WAYS OF RECOGNIZING IDENTITY THEFT SCAMS
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Generally, people suffer identity theft because they have disclosed certain personal information. Dishonest people are sometimes called "scammers". You can avoid identity theft scams by recognizing their most common forms:
Identity
theft (Phishing)
A common type of identity theft scam occurs through email.
This is called phishing. An online scammer will send you an email posing as a
real organization. It will try in many ways to get you to provide your personal
information. They may threaten you and tell you that you will not be able to
access your account if you do not confirm your bank account number. Other
fraudulent emails offer money if you provide your account information. Some
will ask you to reconfirm your payment details for an order that you may (or
may not) have placed.
Be very careful with these emails. Scammers are smart and
will often use identical logos from well-known companies. Never click a link in
an email unless you recognize and trust the sender. You can learn how to detect
suspicious emails and attachments with Security Planner, a tool designed to
help you stay safe online.
Common
examples of phishing:
IRS
Refund - Always remember that the only way the IRS will contact
you is through a letter sent to your home address. Scammers can pretend to be
the IRS. They will send you an email informing you that the IRS has a refund
for you and that you have to provide your bank account information to get it
back. Ignore it!
Money
Transfer Scam - You may receive an email, letter, or check
informing you that you won a lottery prize, even if you didn't buy a ticket.
They will ask for your bank account information to deposit the money or they
will ask for your payment information to pay taxes on the prize. This is a
scam, and by providing information or depositing the check, you are giving
access to confidential financial information. You should never transfer money
to someone you are doing not know.
Other
types of scams:
Calls
to "confirm" your personal information - Remember
that your bank will never call you and ask for your full account number. Always
be wary of someone calling you for confirmation of your PIN number or the
three- or four-digit security code on the back of your credit card, unless the
request is from a trusted source.
False
jury duty - An identity theft scammer might tell you that you did
not fulfill your jury duty and that they need to provide your personal
information to reschedule. Because you may believe this is a court call, they
are more likely to agree to confirm your information and provide you with
additional information. Always ask for a number to call back.
Job
Promises - Scammers sometimes post fake job postings on job
listings on websites like Craigslist, Monster, or Indeed. These scammers may
also send you a "guaranteed" job offer via email. Often times, the
language used in these job advertisements promises to make you rich while
working at home. They will ask you to pay a certain amount to get the job, to
get more job listings, for supplies to start your home business, or to get a
certification needed to get the job. They may even offer you a government job
that doesn't exist. Always be careful if you see these types of job offers.
Anti-
Immigrant Scams - People who have just immigrated to the
United States may be directed to websites that look like official government
websites. Government websites must always end in ".gov". Scammers
will often try to charge you for government forms. Never pay for government
forms, these are always free. People called "notaries" will promise
legal help to immigrants, but they cannot actually provide legal advice. In
fact, using them can hurt your chances of getting a work permit (green card).
Never provide the notary or any scammer with your original documentation.
Always keep original documents close to you.
Medical
Identity Theft - This is a growing threat. If your identity
is stolen, medical providers may bill you for services you don't use. Your
health plan may deny a medical claim because an identity thief has maxed out
your benefit limit. Or, a health plan may not cover you because their records
show a condition that you do not have. Be careful sharing your medical history.
When you go to the doctor, make sure your medical records are safe. Ask your
insurance company to give you a new card that does not include your Social
Security number. Do not provide your Social Security number unless there is a
good reason to do so.
Child
Identity Theft - Another growing area in identity theft is
the theft of a child's Social Security number, name, and other identifying
information. Often times, it is a relative or close friend of the child's
parents, who steals the information to establish new credit or bank accounts.
You may not know about the problem until you try to get a driver's license for
your child, open a checking account for him or her, or apply for a student
loan. You can get a child's credit history once he or she turns 13, and you
must do it annually after your children are teens.
There are many types of threat that are ready to take away
your data and your personal information and use it in wrong way, but every
problem has a solution and all these problems have a solution and that is
called antivirus.
Yes, a good quality antivirus is all you need to fight with all these threats
and keep your data safe and be away from all threats giving you complete
security.
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