More and more Minnesotans are doing their holiday shopping on-the-go from their smartphone or other mobile device, but the Better Business Bureau warns of security risks. Spokesman Dan Hendrickson says, “The biggest thing I would tell people is, don’t make any purchases or access your bank accounts while you’re on a public wi-fi connection. Scammers who are good and know what they’re doing could potentially pull information from that transaction, and that’s not a position you want to be in.” Hendrickson advises, check your smartphone settings to make sure you’re not automatically connecting to open wi-fi networks. He says sometimes it’s safer to use direct cellular coverage.
Hendrickson says it’s not a good idea to let your tablet “auto-fill” debit or credit card information when placing on-line orders, because that data could then be accessed by thieves if your mobile device is lost or stolen. He says the safest way is to enter the credit card number yourself each time.
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