With many outlets already offering holiday discounts, some consumers are getting a head start on holiday shopping.

As Black Friday, Cyber Monday and other holiday shopping approaches, online shoppers should take steps now to protect their identities from cyber criminals.

“Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes, and shopping online can increase your chances of having your information stolen,” says Dan Flynn, managing director of branch operations, AAA East Central. “Shoppers should monitor their credit reports and sign up for credit monitoring services, like the ProtectMyID program offered to AAA members.”

To prevent theft of your credit card or other personal information over the holiday, AAA East Central Recommends:

• Don’t shop on an unsecured Wi-Fi connection or public computers. Consider getting a personal hot spot and VPN if you use your phone frequently in public for financial transactions.

• Stick to familiar websites. Don’t use a new website to buy something before checking consumer reviews, and make sure it offers a secure Web page for credit card transactions.

• Don’t overshare. Don’t share any personal information with anyone digitally until you’ve confirmed who they are.

• Create strong passwords. These will be harder for hackers to determine.

• Use two-factor authentication. Should someone crack your password, this’ll add an extra barrier between them and your personal information.

• When shopping at retail locations, don’t let your credit card out of sight. Make sure your purse or wallet is secure at all times. If using a debit card, protect your pin number from sight and consider purchasing an RFID blocking product.

• Keep your smartphone in a secure place at all times and use a pass code lock feature if it has one. Thieves can access a trove of personal data by stealing an unsecured cellphone.