Department of Homeland Security

Cyber Monday: How to Protect Your Wallet and Identity

Black Friday brought in some serious green for stores: $7.4 billion.

That is just behind the record set by last year's Cyber Monday, which brought in $7.9 billion.

Monday is expected to break both of those records with an estimated $9.4 billion in sales, according to Adobe Forecasts.

But before you break out the credit cards, the Department of Homeland Security has issued a rare and urgent warning about online shopping scams, specifically fake websites.

Dr. Edward Peters is a national expert on data protection. He spoke with NBC 5 about how to stay one step ahead of cyber scams, beginning with any emails you receive in the coming hours and days.

"Don't click on any links with the emails that could open up and get something that's malware," he said. "Never open any attachments for the same reason."

Peters said cyber thieves may have already gotten their hands on your buying history, enabling them to tailor-fit attacks to you.

When browsing sales, ensure you see "https" in the URL, which signals your session is encrypted, he said.

You also want to watch out for websites with unusual addresses or those that lack contact information.

"Misspellings of the [company's] name," Peters said.

Ensure you are shopping on a secure network. Using a public hotspot could make you more vulnerable to having your personal information swiped.

"Never use cash or a debit card," he said.

Peters also said he does not advise using a pre-paid debit card.

"Because all of these are simply meant to take cash from you and from there you have no recovery," he said.

If you feel you've fallen victim, call your credit card company and ask that your purchase be stopped and that it be investigated.

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