Cyber Monday Safety Tips from the National Retail Federation

#ShopSafely with CyberMonday.org and AVG:
-information provided by Scott Silverman of the National Retail Federation and Shop.org & Beth Jordan of AVG

Safety:

• Be sure to shop on reputable, trust-worthy sites such as CyberMonday.com and its retail partners
  
  
• Just as you're more careful when shopping in busy malls during the holiday, be more careful online as well
  
  
• AVG offers free downloads of virus scan and link scan here: www.shop.org/shopsafely and http://free.avg.com/us-en/download-avg-anti-virus-free-edition (the free download link may be shared with readers)

Safety Tips:

1. Look for the "S" for Security: Make sure the sites you are shopping from are secure and have "HTTPS" in the URL. The "S" ensures security. Also, look for the padlock symbol and research shopping sites at locations such as shopzilla.com and pricegrabber.com.
   
   
2. Stay Current on Security Software: Make sure you have the latest virus protection software updates from your provider before you start your holiday shopping.
   
   
3. Think Before You Link: Employ a URL scanning tool to ensure you're not clicking on links that lead to infected websites. Free tool here: http://free.avg.com/us-en/download-avg-anti-virus-free-edition
   
   
4. Keep Your Private Information Private: Make sure you keep your personal information private. Create a separate e-mail account just for shopping and use a unique password. Keep records of your online shopping by printing confirmation pages and e-mail confirmations.
   
   
5. Mix Up Your Passwords: Each e-mail, bank, credit card account should have a unique password. Write them down and store them in a secure location. These tips can all be found at www.shop.org/shopsafely

Deals:

42% of Americans will buy at least one gift online this holiday season. Online sales are expected to increase about eight percent this holiday season while overall retail sales are expected to fall one percent.

Why people spend online:

• the ability to shop at all hours of the day
  
  
• easier to compare prices
  
  
• free shipping
  
  
• convenience
  
  
• avoiding crowds
  
  
• easier to find items

CyberMonday.com aggregates the best deals from their 600 retail partners, all on one site.

• Deals of the hour on Black Friday and Cyber Monday can be found at CyberMonday.com
  
  
• Shoppers can find sites offering free shipping by choosing "free shipping offers" on the top right of the site
  
  
• The site also contains a "Deal of the Week," special offers, and coupons

Win $250 in gift cards from Shop.org's retail partners! From today through Cyber Monday (11/30), $250 in gift cards from Shop.org's retail partners will be given away daily at the Cyber Monday Twitter account and Facebook account.

Another chance to win! There will also be a Twitter event on Tuesday, November 24th from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET with the hashtag #CyberMonday. More tips will be shared and gift cards will be awarded during the event.