also can help.
• Use additional safety features for online accounts, such as enabling multifactor authentication and installing security software such as firewalls and antivirus programs.
• Be wary of phishing emails and other online scams that use fake promotional offers, shipping notifications designed to look legitimate and trick shoppers into sharing sensitive information such as credit card numbers, or prompts to install malware onto personal devices. This also comes in the form of fake websites designed to imitate popular online retailers and text message scams.
• Credit cards typically offer additional protection when shopping online and should be used over debit cards, which are directly linked to bank accounts, when possible. Shoppers should regularly check their accounts for any strange or unauthorized transactions, and report any suspicious activity to their financial institution immediately.