Kentucky's Attorney General warns of identity theft following online shopping

By: Elizabeth Dorsett - Email

Updated: Mon 8:40 AM, Dec 17, 2012

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT)- As Christmas approaches, the perfect present can simply be just one click away.

"A lot of people shop online--my wife does almost all her shopping online," Kentucky's Attorney General Jack Conway said. "The UPS guy knows my side door well."

While Conway says it's a great way to shop, he says folks need to be careful that the ghosts of "Christmas present" won't haunt them for years to come.

"Sometimes, it can least to identity theft, which is the fastest growing crime in America. It happened to me a few years ago. If it can happen to the AG, it can happen to anyone," Conway said.

When buying online, Conway says you need to look for an "HTTP" followed by an "S" which stands for secure in the toolbar. He says those sites take extra security measures. He also says you should shop with a low-limit credit card to reduce exposure.

"When you shop online, it asks you to store credit card information, we recommend you don't do that. People can get in there and steal that."

Conway also admonishes that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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