Protecting Yourself from Fraud
Danger Zone: Email
Be wary. Protect yourself against email fraud.
Phishing is an email scam used to steal your personal information. Email may appear in your inbox, claiming to be from your financial institution, credit card company, or another source. It may appear authentic, but be careful - any email requesting personal information or to "verify" account information is usually a scam. Do not respond to this and do not click on any link contained in this type of email.
Danger Zone: The Internet
Be careful when accessing the internet.
If you're not sure about the safety of a site, you're better off to avoid it. The Internet is a great place to browse and do business, but it can also be a Danger Zone for identity theft if you don't know what to watch for or how to protect yourself. There are several types of malware - short for malicious software - that can infect your computer as you surf the web. These programs are becoming more sophisticated and ingenious in their ability to infect your computer. Many are designed to steal your personal information, including:
- Viruses
- Spyware
- Trojan Horses
- Keystroke Loggers
Danger Zone: Telephone
If you receive an incoming call requesting personal information, hang up.
The telephone is one of the most often used sources for criminal activity. Here's how it works. Your phone rings. The caller claims to be from your financial institution, or any other trusted source. They begin asking questions about you and your account. This could be a telephone scam called Vishing. Someone is attempting to steal your identity, and it happens to millions of Americans every year.
Danger Zone: Payments
Don't make it easy for criminals to steal your payment information.
Payment fraud happens when someone uses information from your checks, credit and debit cards, or any other form of payment without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes. This, and other forms of identity theft, can be avoided if you know how to protect yourself.
Danger Zone: Home
Dispose of your personal records by shredding, burning, or pulverizing them.
The simple act of sending and receiving mail, and putting your trash out at night can put your personal information at risk. Financial information, checks, bank account and credit card statements, and monthly bills can be stolen from your home, your mailbox or even from your trash; then used to access your accounts and steal your identity.
Social Engineering
"Social Engineering" is any method of theft that manipulates your human nature in order to gain access to your online financial accounts. Here are a few ways you can protect yourself from thieves using Social Engineering techniques:
- Don't respond to ANY email or social network post or message that asks for money or confidential information. Thieves can hack email and social network accounts, and then pose as a friend or family member in order to gain your trust.
- Don't assume that an unsolicited phone call or email is actually from a trusted source. Thieves can research your purchases or donations, then pose as a business or charity you trust. Or, they may pose as law enforcement, a bank officer or another trusted authority figure. Just because they have bits of information about you or your past activities doesn't mean they are legitimate.
- Verify, verify, verify. If someone on the phone, or you receive a message in your inbox, telling you there is a problem with your online banking account, online auction account or credit card account, don't give them additional information to "fix" the problem. Instead, hang up the phone or delete the email and check those accounts directly by logging in normally or calling a published customer service number.
- Be conscious of what can be learned about you. Many kinds of online accounts, including online banking, use challenge questions as part of their security. Make sure you don't choose responses that can be found online. For example, don't use your mother's maiden name if it is mentioned on a social network profile; or the model of your first car, if you discussed it on a forum. Thieves are very good at digging out those details from online searches.
- Remember, even the most innocent email attachments can be infected with computer malware. Common and popular files like PDFs, JPGs and spreadsheets can provide a platform for installing viruses or keystroke-logging malware on your computer. If you aren't certain the file came from a legitimate business, charity or person, don't open it without verifying. Call them and ask if they sent an email with an attachment.
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