Secure your identitywhen shopping onlineThere is no denying that shopping

online is the quickest and easiest way to zip through a holiday shopping list. With a few clicks and keystrokes, it’s possible to have all of your Christmas shopping done in no time. But as many people have found out -- the hard way -- purchasing via the Internet can be risky business, especiallyduring the holiday season when shoppers are pressed for time and make hasty decisions. While identity theft and fraud can occur at any time of the year, the holiday shopping season leaves consumers particularly vulnerable to hackers and identity thieves.

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, a San Diego-based nonprofit, there are several important steps that consumers should take to ensure that their online transactions are conducted both safely and securely. First and foremost, the ITRC recommends that consumers shop only on sites that use technology that encrypts – or encodes – both your personal and financial information before sending it for payment processing. Encrypting sensitive information makes it inaccessible to anyone outside the system, and all of the Web’s major retailers secure customer data in this manner. Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to ensure that a shopping site is secure, particularly if you have not made purchases there in the past. Any page on a site that asks for personal or financial information will have a URL or Web address beginning with https:// as opposed to the usual http://.

Shopping only on the sites of merchants you know and trust is another critical means of ensuring your online safety.However, if you decide to order from a Web site you have never patronized before, it’s a good idea to spend a few minutes investigating the site. For starters,

reliable Internet retailers always include a business address and contact telephone number on their sites, as well as information about site security, their return and refund policies, shipping practices and privacy policy. This information should be easily located on the Web site, often along the bottom of the company’s home page. If you can’t find this information or suspect that the business might not be legitimate, contact the Better Business Bureau or your state’s Attorney General’s office to determine if there are outstanding complaints against the company.

Another critical step in securing your personal and financial data is to provide only the information necessary to complete the transaction -- and no more.Social Security numbers are not required to complete an online purchase and consumers should never provide this information. Being asked to reveal sensitive information, such as a Social Security number, on a retail Web site is an automatic red flag indicating that something is not right.Your best bet? Close your browser window and search for another, reputable source for the item you want.

Finally, whenever you shop online, it’s best to pay with credit cards, which are protected by the federal Fair Credit Billing Act -- a law that entitles cardholders to dispute charges made to their accounts.Unfortunately, there is no other form of payment that provides this type or level of protection.

The good news? Once you are assured that a site is secure and the retailer is reputable, shop away. Chances are good that you’ll not only save time, but money and energy as well.

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CITIZEN’S NEWSFriday, December 16, 2011 15

Gift ideas when you’re pressed for time

HOLIDAY GIFT

GUIDE

The Christmas countdown has begun,and the days will no doubt fly off the calendar like they do every year. Before you know, it’s only a few days until the holiday is here.

Those who haven’t yet started shopping may feel pressed for time and worry that they will not be able to find gifts for everyone on their lists -- at least gifts that don’t look like they were afterthoughts.But good gifts can be found in the eleventh hour.

Adults• Visit the local liquor store for a bottle

of wine in the price range desired. Wrap it in a wine bag or leave it as is with a nice bow.

• Pick up passes to a local attraction,

such as an amusement park or a museum.Put together tickets for a play paired with a soundtrack of the production.

• Food is often appreciated. A box of fine chocolates or one of those edible fruit arrangements will be a tasteful, and tasty, gift.

• Fill a large bowl with a scooper,sprinkles, cherries, and other toppings for making ice cream sundaes.

• Pick a gift that embraces the holidayspirit. Holiday music, ornaments or table decorations can be used this year or next.

Children• Pop into a toy store or a department

store and pick up a cuddly stuffed animal.• Buy an art set for older children, full of

paints and markers. If a complete set can’t be found, make an art package with a bunch of supplies packed into a gift bag.

•Choose an educational gift that is still fun, like alphabet flash cards or puzzles. A subscription to a children’s magazine would also work, seeing as children love getting mail.

• Few kids will turn down a DVD of their favorite television characters. The DVDs should feature an age-appropriateness rating to make choosing one even easier.

Teenagers• Teenagers can be finicky, so a

monetary gift will be one-size-fits-all.• Teenage girls may appreciate a gift

basket of delicious scented lotions.• Passes for movies can make date night

less expensive.• Consider a gift card or e-gift coupon

for digital music downloads.• Give a subscription to a teen magazine

so that everyone can keep abreast of their favorite celebrities.

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Nearly everyone has a last minute holidayshopping horror story to tell. Be it a late-sea -son grab for a child’s must-have gift or fight -ing fellow procrastinators for a parking spot come the waning days of the season, veteran shoppers have experienced it all.

While those with more experience might know the tricks of the late season shopping trade, novice procrastinators might need a few of the following tips to make it through the season without a horror story of their own.

• Consider online retailers. Shopping online might not be for everyone, but those without much time might want to consider online retailers, many of which guarantee delivery of the item by Christmas Day for orders placed as late as December 20. In addition, some retailers even guarantee delivery if the order is placed by December 22, but such guarantees often require con -sumers to choose overnight delivery, which can be costly.

When shopping online, if no gifts stand out, consider buying an electronic gift certifi -cate instead. Such certificates can often be delivered directly to a loved one’s e-mail inbox, and it only takes a matter of seconds for the delivery to be made. Though some find this impersonal, nowadays many people would prefer a gift card instead of another sweater.

• Go the food-and-beverage route. One of the worst things about last minute holidayshopping is dealing with fellow procrastina -tors at the local mall. Last minute shoppers tend to be as short on patience as they are on time. To avoid the malls, last minute shop -pers can give the gift of food or drink for those friends or family members you will be seeing during the holiday season. A nice bot -tle of wine or a collection of gourmet cheeses make thoughtful gifts, and last minute shop -pers don’t need to visit the mall to get them.

• Consider a monthly gift. As a nice bottle of wine or a package of gourmet cheeses proves, not all great gifts need to be picked up at the mall. A monthly gift like a maga -zine subscription or a membership to a monthly club (i.e., “Pastry of the Month”) are gifts that keep on giving all-year. Late-sea -son shoppers will find these options espe -

Last minute holiday shopping tipscially appealing as they can almost always beordered in just a few minutes, whether it’s over the phone or via the Internet.

• Don’t abandon the mall entirely. Thoughprocrastinators are in no danger of becomingextinct, most people do get their holidayshopping done well in advance of Christmas Day. As a result, truly last minute shoppers might find the mall isn’t so crowded onChristmas Eve. While the pickings might beslim for shoppers who wait until December24, the lines may not be as long and theparking lot probably won’t be as packed. Butkeep in mind it will be impossible for a giftpurchased on Christmas Eve to find its way under a tree unless you personally bring it toa loved one. If you can’t give the gift in per -son on Christmas, don’t wait until ChristmasEve to buy it.

• Donate in a loved one’s name. If a spe -cific charity is near and dear to a loved one’s heart, make a donation in their name.Charities are among the many organizations that are struggling to survive in the currenteconomy, and your donation might go a longway to helping a cause your loved one truly supports.

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