Identity Theft - Take These Steps For Credit Card Fraud Protection

Jackson, Fawcett Spur Internet Fraud

2009-06-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

Jackson, Fawcett Spur Internet Fraud
June 26, 12:30 PM · Joe Campana - Identity Theft Examiner From Examiner.com

While most of the country mourns the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, fraudsters seek opportunity by tricking heartbroken followers. The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) issued an alert today warning of increased spam campaigns, phishing attacks and malicious code attacks surrounding the star’s deaths. Some scams may result in identity theft.

Social engineering occurs when a fraudster takes advantage of a circumstance or creates situations to trick another person into doing something they would not normally do.

The deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett surprised many people. An astounding number of people are caught up in the social media blitz. Even I Twittered about Thriller last night. Some fans may be distraught or shocked. These emotions provide a “mass vulnerability” that some fraudsters are exploiting to collect information and infect computers with malicious code.

Fraudsters have taken advantage of other situations to swindle personal information and money following national and worldwide disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Asian Tsunami. In addition to phishing and malicious code attacks, there were many charity scams.

Expect to see charity and fan paraphernalia scams associated with Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon. Some of these scams will claim to collect donations from unsuspecting consumers for charitable causes supported by the late stars. Some scams may collect credit card and bank account information as payment for charitable donations or for the purchase of celebrity memorabilia. There will be no donations or souvenirs—the financial account information handed over will be used by the fraudsters to commit existing account fraud, a form of identity theft. Remember, fraud can occur through the internet as well as by phone, mail or in person.

The current US-CERT Alert warns the consumers of malicious emails designed to Record their email address, which can be used later by shady online marketers to send spam.

Download malware to personal computer and PDAs when email recipients click on a link in the email. Malware include viruses, Trojan horses, spyware, adware, worms, etc. Lure unsuspecting people into a phishing scam.

To avoid these and other internet email scams, be cautious of unsolicited emails. Do not click on links in emails unless you are absolutely certain that you know the person that sent the email to you. Even then, be cautious because that person may have been the subject of a virus, and it was the virus that sent you a contaminated email from the person’s computer. Does the email look “out of character” from your friend? I recently received an awkwardly worded email from a local politico suggesting that I make purchases from an Asian online store. The email was out of character, and when I emailed him, he confirmed his computer was infected by a virus that sent me the email.

Keep your antivirus, anti malware software updated. New threats arise daily, so keep your protective software and operating system current.

Identity Theft-Fastest Growing Crime In The USA

2009-06-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

June 19, 2009 -- Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the U.S.
According to a recent study released by the Better Business Bureau over 8.1 million people became victims of identity theft in the last twelve months. In that same year the economic loss was a staggering 45 billion dollars.
Fortunately, while identity theft is not completely preventable, you can take steps to protect yourself. One way is to securely dispose of personal papers.

Here are some suggestions for deciding how long to keep personal financial information:
· The IRS has three years from your tax-filing date to audit, and has six years to challenge a claim. A good rule of thumb is to keep all tax returns and supporting documentation for seven years.
· Keep credit card statements for seven years if tax related expenses are documented.
· Keep paycheck stubs for one year. Be sure to cross reference the paycheck stub to the W-2 form.
· Be sure to keep bank statements and cancelled checks for at least one year.
· Bills should be kept for one year or until the cancelled check has been returned. Receipts for large ticket items should be kept for insurance purposes.
· Home improvement receipts should be kept for six years or permanently.
· Items such as birth certificates, social security cards, insurance policies, titles or wills should be kept permanently in a safety deposit box.
· If you are going to dispose of documents with sensitive information

Americans More Worried About Fraud Than Personal Safety

2009-04-06T08:29:00.000-07:00

Report: Americans More Worried About Fraud Than Personal Safety

Financial fraud fears eclipse national security worries in Unisys' latest security poll
Apr 06, 2009 10:00 AMBy KellyDarkReading

-->Three-fourths of Americans believe the global financial crisis increases their risk of identity theft or related crimes, according to Unisys' latest Security Index report.
Financial worries, which jumped about 12 percent from Unisys' previous poll in September 2008, topped national security fears for the first time since the company launched its biannual report of consumers' security concerns in 2007. The company randomly polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults for its latest study, which was conducted in late February.
"With financial [worries], what you really have is people concerned about identity theft and credit card fraud," says Tim Kelleher, vice president and general manager of managed security services at Unisys. More than one-fourth of Americans said their risk of suffering financial fraud has increased "significantly" due to the global economic crisis.
"It's a dramatic change," Kelleher says.
The latest Unisys Security Index comes on the heels of the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) 2008 Annual Report, which found that complaints of online crime broke a record last year with a 33.1 percent jump in such cases. The total dollar loss due to online fraud increased by $25 million from the year before, to $265 million. "The higher number of reported complaints and financial impact from those incidents [in the IC3 study] coincides with the raised concerns of Americans in our survey," Unisys' Kelleher says. "We believe this shows that people are more aware of certain security issues, so we'll see if this trend continues."
Among other key findings in the Unisys report:
two-thirds of Americans are either "extremely" or "very" worried about credit card and debit card fraud;
more than 40 percent worry about viruses and unsolicited email;
two-thirds worry about identity theft; and
two-thirds are very concerned about abuse or unauthorized access to their personal information.
"People are still concerned about credit card fraud, and not just over the Internet," Kelleher says. "And their concerns about computer security is rising."

Something For Nothing Usually Spells Fraud.

2009-03-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s annual Consumer Sentinel Report,
2008 was a banner year for fraud and identity theft rings.
And when asked about it, local officials offered the same advice:
“If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.”“With the economy the way it is, you’re going to see more of the same,” warned Vigo County Prosecutor Terry Modesitt.
“People are trying to steal. That’s what it is.”According to the FTC’s 98-page report released in February, 1.2 million complaints of fraud were lodged between January and December of 2008, with 26 percent categorized as “identity theft.”
In 2007, 1,050,229 total fraud complaints were issued, with 25 percent in the identity theft category, compared to the 2006 figure of 890,066 in 2006, of which 28 percent targeted identities.
Something for nothing is usually a fraud.

Credit Card Stolen? Contact Credit Card Companies-Report Credit Card Fraud

2009-02-10T06:49:00.000-08:00

Woman’s Social Security Number Stolen By Man Who Installed Her Cable TV Connection And Racked Up Credit Card Charges Used In Credit Card Fraud!

According to an article posted on the Augusta Chronica, check out what happened to this poor woman! This is a story I must share because it can happen to anyone and this crime can go unnoticed for a very long time!

“If an offer for a free gas card hadn't lured Tara Burton into applying for a credit card, the man who stole her identity might have continued ringing up charges for years.
Even if you do everything right -- shred documents, safeguard your Social Security number and other personal information -- identity theft can happen, said Margaret J. Taylor, the assistant vice president of the CSRA Federal Credit Union who helped Ms. Burton regain her identity and good credit.

The man who installed Ms. Burton's cable TV connection stole her Social Security number in December 2006. Five months later, he used it to get a credit card and pay his personal bills.

It wasn't until August 2007, after Ms. Burton applied for a credit card with CSRA Federal Credit Union, that a credit report revealed the bogus card with charges of $5,837.
"I didn't even have a phone number to call them," Ms. Burton said of the card's issuer.
There is protection and help, Mrs. Taylor said.

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act gives every consumer the right to request one free credit report from each of the three consumer reporting companies each year. Georgia law gives residents two free reports every year, Mrs. Taylor said. These will show all credit lines open with your Social Security number.
If someone is using your identity to obtain credit, notify at least one consumer reporting company. The law requires the companies to share information about fraud, Mrs. Taylor said.

File a report with your local law enforcement agency and get a copy for your records. Also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and retain a copy. Mrs. Taylor said you will need to alert every creditor you have and any creditors used fraudulently. Provide each a copy of your police report on identity theft.
Credit card companies can only hold you liable for the first $50 in fraudulent charges as long as you act immediately, Mrs. Taylor said.

Ms. Burton didn't have to pay any money in her case, but it was still painful.
"It's very frustrating, and you spend hours on the telephone," Ms. Burton said.
She worries about others, such as seniors whose Social Security numbers are printed on Medicare cards, and children.

Mrs. Taylor advises Medicare card holders to leave the cards at home if they're not being used. If an emergency arises, there should be no problem with bringing the card the next day, she said.

Parents can check their children's credit reports for free, she said.
Ignore any scare tactics used online or by phone or mail that ask for personal information, Mrs. Taylor said. If you think the warning is legitimate, don't use the contact information they give -- look up the phone number or address from another source, she said."

In addition to the great advice above. Be sure to watch carefully anyone doing work in your home!

Identity Theft - Take These Steps For Fraud Protection

2009-02-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

Anyone could become a victim of identity theft. It happens when the thief pretends to be you by taking your bank account numbers, your social security number and credit cards. With this information, the thief will open new credit card accounts and borrow money to go on a spending spree buying luxurious items such as new cars and taking expensive vacations. Here, I will give you some steps for developing fraud protection.

So How Does A Thief Get Access To My Personal Information?

• Email Pfishing has become very popular. The thief pretends to be employed by companies such a PayPal, EBay, your bank, etc. They will tell you - very convincingly, that they need your password or social security number to be verified for various reasons. They are so convincing, they even build a webpage to look just like the company you are dealing with. Be very careful as this is a vey common form of internet fraud AND telephone fraud.

• Thieves sift through dumpsters at apartments, homes and the city dump to get your financial information from statements and receipts.

• Steal mail from your mailbox. They are especially looking for bank statements and pre-approved credit card applications.

• Keep a watchful eye at automated teller machines. Thieves will try to steal your ATM card and/or personal identification number. A clever trick the thief is using is to stand behind you with a cell phone, pretending to be talking on the phone, then taking video snapshots of you typing your number in!

• Steal your wallet or pocketbook.

• Call you on the phone and pretend to be your landlord, mortgage or loan officer, or even your employer to get such info as your credit report.So What Can Be Done For Your Protection To Prevent ID Theft?

• Check your credit report for errors and correct at least once a year.

• Never give out your Social Security number unless it's absolutely required by state or federal governments.

• Do not carry your Social Security card around with you.

• Shred – Shred – Shred! Invest in an inexpensive shredder to get rid of papers with personal information such as credit card offers, bank statements, charge receipts and expired credit cards.

• Never give your social security, credit card or bank information over the phone, internet or through the mail unless you know for certain that who you are dealing with is a legitimate business.

• Make sure you take inventory of every card you own. Include account numbers, addresses and phone numbers so you can notify the bank or card company in case your card is stolen or lost.

• Limit the number of cards you carry. This will limit information for the thief.

• Be careful online and in chat rooms and social networking. Identity thieves could be watching or trying to build a friendship.

• Enroll in Credit Card and Identity Theft Fraud Protection Programs.

• Lastly, remove yourself from mailing lists so you will not receive unsolicited offers such as insurance and credit card offers.