By E-mail and the Internet
Excerpt from '80 Plus Ways to protect yourself from ID theft'
68. If at all possible, DON'T use any email program that has the reputation of being especially vulnerable to hackers. In the email program that you DO use, set it to receive email in txt format. That will defeat any malware java scripts designed to contaminate your system.
69. Delete spam emails without opening them. Don't click on links in emails even if the email looks legitimate. Effective scams are designed to look legitimate. And don't open attachments unless you are sure you can trust the sender.
70. Beware of 'pfishing' where emails direct internet users to a fraudulent website to 'fix' their accounts, and 'pharming' where users, without their knowledge, are redirected from sites they frequently use to bogus look-alike sites where id thieves capture log-in names, passwords, and account numbers. Make sure the website you arrive at is secure, that the http is followed with an 's' i.e. https. 'Pharming' is done by email attachments and one letter typos when typing in URL addresses.
68. If at all possible, DON'T use any email program that has the reputation of being especially vulnerable to hackers. In the email program that you DO use, set it to receive email in txt format. That will defeat any malware java scripts designed to contaminate your system.
69. Delete spam emails without opening them. Don't click on links in emails even if the email looks legitimate. Effective scams are designed to look legitimate. And don't open attachments unless you are sure you can trust the sender.
70. Beware of 'pfishing' where emails direct internet users to a fraudulent website to 'fix' their accounts, and 'pharming' where users, without their knowledge, are redirected from sites they frequently use to bogus look-alike sites where id thieves capture log-in names, passwords, and account numbers. Make sure the website you arrive at is secure, that the http is followed with an 's' i.e. https. 'Pharming' is done by email attachments and one letter typos when typing in URL addresses.
Protect yourself from ID theft at work
71. Don't assume that your emails, your hard drive and your personal information is private and protected. Do assume that everything you write and everything in your files can appear on the internet, and the evening news, tomorrow! You can no longer assume that your employer, or your fellow employees, have your best interests at heart. Always use passwords on your files, but that is not completely reliable anymore, and encryption is not universally permitted.
72. As a general rule, do not bring your personal information to work. Human Resources (Personnel) may HAVE to have it, but nobody else, even you! Anything you MUST have, keep it in your wallet or your purse (and keep your purse locked up) and remove it as soon as possible. If you write personal mail or personal checks, drop them in the US mail box out on the street.
73. If you are an independent contractor, a sole proprietor, use your Federal Identification Number instead of your Social Security Number. Also, give your Federal ID number, not your Social Security Number, to internet companies that will be paying you.
72. As a general rule, do not bring your personal information to work. Human Resources (Personnel) may HAVE to have it, but nobody else, even you! Anything you MUST have, keep it in your wallet or your purse (and keep your purse locked up) and remove it as soon as possible. If you write personal mail or personal checks, drop them in the US mail box out on the street.
73. If you are an independent contractor, a sole proprietor, use your Federal Identification Number instead of your Social Security Number. Also, give your Federal ID number, not your Social Security Number, to internet companies that will be paying you.
Protect yourself from ID theft at home
74. A paper published by The Better Business Bureau Online reports that, when the victim can identify who stole their personal information, that 'Almost half (47 percent) of all identity theft is perpetrated by friends, neighbors, in-home employees, family members or relatives.'
75. Without being totally paranoid about it, keep your private data private. Lock it up in a desk drawer. Put your purse or wallet away, out of sight. Don't leave anything lying around for anyone to see and/or steal. And don't loan your credit or debit cards to anyone.
76. When you access the Internet you are at great risk of having your identity stolen. At one time or another, take it for granted, your own computer will be corrupted. Viruses, malware, spyware and Trojan horses infest emails, downloaded files, downloaded freeware, shareware, software programs, and in downloaded pictures. They'll even seek out and hide in interactive programs you have on your computer. And, sometimes, a site you visit on the web is infected and then you've got it! Any log-ins and passwords, financial records, tax returns, birth date, and bank account, credit card and Social Security numbers that you have on your computer are there for the taking. To be really smart, put all your sensitive information on a floppy or CD and keep it off your hard drive altogether. It will still be handy when you need it.
77. If you use an accounting program to keep your accounting records, enter bank or credit card account numbers as *****xxxxx rather than complete numbers. As far as possible, keep your personal records and data on CD or floppy rather than on your hard drive. They will still be available when needed.
78. Keep patches for your operating system current. Use a firewall program that will block uninvited access to your computer. Without it, hackers can take over your computer and, without your knowledge, use it for any purpose they want. Use antivirus and antimalware protection software and update them regularly. (Most will update themselves.) Update browsers with the latest version available. An indication that you might have picked up something malicious is an unusual and excessive slowness in the way your system works or some change in the way a program operates. (Your first response will be to think it's 'you' but it's probably not.) Other indications are that your antivirus or antimalware programs have been disabled, you've suddenly run out of disk space, your programs won't run for lack of memory, that you're acquired programs you don't recognize, or that your password is rejected. So scan your system regularly, whether you think it's compromised or not. And, when submitting information over the internet, look for the 'lock' icon on the browser's status bar to make sure your information will be safe.
79. Most antivirus and antimalware scanners will allow a 'custom' scan where you can selectively scan a drive or a folder on your computer. I would suggest that after downloading ANYTHING, immediately scan it and, if it's infected, allow the program to delete it. Use a 'wipe' utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive before you dispose of your computer. Just deleting or reformatting the hard drive may not adequately get rid of your stored information. There are programs out there that can retrieve it.
75. Without being totally paranoid about it, keep your private data private. Lock it up in a desk drawer. Put your purse or wallet away, out of sight. Don't leave anything lying around for anyone to see and/or steal. And don't loan your credit or debit cards to anyone.
76. When you access the Internet you are at great risk of having your identity stolen. At one time or another, take it for granted, your own computer will be corrupted. Viruses, malware, spyware and Trojan horses infest emails, downloaded files, downloaded freeware, shareware, software programs, and in downloaded pictures. They'll even seek out and hide in interactive programs you have on your computer. And, sometimes, a site you visit on the web is infected and then you've got it! Any log-ins and passwords, financial records, tax returns, birth date, and bank account, credit card and Social Security numbers that you have on your computer are there for the taking. To be really smart, put all your sensitive information on a floppy or CD and keep it off your hard drive altogether. It will still be handy when you need it.
77. If you use an accounting program to keep your accounting records, enter bank or credit card account numbers as *****xxxxx rather than complete numbers. As far as possible, keep your personal records and data on CD or floppy rather than on your hard drive. They will still be available when needed.
78. Keep patches for your operating system current. Use a firewall program that will block uninvited access to your computer. Without it, hackers can take over your computer and, without your knowledge, use it for any purpose they want. Use antivirus and antimalware protection software and update them regularly. (Most will update themselves.) Update browsers with the latest version available. An indication that you might have picked up something malicious is an unusual and excessive slowness in the way your system works or some change in the way a program operates. (Your first response will be to think it's 'you' but it's probably not.) Other indications are that your antivirus or antimalware programs have been disabled, you've suddenly run out of disk space, your programs won't run for lack of memory, that you're acquired programs you don't recognize, or that your password is rejected. So scan your system regularly, whether you think it's compromised or not. And, when submitting information over the internet, look for the 'lock' icon on the browser's status bar to make sure your information will be safe.
79. Most antivirus and antimalware scanners will allow a 'custom' scan where you can selectively scan a drive or a folder on your computer. I would suggest that after downloading ANYTHING, immediately scan it and, if it's infected, allow the program to delete it. Use a 'wipe' utility program to overwrite the entire hard drive before you dispose of your computer. Just deleting or reformatting the hard drive may not adequately get rid of your stored information. There are programs out there that can retrieve it.
Seniors: protect yourself from scammers
80. If you are a senior, you have become a favorite target of fraudulent telemarketers, internet scammers, predatory lenders, and others pushing unbelievably good deals, wealth, money, lottery winnings, high returns on your investments, or some other benefit you would not ordinarily receive. Once your name is on a 'sucker list' it is sold to other scammers. 81. Fraudulent telemarketers are masters of psychological manipulation. In very short order, they find out which buttons to push that will make you 'believe' in the scam and become a willing participant in your own financial destruction. Their tactics range from:
battering (agreeing with the scammer being the only way to end the verbal hammering),
insidiousness (the scammer weasels his or her way into your life),
seduction (making you feel accepted and loved),
sympathy (to save the scammer from loss or being fired),
guilt (you owe them),
threats (you'll lose all you might have gained in the future)
to name only a few. Once they've got their hooks into you, it will be almost impossible to escape.
82. Stop it before it starts. HANG UP THE PHONE! Scammers hook you in by TALKING to you. They are powerless if you don't listen.
83. You can still be polite, considerate and kind by quickly interrupting the spiel and saying, 'No, I don't think so. But thank you for calling.' and immediately HANG UP THE PHONE! Do not, DO NOT wait for a response! I have never known of an instance where they called back, but if they do, HANG UP THE PHONE!
84. If the call appears to be so plausible, so legitimate, that you aren't immediately aware that it's an attempt to persuade you to give them personal information, subscribe, invest, buy, contribute, donate, etc., ask the caller to send you information in the mail. If they are legitimate, they'll be glad to do that. If not, HANG UP THE PHONE!
85. Practice paranoia. Offers that were entirely legitimate in the past are used by scammers today. Before you give your credit card information to anyone for anything, search the Internet for complaints about the program or the company. Check the online Better Business Bureau and even your state Attorney General's office. A few minutes of research can save you a load of money and hours and hours of grief.
And now . . . the rest of the story
The crimes of ID theft are far from over. As a matter of fact, they have reached international proportions. Every day people are being scammed out of their life savings. While there is no possible way to alert you to every scam, there are general rules that, if you follow them, should keep your money safely in your own pocket. You can find the rest of the article '80 Plus Ways to protect yourself from ID theft' on the website below. Why is it so hard to recover from ID theft?
If it's already too late and you've become a victim, read this.
by jhwhite
The author of this article has had years of experience as a small business accountant and an Internet publisher..
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