This third and last article gathers ten easy to follow guidelines which will help you to not become a next identity theft victim.
1. Never give any personal details over phone especially when you are asked for. You do not answer an email requesting you these details such as
birth date, social number, accounts numbers, full house address, international passport or driver’s license and your mobile phone and telephone number.
As online marketer you have to use your online bank email, write down the website where you have posted this information.
2. Destroy (if possible fire) all papers that have your personal data particularly checking accounts, bank accounts and credit card bills.
3. Make copies of your credit cards. Keep your cards records correct and up-to-date. Give the contact when the cards are missing or stolen.
4. If you don’t need to use your credit cards now keep them in a safe place if possible have them locked. Take care of your unused checks, your bank statement and your social security card.
5. If you made a transaction with your credit card, collect the receipt copies.
You can have a free credit report every year. There are reporting offices which can help you. You can visit their websites and ask for a free report.
6. If you are using ATM machines take care that somebody besides you can see and memory your PIN number.
7. If you make some transactions online, protect your computer with latest firewalls, anti virus. Use strong password that means a good combination of letter, numbers and other symbols (not use car or phone number, birthday date etc.)
Only buy with safe website: https://.....
8. You can always apply for an identification theft insurance policy if you think your risk to be a victim is high.
9. You can be also useful to register to any credit watch offices. This type of office makes checking of all your credit report simpler by automatically informing when something has changed in your report.
In this way, it will be possible for you to know if someone attempts to make credit under your name.
10. In spite of all your precautions you have become a victim the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in US recommends that you take three immediately actions.
A- Contact the fraud departments of each of the three major credit bureaus.
Equifax
Experian
Trans Union
Tell them to flag you file with a fraud alert including a statement that creditors should get your permission before opening any new accounts in your name. At the same time, ask the credit bureaus for copies of your credit reports. Credit bureaus must give you a free copy of your report if it is inaccurate because of fraud.
B - Contact the creditors for any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Ask to speak with someone in the fraud/security department and follow up in writing. Following up with a letter is very important. It is part of the record.
C - You must file a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place. Keep a copy in case your creditors need proof of the crime.
REMEMBER: If your identity Information has been stolen you can spend months or even years and thousands of dollars to clean up the injury.
Tedd McRibson. I trust that this third and last article about Identity theft is useful and informative. I thank you for your Comments
Showing posts with label identity theft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label identity theft. Show all posts
Friday, January 23, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
How to Stop Being a Victim of Online Identity Theft? – Part 1
You conduct your business on the Internet. You fill many forms every day with your personal data: username, password, online bank email, home address, phone number... You have used your credit card to purchase from an online merchant. You are exposed to become an identity theft victim.
Many innocent preys of the identity thieves have lost their identities.
As we know, knowledge is the best weapon against becoming the next victim of online identity theft. Just follow some simple tips that I will give you:
1. Use secure servers
When surfing the Internet, make sure you are on a secure or encrypted server. That way, when a hacker or ID thief tries to find you and your computer’s location, they cannot locate you as your ISP and URL are encrypted, or coded as unreadable characters, by your server. Secure servers will filter fraud websites and spam mails before you can access them.
2. Don’t reply to spoofed e–mails
Spoofed mails are e–mails sent to you by certain e–mail accounts, asking for your details, or telling you to reply to their e–mail to do something like verify the details of your credit card account, online account, etc.
These e–mail accounts pose as banks, credit card companies, retailing websites like eBay, PayPal etc., and send you emails telling you to give them your information to get or verify something.
NEVER REPLY TO SPOOF E–MAILS! Remember: Banks, credit card companies, and other companies never ask their client to send their details over the Internet just for verification or claiming a prize or confirming your entry into a raffle draw you have never joined.
3. Don’t open files sent by unknown sources
If someone you have never known sends you a file over the Internet, usually through an instant messenger, or as an attachment in an e–mail, DO NOT OPEN IT!
The file may contain viruses and spying software that will steal your personal information that is in your computer. Besides, opening the file may cause serious damage to your computer even kill it; you'll be obliged to buy a new one.!
4. Properly log into your sensitive accounts
Always log on to your sensitive accounts by opening a new browser and typing the actual URL directly into the address bar. This will help you verify if the URL of the sender of an email is really the website it claims to be.
5. Use disposable e-mail accounts
Whenever you want to join a newsgroup, subscribe to mailing lists, or make online purchases, always use a disposable, free email account.
That way, you can always delete that account if you suspect ID theft. Always keep your business account for business and personal communications.
6. Disguise your online ID
Never use domain names and identities that will give out who you are. For example, if you are Teddy Atlant, do not use teddyatlant@mail.com or tedatlant as your email address and username respectively, especially when dealing with website you do not know.
7. Use leveled and strong passwords
Always have different passwords for your accounts. A password should be different for your personal account, business account, and disposable account.
Never use sequential passwords like password1, password2, password3 etc. that will easily allow others to access your accounts.
Make sure your passwords will be very difficult to guess. Use a combo of letters, numbers, and characters that only you can remember. Never write down a copy of your password. If you must, make sure you keep it in a safe place.
8. Regularly change passwords
Always change your passwords after a short period, let us say, one month. Regularly changing passwords makes if very difficult to access your accounts. It also helps stimulate your memory and creative side.
9. Use credit cards for online purchases
Credit cards are more secure than debit cards due to the security system being used by credit card companies. Besides, disputing fraudulent chargers is easier than recovering funds already spent. Also, use ONLY ONE CREDIT CARD for online purchases.
10. Always check a company’s privacy policy
Whenever you are going to transact business with a company, make sure to check its privacy policy.
Also, make sure to click the logos of the consumer groups posted on their website to make sure that the safety authentication is authentic. Make sure you also know the real online consumer welfare groups before transacting with companies.
11. Always use a secure site when submitting data
Make sure the URL of the site has https:// at the beginning, or has a padlock icon at the address bar before submitting sensitive data.
12. Security Software for your PC
Always make sure that you get the latest security patches for your operating system and internet browser: allow online update.
Also, update your virus databases, and install advertisement and pop–up blockers that will disallow pop–ups from certain websites from appearing on your screen.
I hope that you’ve found this article informative and helpful. I welcome your comments with thanks.
Tedd McRibson
Many innocent preys of the identity thieves have lost their identities.
As we know, knowledge is the best weapon against becoming the next victim of online identity theft. Just follow some simple tips that I will give you:
1. Use secure servers
When surfing the Internet, make sure you are on a secure or encrypted server. That way, when a hacker or ID thief tries to find you and your computer’s location, they cannot locate you as your ISP and URL are encrypted, or coded as unreadable characters, by your server. Secure servers will filter fraud websites and spam mails before you can access them.
2. Don’t reply to spoofed e–mails
Spoofed mails are e–mails sent to you by certain e–mail accounts, asking for your details, or telling you to reply to their e–mail to do something like verify the details of your credit card account, online account, etc.
These e–mail accounts pose as banks, credit card companies, retailing websites like eBay, PayPal etc., and send you emails telling you to give them your information to get or verify something.
NEVER REPLY TO SPOOF E–MAILS! Remember: Banks, credit card companies, and other companies never ask their client to send their details over the Internet just for verification or claiming a prize or confirming your entry into a raffle draw you have never joined.
3. Don’t open files sent by unknown sources
If someone you have never known sends you a file over the Internet, usually through an instant messenger, or as an attachment in an e–mail, DO NOT OPEN IT!
The file may contain viruses and spying software that will steal your personal information that is in your computer. Besides, opening the file may cause serious damage to your computer even kill it; you'll be obliged to buy a new one.!
4. Properly log into your sensitive accounts
Always log on to your sensitive accounts by opening a new browser and typing the actual URL directly into the address bar. This will help you verify if the URL of the sender of an email is really the website it claims to be.
5. Use disposable e-mail accounts
Whenever you want to join a newsgroup, subscribe to mailing lists, or make online purchases, always use a disposable, free email account.
That way, you can always delete that account if you suspect ID theft. Always keep your business account for business and personal communications.
6. Disguise your online ID
Never use domain names and identities that will give out who you are. For example, if you are Teddy Atlant, do not use teddyatlant@mail.com or tedatlant as your email address and username respectively, especially when dealing with website you do not know.
7. Use leveled and strong passwords
Always have different passwords for your accounts. A password should be different for your personal account, business account, and disposable account.
Never use sequential passwords like password1, password2, password3 etc. that will easily allow others to access your accounts.
Make sure your passwords will be very difficult to guess. Use a combo of letters, numbers, and characters that only you can remember. Never write down a copy of your password. If you must, make sure you keep it in a safe place.
8. Regularly change passwords
Always change your passwords after a short period, let us say, one month. Regularly changing passwords makes if very difficult to access your accounts. It also helps stimulate your memory and creative side.
9. Use credit cards for online purchases
Credit cards are more secure than debit cards due to the security system being used by credit card companies. Besides, disputing fraudulent chargers is easier than recovering funds already spent. Also, use ONLY ONE CREDIT CARD for online purchases.
10. Always check a company’s privacy policy
Whenever you are going to transact business with a company, make sure to check its privacy policy.
Also, make sure to click the logos of the consumer groups posted on their website to make sure that the safety authentication is authentic. Make sure you also know the real online consumer welfare groups before transacting with companies.
11. Always use a secure site when submitting data
Make sure the URL of the site has https:// at the beginning, or has a padlock icon at the address bar before submitting sensitive data.
12. Security Software for your PC
Always make sure that you get the latest security patches for your operating system and internet browser: allow online update.
Also, update your virus databases, and install advertisement and pop–up blockers that will disallow pop–ups from certain websites from appearing on your screen.
I hope that you’ve found this article informative and helpful. I welcome your comments with thanks.
Tedd McRibson
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