You've knocked out most of your holiday shopping, you scored some pretty good deals, then all of a sudden an unknown transaction pops up on your banking statement.
You've just become another victim of identity theft.
"It's something that you as an individual your identity has been stolen. So it's incumbent to you to correct that matter. And people literally spend hours and hours and hours in trying to get that corrected," said Jim Winsett of the Regional President of the Better Business Bureau.
Winsett told WDEF News 12 identity theft is increasing every year is most common during the holidays.
One of the easiest ways for someone to steal your information is to steal the one item that contains it all, your purse.
Winsett recommends you keep it with you at all times and limit what you carry in it.
"You only take one or two credit cards so if something were to happen then you would only have one or two things you had to immediately address. Never carry social security type information. Never carry financial account type information," he said.
When you do take out your card to make that purchase, never let it leave your sight.
When you're providing that credit card you want to physically be involved with the transaction. If your at the counter you and I are across from each other and I'm paying for something with my credit card then I'm visually watching you as you take that information," said Winsett.
If you're more of an online shopper, you're at an even higher risk.
You can make sure you're at a safe site when you see the "s" at the end of the "http" in the site address.
Winsett even recommends using a credit card instead of debit card.
"A debit card is providing information to an account where their money's sitting there that if the wrong person got that information, they could withdraw that money quickly as such," he said.
And in all situations, trust your instincts.
If something doesn't seem right, don't make the purchase.
