Identity Theft Blog » Know The Top eMail Scams

Phishing Attacks—Don’t Become the Next Victim!

Cole — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 11:00:09 +0000

Even those who think they follow all of the internet security “rules” can still become the victim of identity theft. Lori Savage, whose identity was stolen as a result of a phishing attack, found out that the hard way.

In this CBS News video, Savage says she considered herself savvy in doing business online. She frequently banked and shopped online, and followed all of the recommended security practices. But one day when she tried to make a purchase with her bank card, Savage discovered that an identity thief had stolen $3,000 from her account.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Savage likely was the victim of keyboard spyware, a newer type of phishing attack. With this more sophisticated type of attack, malicious software is hidden inside programs or emails that consumers download from the web. Once it’s on your computer, it can watch every keystroke you make—most importantly, your passwords and other sensitive personal information.

Protect Yourself From Phishing Attacks
Banks and retailers work to prevent these types of phishing attacks. But you can also reduce your risk by installing anti-spyware software, which looks for programs that have been installed on your computer to track your online activities.

More traditional phishing attacks involve phony emails asking you to reconfirm your account information. These emails take you to a bogus website where you type in your password and inadvertently open your account to the identity thief.

Even the experts can have a difficult time telling the difference between phony sites and the real versions. But you can protect yourself from these types of attacks by following a few guidelines:

• Call the company or organization to confirm that the email asking for your personal information is legit

• Go to the company’s website via a search engine or by typing in the URL, not by clicking through from the email

• Never enter your personal information in a pop-up window

• Install pop-up blocking software

• Constantly protect your identity with a credit monitoring service

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Online Credit Card Theft Affects 130 Million: Learn to Protect Yourself

Cole — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:47:41 +0000

As many as 130 million people may be the latest victims of online credit card theft.

Two men were indicted in New Jersey this week for allegedly stealing 130 million credit and debit card numbers. It’s being called the largest identity theft case in American history.

Authorities say the men stole the numbers from credit card processor Heartland Payment Systems, convenience store chain 7-Eleven Inc. and supermarket chain Hannaford Brothers Co., Reuters reports. According to prosecutors, as early as 2006, the men began assessing the list of Fortune 500 companies and identifying potential vulnerabilities in their computer systems.

One of the men arrested, Albert Gonzalez, was indicted a year ago with 10 others for allegedly stealing 41 million credit and debit card numbers from major retailers. That online credit card theft resulted in more than $400 million in damages, Reuters reports.

Protect Yourself From Online Credit Card Theft
This large-scale online credit card theft reinforces the need to safeguard your personal data. Banks and retailers may be doing all they can to protect your and your information, but it’s also your own responsibility to take some precautionary measures.

Follow these 5 quick tips to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of online credit card theft:

1. Never respond to unsolicited emails.

2. Use strong passwords with at least 8 characters and symbols.

3. Keep your system secure with anti-virus software, anti-spyware software and a firewall.

4. Update your web browser and operating system to the latest version.

5. Protect your personal information when disposing of an old computer.

Most importantly, monitor your credit with the help of an identity theft protection service to ensure no one has stolen your personal information. For more on these tips, check out “For Preventing Identity Theft Online: 5 Must-Follow Tips.”

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Are You Safe From the Latest Facebook and Twitter Scams?

Cole — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:13:28 +0000

When you log on to social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter, are you worried about preventing identity theft?

Maybe you should be. Three in 10 people have experienced some type of scam on a social networking site, according to a study by security firm Webroot.

Security Central magazine in July pinpointed 5 of the latest social networking site scams. Ensure identity theft protection by learning and avoiding them:

1. Send me money!

You get a message (a Tweet, a direct message, a wall post, an IM, etc.) from a “friend” who says he is in trouble. He was pick-pocketed in another country and needs you to wire money. Because the scammer hacked into your “friend’s” account, he seems to be a trusted source and knows personal details about you. So you might be convinced to offer up sensitive bank account information.

2. The latest celebrity news!

Be wary of messages that promise new or never-before-heard celebrity gossip. A recent popular scam? Top-secret information about the death of Michael Jackson. The link to the story might ask you to download a file. Instead, you may end up installing some type of malware (short for malicious software) on your computer, which can damage or steal your data.

3. Did you hear what was said about you in this blog?

Whether it’s on your wall, in your inbox or in an instant message, you might be asked an attention-grabbing question. Clicking on the link directs you to a fake login screen, where you are asked to enter your personal information.

4. Update your personal information.

Be on the lookout for messages, emails or requests to update your personal information. These too may lead you to a fake login, where your personal data is stolen.

5. Find out your IQ!

A recent Facebook IQ test application, according to Security Central, asked users for their cell phone numbers in order to receive a text message with the IQ test results. By doing so, users were enrolled in a costly text messaging service. Unfortunately, many people failed to read the fine print.

These scams are no doubt scary, but preventing identity theft online can be achieved by following a few useful tips.

• Use privacy settings to protect your personal information. Limit your private and more sensitive information to “friends” only. Or better yet, exclude it completely.

• Come up with a unique password for your social networking account. Don’t use the same password for online banking, job-related sites, etc.

• Make sure your computer is protected with a reliable firewall and the latest anti-virus and anti-spyware software.

• Use good, old-fashioned common sense and be on guard for any suspicious behavior. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

• Check your credit report to ensure your identity hasn’t been compromised. And use an identity theft protection service that alerts you to any suspicious activity.

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