How to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Identity Theft

Identity theft is the fastest growing felony in North America. There are ways to reduce or minimize the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft and fraud. I have taken the following steps to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft, and so can you:

Taking care of my personal data - I never give out personal information to people on the phone and to people who do not need to know. A person on the phone saying he is calling from my bank does not need to know my personal information because it is already on the file with my bank. I never print my Social Security or my telephone number on my personal bank checks. I would unnecessarily be passing out information to people who need not know.

I have had Scamsters call with offers to receive a prize or some valuable item, and asking for my personal data, such as Social Security number, credit card number or its expiration date, or my mother's maiden name.

While on the move - If I am away for some time, I have my mail held up at the post office, or have someone I trust empty my mailbox daily. In case I need to communicate some personal information to someone, I trust. I make sure I am in a booth where no one can listen to what I am conveying.

Checking financial information regularly - I regularly receive my monthly bank and credit card statements. If this becomes irregular, I check with the concerned institution immediately to ask what is going on. Chances are that my bills are going to an address I have not authorized. Someone may have assumed my identity and be improperly using my accounts. If so, I would immediately start proceedings to cope with this identity theft to put a stop to it.

In the next article of the series, let me tell you how I would cope with identity theft.

Jon publishes articles and ebooks to help individuals with their personal finance needs and goals

Understanding and Avoiding Identity Theft

Identity theft - the assumption of our identity - is one of the least understood and most frightening problems. It is a complicated issue and let me tell you how it works: A scamster manages to get my name, address, social security number and credit card or other information. Assuming my identity, the person runs up huge bills and skips without paying, leaving me with a ruined credit and creditors baying for my blood.

Our wallet contains so much information about ourselves, which we normally do not realize. A thief can make use of the information and pretend to be us.

Reducing Exposure to Identity Theft

* We cannot prevent identity theft with a 100% certainty, but we can certainly try to reduce our exposure to it.

* We must carry only the information we need to carry out our daily dealings. We should not carry all our credit cards in our wallet. We must avoid putting our Social Security number on our checks.

* Stolen mail is one of the easiest ways to get personal statistics. Do not leave your mailbox full. If out of town, arrange to have your mail picked up by friends or family members, or arrange to leave it at the post office.

* Do we get alert if our credit card bill is late? I always call up my credit card issuer to ask why. Identity thieves can arrange to change my billing address and run up huge bills before I can realize.

* Employers, merchants, proprietors, etc may have legitimate reasons to ask for my personal information. I always find out why they want the information and provide only that which is required for that particular transaction.

* One of the oldest frauds is being asked to update out of date credit card information, over phone. I never give out any information to strangers. You too should not.

In the next article, let us learn how to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft.

Jon Sterling tries to help you overcome Personal Financial problems through informative articles to help you reach your personal financial goals.

Jon publishes articles and ebooks to help individuals with their personal finance needs and goals.

Identity Theft

Identity Theft - the 10 Best Tips You Can Use Right Now!

We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed by someone stealing a name, address, Social Security number or credit card. Here are 10 suggestions you can take to help protect yourself.

1. The next time you order checks, have only your initials (instead of your first name) and last name put on them. If someone takes your checkbook, they won't know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name, but your bank will know how you sign your checks.

2. When you are writing checks to pay your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.

3. Put your work phone number on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box, use that instead of your home address. If you don't have a PO Box, use your work address.

4. Never have your Social Security number or driver's license number printed on your checks. You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.

5. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. It's also a good idea to carry a photocopy of your passport when traveling abroad.

6. For couples or friends traveling together - each of you should carry a different, unique credit card. For example, one of you could carry a Visa card and one of you a Discover card. Don't both carry the same credit card! That way if one of you has their credit card stolen, you still have a valid credit card to use and aren't completely without funds while you are traveling.

7. Another tip for couples or friends traveling together - each of you should carry the other person's photo copies of their credit cards and passport. If someone steals your wallet or purse, your traveling companion still has copies of all your information.

8. When you're reading email, don't click on any of the links listed in the email message. No matter how tempting the offer is! This is a way 'phishers' use to direct you to their website and capture your credit card and personal information.

9. We are told to cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep these numbers where you can find them separate from your credit cards.

10. File a police report immediately in the city where your credit cards, purse or wallet were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation.

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Identity Theft Article A Phisher Is Trying To Steal Your Identity!

Sooner or later everyone with an email account will receive a phishing attempt from some internet scammer. What is phishing? How can you protect yourself? These are some of the questions this identity theft article will provide, along with some free resources and practical advice on how to protect your online identity.

The Anti-Phishing Working Group estimates that 75 million to 150 million phishing emails are sent every day on the internet. Phishing (pronounced fishing), is online identity theft that uses spoof emails, fraudulent websites and crimeware to trick unsuspecting internet users into providing financial data, credit card numbers, social security numbers, account logins and passwords, etc.

A spoofed email looks like it is from a legitimate company, usually banks, credit card companies, paypal, ebay, etc. These fraudulent emails look like they are from the real company, and generally try to get you to log into your account through the links in the email. The spoof email may state that there is a problem with your account and if you do not log in and update your information your account may be suspended, restricted, closed, etc. Generally these emails try to convey a sense of urgency; if you dont correct this problem your account will be suspended.

Trojans are increasingly being used as a phishing technique according to Sophos, a security firm. The Brizilian police recently arrested a phishing gang of 18 people who stole $37M from online banking accounts. This phishing gang would send out emails that included Trojans. Once a Trojan infects your computer, all internet activity can be monitored and transferred to the phisher. This is a serious threat as you probably wont know that you are infected with a Trojan.

According to David Jevans, Chairman of APWG, Attacks can, and are, coming in a variety of other flavors. Instant Messaging, exploited websites, P2P networks, and search engines are all being used to download and run key logging malcode and/or be directed to websites which may contain malcode or be fraudulent. Attackers are also not just interested in username and password access to bank accounts. Social security numbers, credit cards and other identity information are also being stolen.

Protecting yourself against phishing scams.

• Do not give out personal or financial information through an email request.
• Always log on to your sensitive accounts by opening a new browser and typing the actual URL directly into the address bar. For example, if you receive a suspected phishing email from ebay, open a new browser and type www.ebay.com in the browser bar.
• Do not click on any link in a suspected phishing email.
• Only use a secure website to submit sensitive data. A secure sites address will begin with https:// instead of http://
• Check the activity of your online accounts regularly.
• Make sure your browser is up to date and all security patches are installed.
• Report phishing and spoof email to: reportphishing@antiphishing.com, spam@uce.gov, and forward the email to the company that is being spoofed.
• Keep your pc protected with updated anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, and a firewall.
• You may also want to install anti-phishing software.
  • Earthlink ScamBlocker is a free browser toolbar that alerts you to known phishing sites. Its free and can be downloaded at www.earthlink.net/earthlinktoolbar.
  • Webroot has a beta version of PhishNet which you can download at www.webroot.com/products/phishnet/
  • PC Tools Spyware Doctor offers protection against known phishing sites, spyware and blocks popups.

With the consequences being identity theft, it is imperative that you learn to protect your pc and your identity by exercising caution and installing the proper tools. Hopefully, this identity theft article has given you the information you need to avoid being the next phishing victim. Remember, legitimate companies dont ask for personal or financial information in an email so dont give it to them!

Lisa Smith is the webmaster of 1stSpywareRemoval.com. This website offers information on spyware, adware, internet safety, as well as indepth reviews and news. http://www.1stspywareremoval.com/Identity_Theft_Article.html.