As the holiday shopping season begins, the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is urging residents to stay alert when shopping online and to take simple steps to protect themselves from fraud and identity theft. With more Illinoisans shopping online each year, the threat of cybercrime continues to grow.
Here are some online Safety Tips for Illinois Shoppers:
Shop with trusted retailers. Stick to websites you know and trust. Make sure the retailer has a physical address and customer service contact information.
Pay with a credit card. Credit cards offer stronger consumer protections than debit cards or other payment options.
Check for secure websites. Before entering payment information, look for “https” in the URL.
Use strong passwords and enable multifactor authentication. Create complex, unique passwords for each account and turn on multifactor authentication whenever possible.
Avoid public Wi-Fi for online shopping or financial transactions. Public networks can expose your data. Use a secure home network or trusted mobile hotspot instead.
Monitor your financial accounts regularly. Review your bank and credit card statements often. Report any suspicious or unfamiliar charges immediately.
Protect your personal and tax information. IDOR will never request sensitive personal information—such as your Social Security number or bank details—through email or text message, unless you are already
Engaged in an established and secure communication with the department. Be alert for delivery and tracking scams, do not click links on emails or texts claiming to provide package tracking unless you can verify the sender.
