June 16, 2005
Protecting yourself against online fraud
HereÂ’s the online safety tips I promised 2 days ago.
- When surfing use a secure connection to prevent other web sites from impersonating it.
- Never click on a pop up window, no matter how tempting the offer. If youÂ’re interested in a product visit the site directly so you can make sure you are at a legitimate site.
- PC web sites typically use the HTTPS web protocol on their login page to allow the user to verify the web site's identity. If an attacker impersonates a web site, the user will receive a message from the browser indicating that the web site's "certificate" does not match the address being visited. Click here to see what an example of this message looks like. Users should NEVER click Yes in response to such a window, otherwise they will be connected to an impersonating and fraudulent site and become a pharming attack victim.
- Finally, donÂ’t open emails from senders you donÂ’t know, no matter how desperate you may be for entertainment. If itÂ’s that important theyÂ’ll contact you again without funny or strange subject lines or they will simply call you on the phone!
For more tips see the extended entry!
Prevention Tips
Unfortunately it is impossible to prevent becoming a victim of identity theft. But you can take a number of steps to protect your information.
DON'Ts:
Don't carry information such as your Social Security number, bank and credit card numbers, PIN numbers or passwords in your wallet or purse.
Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you initiated the call or know the caller.
Don't put your Social Security number on your checks.
DO's
Before you reveal any personal information, find out how it will be used and whether it will be shared with others. Ask if you have a choice regarding submitting certain information. Can you choose to have it kept confidential?
Give your Social Security number only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible.
Make sure your driver's license number is not your Social Security number.
Put passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security number, your phone number or a series of consecutive numbers.
Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after it has been delivered. If you are planning to be away from home and cannot pick up your mail, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to request a vacation hold. The Postal Service will hold your mail at your local post office until you can pick it up.
Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills do not arrive on time. A missing credit card bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your credit card account and changed your billing address to cover his or her tracks.
Review carefully all bills and statements that come to your home. If you notice odd charges, contact your creditors immediately.
Keep items with personal information in a safe place. Take steps to thwart "dumpster divers" - thieves who steal from trash or recycling bins. Tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, telephone and other utility bills, bank checks and statements you are discarding, expired charge cards and credit offers that you get in the mail.
Be cautious about where you leave personal information in your home. Take special care if you employ help from outside the home, have roommates or are having service work done in your home.
Find out who has access to your personal information at work. Verify that the records are kept in a secure location.
Order a copy of your credit record. Obtain a copy from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every year. Make sure it is accurate, current and includes only those activities you have authorized or are aware of. Georgia law allows you to receive two free credit reports per year from each credit reporting agency.
Equifax
800-685-1111
www.equifax.com
Experian
888-397-3742
www.experian.com
Trans Union
800-888-4213
www.transunion.com
Consider subscribing to an online credit monitoring service that will alert you within 24 hours of any changes to your credit file.
Remove your name, phone number and home address from marketing lists by contacting the Direct Marketing Association. This will not prevent your name from being placed on all marketing lists, but it removes your information from many of them.
DMA Mail Preference Service
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008
www.the-dma.org
DMA Telephone Preference Service
P.O. Box 9014
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9014
www.the-dma.org
Stop pre-approved credit offers from coming to your home by calling 1-888-5OPTOUT. This will not prevent all these offers from coming to your home, but it prevents many of them.
See more tips at the Federal Trade Commission site.
Posted by: Michele at
10:38 PM
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