It’s that time of year again, holiday shopping has begun! Everyone is looking for those unique gifts, hot toys and cool electronics. Whether it is a hard-to-find toy for kids or the latest 4K smart TV. It’s easy to get lost looking for the perfect holiday gift, be aware that cybercriminals are on the lookout!

When it comes to holiday shopping, you need to be careful that you don’t fall prey to these criminals. Here are some tips to following for your holiday shopping:

1. Do not use public Wi-Fi for any shopping activity

Public Wi-Fi networks can be very dangerous, especially during the holiday season. Public Wi-Fi can potentially grant hackers access to your usernames, passwords, texts and emails. For instance, before you join a public Wi-Fi titled "Apple__Store," make sure you first look around to see if there's actually an Apple Store in your vicinity, and thus, confirm that it is a legitimate network. To help stay secure, you should always be on the lookout for the lock symbol on your webpage.

2. Look for the lock symbol on websites

When visiting a website look for the “lock” symbol before entering any personal and/or debit or credit card information. The lock may appear in the URL bar, or elsewhere in your browser. Additionally, check that the URL for the website has “https” in the beginning. These both indicate that the site uses encryption to protect your data.

3. Know what the product should cost

If the deal is too good to be true, then it may be a scam. Compare prices with other retailers and review the retailers’ consumer ratings online.

4. Secure card information

When ordering online make sure to be aware of where your personal and/or debit or credit card information is added before entering. First Northern Bank offers services to monitor your account to prevent cybercriminals from fraud.

5. Keep your computer secure

When using your computer to do your holiday shopping, remember to keep your anti-virus software up-to-date and apply all software patches. Never save usernames, passwords or card information in your browser and periodically clear your offline content, cookies and history. You will want to keep your computer as clean as possible for online shopping. The world of online shopping can bring lots of new products to your doorstep and can prove to be a lot of fun finding that special gift. Just remember to be careful so that you don’t make your data a special gift to cybercriminals.

6. Don’t leave purchases in the car unattended

Criminals can be watching and will consider breaking into your car to get the merchandise you just purchased. If you must leave some items in your car, consider leaving them in the trunk or glove compartment rather than in a visible location.

7. Beware of “porch pirates”

When shopping online and receiving purchases by mail, make sure you are always tracking your packages. The US Postal Service, FedEx and UPS all have systems to track your packages, and all three utilize tracking numbers that can be used to figure out where your item is and when it should be delivered to your home. However, the only surefire way to thwart porch pirates is to not have packages delivered to your home when you’re not there. Consider having your holiday packages delivered to a family member, your workplace, or a trusted neighbor!

Remember, always trust your instincts. If an email or an attachment seem suspicious, don't let your curiosity put your computer at risk! Happy holidays and safe shopping!