Preparing for the Shopping Season and its Increased Fraud Exposure

Between Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the upcoming winter holidays, shopping is back in season! However, with the need to save, spend, and shop, this time of year also brings a greater threat of fraud. Fraud is not always as black and white as it seems, and it is a problem that can affect almost everyone. Consumers, retailers, and other businesses should all be on alert for fraud and ensure that they’re doing their best to protect themselves during the busy holiday shopping season. 

Businesses need to protect not only their confidential and financial information but also information that identifies and relates to their customers. Protecting this important personal and financial information is of the utmost importance because, in the case of fraud and/or data breaches, ultimate responsibility may rest on the entity that collected the information in the first place.  Whether the information is kept on paper and locked away, or stored digitally behind careful firewalls, it’s a good idea to confirm the security of the data in preparation for the winter holiday season.

Business should also think about the security of credit card information.  Whether you are a retail operation or a business that accepts less frequent payments, if you’re processing credit card transactions and haven’t already done so, you may wish to consider investing in a chip card reader.  Having a reader on hand and knowing how to operate it successfully can be an important step to take in protecting your business from exposure to additional fraud and chargeback liability.  You should consider it a high priority – especially during particularly busy seasons. 

Take some time before the shopping season picks up to identify the data your business needs to protect and the additional safety measures you may need to put in place to ensure that it’s protected.  You should consider contacting a cybersecurity expert and/or a business attorney familiar with your exposure before the busy shopping season begins.  

The information presented here is for general educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.