Bsmart with Bsafe Online - The First Edition

10 Ways to Protect Yourself From ID Theft

Identity theft that takes place over the Internet is called Phishing. Phishing, i.e., fishing for information and hooking victims, is a criminal activity using social engineering techniques. Phishers attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information (e.g., passwords and credit card details) by masquerading as a trustworthy person or business in an electronic communication. Phishing is typically carried out using e-mail or an Instant Message (IM), although phone contact has been used as well [1].

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, phishers send an e-mail or pop-up message that claims to be from a business or organization that you may deal with, e.g., Internet Service Provider (ISP), bank, online payment service, or government agency. The message may ask you to update, validate, or confirm your account information. Some phishing e-mails threaten a dire consequence if you don't respond. These messages direct you to a Web site that looks just like a legitimate organization site, but it isn't. It is a bogus Web site whose sole purpose is to trick you into divulging your personal information so the operators can steal your identity and run-up bills or commit crimes in your name [2].

With today's ever evolving engineering advances, phishing scams are a very real threat and the damage caused by them can be enormous. However, there are ways for you and your family to be safe. These are the Top 10 ways to protect yourself from ID Theft.

If you get an e-mail or pop-up message that asks for personal or financial information, do not reply or click the link in the message. Legitimate companies don't ask for this information through e-mail. If you are concerned about your account, contact the organization mentioned in the e-mail using a telephone number you know to be genuine, or open a new Internet browser session and type the company's correct Web address yourself. In any case, do not cut and paste the link from the message into your Internet browser; i.e., phishers can make links look like they go to one place, but that actually send you to a different site.
Use AntiVirus software and a firewall and keep them updated. Some phishing e-mails contain software that can harm your computer or track your activities on the Internet without your knowledge.
Bsafe Online AntiVirus software and firewall protects you from inadvertently accepting such unwanted files. AntiVirus software scans incoming communications for troublesome files. Look for AntiVirus software that recognizes current viruses as well as older ones; that can effectively reverse the damage; and that updates automatically.
A firewall helps make you invisible on the Internet and blocks all communications from unauthorized sources. It is especially important to run a firewall if you have a broadband connection. Operating systems (Windows or Linux) or Web browsers (Internet Explorer or Netscape) may offer free software patches to close holes in the system that hackers or phishers could exploit
Forward Spam, which is phishing for information, to spam@uce.gov and to the company, bank, or organization impersonated in the phishing e-mail. Most organizations have information on their Web sites about where to report problems.
Be cautious about opening any attachment or downloading any files from e-mails you receive, regardless of who sent them. These files can contain viruses or other software that can weaken your computer's security.
Do not e-mail personal or financial information. E-mail is not a secure method to transmit personal information. If you initiate a transaction and want to provide your personal or financial information through an organization's Web site, look for indicators that the site is secure, like a lock icon on the Web browser's status bar or an URL for a Web site that begins https: (the s stands for secure). Unfortunately, no indicator is foolproof; some phishers have forged security icons.
With a cross shredder, burn or shred any mail or financial papers with your personal information on it. Never recycle them.
Call 1-888-5OPTOUT and ask to stop credit card companies from sending pre-approved credit card applications to your house. They are ticking identity theft time bombs. Ask your credit card firm to cease delivery of convenience checks. They, too, are ticking time bombs.
You're entitled to one free credit report each year. Get it as soon as possible and review it carefully. Additionally, order a credit report a month or more before you make a big purchase or apply for credit, to be sure there are no surprises in your history.
Review credit card and bank account statements as soon as you receive them to check for unauthorized charges. If your statement is late by more than a couple of days, call your credit card company or bank to confirm your billing address and account balances.
Be prepared and organized. Most of the time, you can not prevent an ID theft incident from occurring, because two-thirds of the time, some company that leaked the data is to blame. Save paper bank records for a year, at least. You will need them to prove your account balance in the event of an ID theft incident.

If you believe you've been scammed, file your complaint at ftc.gov, and then visit the FTC's Identity Theft Web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. Victims of phishing can become victims of identity theft. While you can't entirely control whether you will become a victim of identity theft, you can take some steps to minimize your risk. If an identity thief is opening credit accounts in your name, these new accounts are likely to show up on your credit report. You may catch an incident early if you order a free copy of your credit report periodically from any of the three major credit bureaus. See www.annualcreditreport.com for details on ordering a free annual credit report.

References

1. Skoudis, Ed. "Phone phishing:The role of VoiP in phishing attacks" search Security, June 13, 2006.
2. "How not to get Hooked by a 'Phishing Scam'",FTC Consumer Alert, June 2005.

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