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Change your password often
According to Ebay, having a short 5 letter password
all in lower case letters greatly increases the chances of having
your password cracked.
Identity theft is a growing problem
Have you seen the CNN report that aired January 27 & 28?
CNN Presents takes a look at how thieves exploit stolen
identities to bilk banks and cheat credit card companies. Check out
the CNN online article "How
To Rob A Bank" to learn more about the blueprint of modern-day
bank robberies.
Another way of protecting yourself is to
make a list of every bank account, credit card account and loan you
have. Go through each one and find the opt out or privacy
information toll free number. Then call the number and make sure you
opt out of the company sharing your information with either their
affiliates or any outside companies. Sometimes this number is
buried, sometimes it is not offered and sometimes even if you call
there is no "prompt" directing you to the opt out department. Make
sure you check every year or so to make sure it is still in place.
Some banks and credit card companies will switch you back to opt in
after you have opted out.
Average cost to restore your identity after
the damage has been done: $ 8,000.00
Average time it takes for a person to find out they
have been a victim: 12 months
Average time spent recovering from identity theft:
600 hours!!
DON'T go to any online site that asks you to
punch in your Social Security number and they will check for free if
it has been compromised. This is a scam.
See this link on
Consumerist.com for more information:
http://consumerist.com/consumer/stolenidsearch/stolenid-search-see-if--your-idenity-was-stolen-just-type-in-your-ssn-231308.php
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CREDIT MONITORING
Right now you can get a free credit report once a
year from all 3 credit reporting agencies. That is good but you need
to monitor your credit more often because a lot can be done
in just a couple of weeks.
Equifax is also the ONLY credit reporting
agency that offers the ability to lock and unlock your credit report
online. For only $2 a month you have control over who gets your
report and who doesn't. A great way to stop identity thieves in
their tracks. The "other 2" credit reporting agencies don't allow
you to freeze your report online. Currently you have to write them a
letter and they will charge $10 per person, per agency to freeze
your credit report. Let's say you want to apply for new credit, buy
a car or refinance your home. You have to call them with a PIN# they
send you via postal mail and they charge you another $10 for a
temporary lift. If you want to cancel the freeze, that's another
$10. So if you are married it will cost you $40 each time to freeze,
$40 each time to lift and $40 each time to cancel the freeze on your
credit.
See, criminals have it easy and WE pay the
price. Makes you wonder what those dummies in Sacramento (and/or in
Washington) are doing for us. The laws are not there to protect the
law abiding citizens since the criminals barely pay the price for
their actions. Victims of identity theft, spend literally years
and thousands of dollars
trying to undo the damage the criminal has done to their credit. I
urge you to call your congressman/woman and tell them to enact
tougher laws against those involved in identity theft.
BUY A GOOD ANTI VIRUS
SOFTWARE
Buy anti virus software and a good
personal firewall for you computer. Without it your computer is
vulnerable to online threats and viruses.
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BUY A SHREDDER
Invest in a GOOD shredder. The
best kind of shredder is a cross cut shredder or even a micro cut
shredder. Remember.... you get what you pay for. A cheap
shredder won't last and if you buy a strip cut shredder a monkey
could put the pieces of your private information back together and
use it. Here are a couple of micro cut shredders.
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OnGuard Online
Provides practical tips from the Federal
Government and the technology industry to help you be on guard
against internet fraud.
http://onguardonline.gov
Remember, if it is from the Federal
Government, the web address always ends in .gov
Don't get fooled with other internet sites posing as government
agencies.
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EMAIL SCAMS
This has been widely documented on
television lately. The practice is called "phishing". You get an
authentic looking email from your bank, your online service provider
or from some well known site such as EBay or Pay Pal. They tell you
how urgent this matter is and they need you to verify your
information immediately by clicking on the link in the email.
DON'T FALL FOR THIS - you won't be taken to the site. Instead
you get redirected to a dummy site where they ask for your personal
information. No reputable business would ever ask you to send
sensitive and personal information via email, it is just not secure.
Instead open a new page in your browser and type the web page
yourself. Or if you still are not sure call your bank or internet
service provider. Also, you can forward the suspicious email to the
fraud department along with all headers.
If you would like more information on
how to report spam to Internet
Service Providers or more information regarding how to fight spam,
you
may wish to visit the following Web sites:
http://www.spamcop.net
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NEW
- What you need
to know about online banking
Most online banks have already initiated
an extra safety net or at least they have announced that they are
going to do this. In addition to your username and password they now
have a picture of your choice appear as well as a catch phrase that
you will see every time you log on to the site. If the familiar
picture you have chosen and your catch phrase is not there then
DON'T log on with your username and password. If your bank has not
done this or is not planning on doing this then find another bank.
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SCAM ALERTS
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What you need to know about
telephone calls to your home or business
Beware of innocent phone
calls and people trying to send you supposedly free catalogs.
Never accept any phone order or verification of business or personal
information over the phone. Have them send you the information via
email or get their phone number and/or web address. When in doubt
say NO. Check the information
via the above websites or do a search with one of the top search
engines - you probably will get information regarding other people's
experience. Even just a telephone number will get you feedback.
These guys are good at trying to confuse you over the phone. They
will talk real fast and try to close the deal. Get the name of the
company, the person you spoke with and the phone number first.
Then tell them to take you off their list and never call you again.
Also, don't assume the person who is
calling is actually who they say they are. As shown in the above
scenario ANYONE can call your home or business and pretend to be
someone else just by fast-talking you. Even voice mail messages left
on your phone can be phony. If someone calls and leaves a message
don't automatically call the number left in
the message. Instead, go to the source - get a recent
bill and use the number provided on the bill or your credit card.
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MORE SCAM ALERTS
If you own a corporation you need to
file a yearly statement of information with the state where your
company is incorporated. The cost for this in the state of
California is $25. There are several scams out there that will send
you an official-looking letter indicating that you must send them
$100-125 to perform this service for you. DON'T fall for it.
If you look closely on the form you will see that it is NOT from a
government agency.
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site ratings/online
merchant information
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online purchases
Now that you have done your homework
and found a reliable site on the internet you need to know a few
more things. Here are just a few more tips for buying online:
TIPS
for buying online at a secure site:
A legitimate website will use secured pages when
collecting sensitive data. The URL or website address begins with
https:// instead of http://. You should also see a secure
icon on your browser such as a padlock or key. Another way to verify
that a website is secure it to click your right mouse button
somewhere on the page and choose the "Properties" option. The window
that opens will tell you what type of encryption the page uses.
Encryption is measured in cipher strength or bits (usually 64 bit or
128 bit encryption). This lets you know that the website is
scrambling any information you are entering on their site so that it
cannot be read if it is intercepted by a thief. Remember, just
because a website is secure it does not mean it is a legitimate
site.
Some sites, however, do use SSL (secure
sockets layer) and will not show the
https://
in the address bar UNTIL you submit your final order. When in doubt,
check with the BBB or another
reliable online site such as
Biz Rate
Marketplace OR you can always call in your order.
When in doubt buy from a merchant that
you are familiar with. Sometimes you may think you are saving
a couple of dollars but in the long run it is not worth it. Wouldn't
you rather spend a couple of dollars more from a store that you know
is reputable and will refund your money if you don't like the
product (see more on this below)
TIPS
for buying online:
Buy from the same internet site or merchant or better yet sign
up for PayPal. That way you can control how many sites have your
credit card number. If you want to save money by buying on another
site it should be a substantial amount. However, you should first
consider the following:
- Shipping charges - some
sites charge you per the amount of your order in incremental
amounts. Others charge a flat fee no matter what the size of
your order (unless you want your order sent to you faster). If
you are lucky, you may find some merchants that have special
deals or ongoing free shipping. Office Depot and Staples ship
free on orders over $50.
- Shipping time - some
sites take forever to process your order. You need to decide if
the amount you are saving is worth the headache.
- Customer service - Send
an email or make a phone call with product questions before
you place an order. If you get a quick email response or a
friendly helpful voice on the phone then that usually
gives you an indication of what you will be dealing with if you
order with them.
- Return policy
- Read the fine print before you
even start to order.
Some sites won't let you return anything, some will charge you a
restocking fee of up to
20% and others will gladly let you return
anything within 30-60 days. Make sure you obtain an RMA from the
company first. (RMA stands for Return Merchandise
Authorization)
- Be Prepared - Select your
merchandise before you begin your online shopping. Browse the
online catalog and either print out the item you are considering
or write it down. Make sure your printer is on when you are
ready to add to your shopping cart so you can print out your
order before and after you press your submit button. Once you
are familiar with the merchant, you will know if you can print
your order after it has been submitted. Some merchants still
show the order and some do not.
- Alternatives - If you are
still not comfortable with online ordering then call their
toll free number. A reputable site will have a toll free
number and will allow you to either buy online, place you order
by phone or will let you fax your order.
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More Tips
about your credit card
TIP #1: Guard your credit card
number. Sign up for online services so you can check your credit
card balance frequently - and then DO IT.
TIP #2: If you your credit card company does not have
a "no-fault" policy for online purchases then get another card that
has that capability. Some cards will guarantee online protection
from fraud.
TIP #3: Remember to check your
statement against the purchases you made. Don't assume the merchant
has applied the correct charges. Even the best companies can make
mistakes. Contact your credit card company immediately if you
have found a billing error. This is important because they give
you a fixed amount of time for disputed charges. That is why
checking your statement online has its advantages - you can find out
within days if the charges are correct. They will send you a form to
fill out for the disputed charge.
After you contact the
credit card company, call the merchant and tell them the problem.
Again, be prepared with your paperwork in front of you. Write down
the day and time of your call and the name of the person you
spoke with. If they want something in writing then type a letter
with all the ordering information and either fax or send certified
mail. Keep copies of your letters in a file with notes on all your
calls. This will help you when you send in the form from your credit
card company. They want to see a chronological order of your efforts
in resolving the problem.
Check your statement
daily either online or by phone until the charges have been
corrected. Most merchants will reverse or correct charges within a
day or two, others may take up to 2 months! So don't buy from them
again if they do that - it was their mistake, not yours.
TIP #4: Don't overlook incentives your card can give
you.
You worked hard to earn that money - don't throw it away foolishly
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