BBB: Use caution while shopping on Cyber Monday

The Better Business Bureau advises shoppers planning on making the most of Cyber Monday to use caution when making online purchases.

Major data breaches at Target, Michaels, Neiman Marcus and Jimmy John’s were cited in a statement from the BBB to support why consumers should be careful while shopping online this Monday.

In recent years, retailers and websites like Amazon.com have offered special, Black Friday-like deals on the Monday after Thanksgiving—dubbed Cyber Monday.

Bills should be crosschecked often with purchases made online, the BBB said. Questionable charges should be reported, and a computer’s virus protection software should be kept updated so it can properly detect malware.

The consumer protection group also advised shoppers to use credit cards over debit cards when possible. The law limits losses to $50, but that only stands for debit cards if security breaches are reported within two days after the fraud happens, the statement said.

Debit cardholders could face a loss of more than $500 if fraud is not immediately reported, the BBB said. And waiting more than 60 days could mean stolen funds will never be recovered.

Those without credit cards should frequently change PIN numbers and online account passwords, the BBB said. They should also try to use bank ATMs and use cash as often as possible.