Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero; EAFocus Communications; barbara@eafocus.com; 248.260.8466

Wyandotte, Mich. — December 18, 2023 – While this time of year brings on family traditions and year-end revelry, it’s also prime time for fraudsters and holiday scams to crop up, warns Carma Peters, president and CEO of Michigan Legacy Credit Union—a not-for-profit financial cooperative serving members throughout Michigan via local branches and online-virtual banking platforms. Underscoring the importance of cybersecurity, Peters reminds consumers to be on high alert when using credit or debit cards for online holiday shopping.

“Cybersecurity this time of year has become more important than ever, as digital attacks are on the rise – many of them involving online credit card theft,” Peters said.

A recent McAfee survey found 36% of Americans have fallen victim to an online shopping scam during the holiday season—with 1 in 4 losing over $1,000 to cybercriminals—as well as an overall increase in cybercrime activity, including a 30% jump in encounters with malicious sites on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and during the first week of January.

Peters offers 5 valuable tips to shop safely online.

  1. Check your accounts regularly for credit card transactions that could be fraudulent. Notifying your financial institution immediately after seeing an erroneous charge can help stop additional fraudulent charges.
  2. Best way to stay on top of transactions in real time? Use the card alerts on the card issuer’s mobile app to get alerts of transactions as they are happening.  If cardholders see something suspicious, they can turn the card off and contact their financial institution right away.
  3. Do not save your credit card information on websites; this will help minimize fraud risks.
  4. There’s no free lunch! If there is a ‘free’ offer on a site that first requires you to enter a credit card number, it is a scam.
  5. Legitimate companies do not ask for gift cards as payment. If someone asks you to purchase gift cards, hang up, ignore/delete, or end the interaction immediately.

“These steps are something everyone can easily do,” Peters said. “Keeping a close eye on your online shopping and digital interactions will add to your holiday cheer.”

About Michigan Legacy Credit Union
Michigan Legacy Credit Union (MLCU) is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative serving members who live, work, worship, attend school, or own a business in the state of Michigan. Michigan Legacy Credit Union is committed to providing quality financial services at a competitive price, delivered professionally and efficiently while keeping member/owners and their needs first. For additional information on MLCU, visit: www.michiganlegacycu.org.

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