Don’t suffer a hangover this Christmas, secure your tablet warns Callcredit

Tablet Just what the doctor ordered - a tablet to shop on the move and take the headache out of Christmas, but fraud experts at Callcredit are warning festive shoppers to be vigilant against online fraud over the festive period.

With most major retailers embracing the mobile Christmas experience allowing customers to shop and buy when and where they want, and with around 50 per cent of mobile searches leading to a purchase, a large number of consumers could be running the risk of their personal information falling into the wrong hands.

In the run up to Christmas Callcredit is advising consumers to be cautious whilst purchasing on the go and to check the websites they are buying from are secure and encrypted otherwise they could run the risk of having their personal and financial details stolen.

John Cannon, Head of Financial Crime, Callcredit said: "We have seen considerable growth in mobile shopping and in our recent white paper 'Mobile Review Q3 2012'it highlighted that retail tablet click volume had risen by an enormous 400 per cent year-on-year. We also expect to see smartphones accounting for over 15 per cent of retailers' online revenue during November and December and estimate 27 per cent of all paid search traffic within the retail sector to arrive from tablet and smartphone by the end of December 2012.

"The simplicity mobile shopping brings combined with the excitement of Christmas makes it very easy for shoppers to let their guard down as they shop for the best price and gift this year. But with online fraud also on the increase especially during the festive season it is vital we all take that extra bit of care to protect ourselves whilst we shop on the go.

"The only headache shoppers want this Christmas is due to enjoying the festivities not because a thief has got hold of personal information and inflicted mayhem with their finances. Fraudsters can max out credit cards, drain bank accounts and ruin the festive season."

To help make life easier this festive season John has compiled a few tips so mobile customers can shop on the go more safely.

Create a password for your smartphone or tablet - this can help reduce thieves shopping on your mobile device if stolen - giving you the chance to cancel/freeze accounts before fraudulent activity takes place
Make sure you buy from a secure website that uses encryption - look out for those that have 'https' and a padlock symbol in the bottom corner of the screen, that means your payment details will be encrypted
Ensure your mobile device has the latest anti-virus and firewall software - as shopping on mobile devises increases it is important to take the same precautions as you would at home when shopping online. The threats and viruses are just as prevalent on a smartphone or tablet
Beware of spurious Apps - fraudsters are now becoming more sophisticated in the tools they utilise to capture personal data
Check your credit report for suspicious activity- your credit report holds a record of all your financial commitments and can be one of the first places to identify fraudulent activity. If your report shows any accounts or addresses that aren't yours or applications for credit that you know nothing about, contact the credit report provider who will help and support to get this corrected.
Sign up for 'free for life' access to your credit report at www.noddle.co.uk