| You should be cautious of the information | | | | |
| that you openly share. Telephone | | | | These e-mails often imply threats of account |
| communication is often a way for identity | | | | closure similar consequences if you do not |
| thieves to obtain and collect your personal | | | | respond. For people who are trusting and have |
| information. Even an e-mail or a survey you | | | | yet to deal with this type of deception, they |
| receive in the mail is not always safe and | | | | are likely act on the request for |
| secure. | | | | information. Those "old hands" who have |
| | | | encountered this type of thing aren't easily |
| These methods are seldom used by governments, | | | | taken in and don't fall into the trap as |
| financial institutions or companies for | | | | easily. Identity thieves actively target |
| collecting any type of personal information. | | | | people who are trusting and innocent. This |
| If an individual or a company tries to obtain | | | | type of deception wasn't easily achieved |
| your personal information using any of these | | | | before the age of the internet because most |
| means, be wary; in all likelihood they are | | | | dealings were approached face-to-face. |
| trying to steal your identity by trying to | | | | |
| appear legitimate. | | | | Fortunately, there is a common factor with |
| | | | many spoofing operations; they usually |
| Obtaining personal information from | | | | originate from countries where English is not |
| unsuspecting people by pretending to be an | | | | the first language. This becomes evident in |
| official, a bank or company authority is a | | | | their correspondence, which is usually full |
| method called "spoofing." It is not uncommon | | | | of mispellings and grammar mistakes. |
| for identity thieves to pose as a government | | | | |
| official or a representative of a bank or | | | | You can easily lose your credit card |
| company in order to gain your trust. They may | | | | information to an identity thief if you |
| even go to the extreme of presenting | | | | unintentionally give away your personal |
| themselves legitimately, going to great | | | | details. When dealing with vendors on the |
| lengths such as reproducing company logos, | | | | phone or online, ensure that they are |
| official letters and creating official | | | | companies that you have dealt with before or |
| looking web sites. | | | | are reputable. If you are being asked to |
| | | | divulge personal information online, check if |
| The more commonly used spoofing method that | | | | the transaction is being done on a legitimate |
| identity thieves use is the "phishing" | | | | site and on a secure page? Reputable |
| campaigns, which involves using official | | | | companies are more likely to protect their |
| looking e-mails containing a request for you | | | | reputation by offering extreme care in |
| to provide private or personal details such | | | | providing you with a secure and honest |
| as your bank account number, PIN and | | | | service. |
| password. | | | | |