Some retailers and banks have started offering customers the option of receiving receipts from purchases and ATM transactions via email. While this is a convenient alternative to paper clutter, Better Business Bureau reminds consumers to safeguard their personal information if they choose this process.
Many retailers offer e-receipts for both consumer convenience and theirs. E-receipts save retailers money and they may make it easier for consumers to file them electronically until they’re needed for returns, warranties or taxes.
E-receipts can be tied to a store affinity card, but shoppers can often opt for paperless simply by providing their email address to the clerk at the time of purchase.
There are also online companies that offer to organize and store your digital receipts. You create an account and provide your credit or debit card information, which the company uses to track your transactions. “While this may provide a genuine convenience for you, it’s also a service that‘s easy for scammers to mimic in order to steal your information,” said Claire Rosenzweig, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Serving Metro New York.
For shoppers who are interested in opting for paperless e-receipts, BBB offers the following tips:
Ask if you can opt-out of receiving promotional emails. Now that the business has your email address, it’s possible you’ll start to receive coupons, newsletters and other promotional emails from them…and from others if they’ve sold or shared your data. You may want to set up a separate email address to use for paperless receipts so that you can easily monitor it for spam.
Find out how the business plans to keep your information secure. Ask if the business will sell your information to third-parties. If they do, be on the lookout for unsolicited emails requesting your personal information; they could be scams that steal your information or download malware on your computer.
Beware of scams! Having receipts emailed can also make you susceptible to phishing and other identity theft scams. Scammers pose as retailers or banks with realistic-looking emails that may claim there are problems with your purchase and request that you click a link to fix it. The link may take you to a fraudulent site that asks for your personal information, or it might download malware on your computer that will search your hard drive for account numbers and passwords.
Make sure your anti-virus software is up-to-date. Whether or not you plan to increase your internet and email use, it’s always a good idea to make sure your system’s security plan is updated regularly. Spammers feed off of online shoppers who fail to update their security patches.
For more tips you can trust, visit www.newyork.bbb.org, and to sign up for our weekly scam alerts, visit https://cbbb.wufoo.com/forms/email-sign-up/.
