The dramatic increase in online shopping for the holidays has led to the creation of Cyber Monday on the Monday following Thanksgiving.

While cyber shoppers are hoping to find some great deals on Cyber Monday, this is also an important time for shoppers to increase their awareness of the risks associated with shopping online.

Washoe County Sheriff’s Office offers the following safety tips for cyber shoppers:

• Read your credit card statements as soon as you get them to make sure there are no unauthorized charges. If there is a discrepancy, report it immediately.
• Always type a website address yourself or access it through trusted search engines.
• Never click on an email link, taking you to a purchase site. The link may take you to a fraudulent site.
• Don’t allow online sites to maintain your credit card information. Although it’s convenient, this is risky.
• When having items shipped to your residence, make sure they are taken inside timely, preventing thieves from taking them or realizing nobody is home and potentially leaving yourself exposed to a burglary.
• Always use a credit card instead of debit or check. Credit cards have an additional level of consumer protection in the event of a fraudulent purchase or disputed transactions.