| Identity theft cannot be 100% fully prevented. To | | | | information from the customer at any time. |
| do so would require a policy of never sharing | | | | Giving your personal information to someone that |
| financial information with anyone, anywhere, | | | | sent an email that has your bank name listed in |
| anytime. You would not be able to conduct | | | | the header is only asking for trouble. |
| financial transactions in society with that policy. | | | | Identity thieves are extremely creative when it |
| And even if you were able to, your information is | | | | comes to stealing identities, including sending emails |
| already in the records of your physician, bank, the | | | | in respected names. The prestigious FDIC was |
| IRS, department of motor vehicles, etc. There is | | | | targeted by thieves; the sender sent emails to |
| no way to remove this information. Therefore | | | | recipients of the bank requesting that they |
| you could become victim to identity theft. | | | | provide personal information to avoid closure of |
| However, there are steps you can take to | | | | their accounts. Microsoft was also targeted by |
| reduce those chances. | | | | thieves when emails were sent to various inboxes |
| Internet mail is one of the main sources that | | | | requesting the receiver to download patches to |
| perpetrators of identity theft are using to gain | | | | protect their computers. Once the receiver |
| access to your personal information. The | | | | downloaded the attachment, a dangerous virus |
| perpetrator may send threatening emails, or | | | | took control of their computer, leaving a |
| emails that seem appealing. Emails requesting | | | | backdoor entry that would give the hacker |
| personal financial information are linked to identity | | | | access to the information stored on the |
| theft and arrive in millions of mailboxes worldwide | | | | computer. |
| each and every day. | | | | EBay is also a target for thieves. EBay scams |
| In most cases, no one person is being specifically | | | | abound. False Paypal payments are common, as |
| singled out to become the next victim. It is just | | | | well as false or counterfeit checks. Be very wary |
| not worth the effort involved. Identity thieves are | | | | of anything purported to be from EBay that |
| not interested from whom they are stealing the | | | | seems fishy. If you have to think twice about the |
| identity from. Instead they focus on targeting as | | | | legitimacy, it is likely a scam. Beware. |
| many people as possible as it is a numbers game. | | | | Here are some helpful tips for you to avoid |
| The more people they target the higher are the | | | | identity theft as much as possible: |
| chances that someone will be tricked into | | | | 1) Do not open emails if you do not trust the |
| volunteering personal financial information. | | | | sender. |
| The senders of these emails are challenging the | | | | 2) Never give out your personal information over |
| receiver by using deception, hoping the receiver | | | | the internet, unless you know that the company |
| will give out personal information, such as bank | | | | can be trusted and is using encryption to secure |
| numbers, PIN and passwords, Social Security | | | | the web page(s). If Paypal or EBay request your |
| numbers and other precious information that the | | | | information, which they never have done to this |
| thief can use to gain control over your identity. | | | | author. go directly to their home page, log into |
| Often these emails state that a bank account or | | | | your account there, and see if the request is |
| Paypal account has been frozen until information is | | | | associated with your account. Never click the link |
| verified. The victim, being worried that pending | | | | in an email requesting information. |
| transactions will not clear properly, will follow the | | | | 3) Do a background check on any site you are |
| demand of the email that account information be | | | | thinking of giving your information to or you are |
| "updated". The criminal who sent the email will | | | | considering buying from. This includes calling the |
| always include a handy link to click on for updating | | | | state attorney general's office. |
| the requested information. Never click on those | | | | 4) Change your PIN numbers and passwords |
| links. | | | | regularly, at as minimum every 6 months. |
| If you want to avoid identity theft, there are | | | | 5) Do not post even general financial information |
| several emails that you may want to bear in mind | | | | on forums, bulletin boards or discussion boards |
| are SPAM, and you should completely ignore | | | | online. |
| them. One is the forzen account along with a | | | | 6) Conceal your personal information at all times, |
| request to update your personal financial | | | | including at home. |
| information. Another is a claim that you have won | | | | 7) Never give your personal information over the |
| x amount of cash, and to act now to receive | | | | phone line. |
| your prize. If you have not joined a contest, then | | | | 8) When using ATM or other machines to make |
| chances are you have not actually won a prize. A | | | | deposits, withdrawals, or purchases make sure no |
| third is an email claiming that you could receive | | | | one sees you type in your PIN number. |
| scholarships or grants to attend such and such a | | | | 9) Do not just throw personal information, such |
| college; to earn your degree act now by providing | | | | as bank statements or letters containing your |
| your personal information. These are all fake and | | | | postal address, account numbers or any sensitive |
| designed by criminals to steal your personal | | | | information in the trash. This is a favorite place |
| financial information. Delete them without a | | | | for criminals to search. Put it through a shredder |
| second thought! | | | | first. |
| Companies that already have your personal | | | | 10) Never mail your tax return by putting it in |
| information, such as your bank have no reason to | | | | your mailbox with the flag up. Criminals will drive |
| ask for this again in an email. In fact, most banks | | | | neighborhoods during tax season searching for tax |
| clearly state in their Terms & Conditions that | | | | returns. These are the ultimate sources of |
| they will never send electronic mail requesting | | | | information for identity theft. |