This is part of a larger TODAY'S TMJ4 series on Shopping Safety with stories airing all day on Monday, November 25. For more information, visit TMJ4.com/ShoppingSafety.
It's important to be mindful of identity theft all year, but especially during the holidays.
An Experian report shows 43% of people who have had their identity stolen claim it happened while they were shopping online during the holidays.
One of those reasons is people using the same password for multiple accounts.
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Google Technology Expert Justin Burr says 66% of Americans use the same password across all their accounts.
"So once you have one password then you have them all," Burr said.
He suggests consumers have extra layers of protection like using separate passwords. He also recommends using a recovery email address and phone number.
"If you get locked out of your other account it can give you information to get back in there because if that other account is compromised and somebody does have access to that, sending information to that account doesn't do a lot of good."
Burr also recommends two-factor identification, "Which means when you go to log in then it says, 'hey, we're going to send a unique code to your cell phone and you can type that code in just to give you that extra layer of security.'"
For more information about how to conduct a security checkup go to Google's online Safety Center.
