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Internet Travel Monitor - Technology Bits
November 28, 2007
Keeping Online Holiday Shoppers Safe
NEW YORK, NY – Santa can’t be happy.
According to a survey released by Guard ID Systems, online shoppers are being naughty this holiday season and exposing themselves to risks of identity theft and fraud.
In fact, the survey found that 91% of them handled their account credentials unsafely.
Specifically, consumers store passwords on their computers, write them down on paper and use the same usernames and passwords for multiple shopping accounts.
Of course, online shoppers do dangerous things all year round, but with the holiday season in full swing and shoppers hitting online stores in record numbers, the situation is particularly critical.
"Online shoppers are more vulnerable to identity theft during the holidays, as cyber criminals are working overtime to take advantage of shoppers who aren't careful in securing their online identities," said Jerry Thompson, CEO of Guard ID Systems.
Cyber criminals steal personal financial information through malware, fraudulent Web sites and phishing attacks.
Despite a growing willingness to shop online, the survey found that 80% of shoppers are still concerned that online shopping increases their chances of being victims of identity theft.
No wonder. One in three surveyed had been a victim, or knew someone who had been a victim, of identity theft.
Copyright 2007 eMarketer Inc. All rights
reserved. From http://www.emarketer.com.
To view the Internet Travel Monitor Archive, click http://www.tripinfo.com/ITM/index.html.
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