ID theft : e-mail scams

Don't fall for PayPal phishing scam

IdentityTheft — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:08:00 GMT

A new phishing scam is making the rounds – and if you use PayPal, you could fall victim.

The e-mail looks like it is from PayPal's account review team, and states that the site's security system has "blocked unusual charges to a credit card linked to your account." The message further states that there has been an intrusion to the e-mail recipient's account, and it appears that someone has tried to use your account. The e-mail contains a handy attachment which, after you download it, will allow you to enter information and take steps to "restore your account success."

When you receive a message such as this, you would immediately want to make sure your account is safe and the emotional rush that comes in a moment like this can cloud your judgment.

PayPal has the controls in place to prevent fraudulent transactions, but their system isn't foolproof. This is where this particular scam shows its effectiveness. Since you trust PayPal to protect your account, and the scam e-mail says PayPal has locked your account for your protection, you're more apt to fall for it.

The information requested in this scam includes cardholder name, birth date, mother's maiden name, Social Security number and home telephone number. It also asks for your home address. The form does not ask for a PayPal e-mail address.

When you receive e-mails and you don't know where they came from, do not click on links included in the e-mail or download anything. If you are unsure whether it came from the source it claims, contact the source directly and ask. In this case, you could look up PayPal and contact them directly, using contact information from PayPal's official site, not from the e-mail you received.

The best advice when you receive unsolicited e-mails? When in doubt, don't.

More than 14 people a second fall victim to cybercrime – Don't be one of them

IdentityTheft — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:40:00 GMT

More than 430 million people around the world have been affected by cybercrime, according to a recent report released by Symantec.

The report was based on interviews with nearly 20,000 people from 24 countries. The study showed that 14 adults are victims of cybercrime ever second, which means there are more than 1 million victims every single day. Digital offenses cost victims more than $139 million in costs and lost time annually in the U.S. alone.

About 69 percent of adult Internet users have experienced cybercrime, according to the report. Viruses and malware are the most common types of crime, followed by online scams and phishing. Viruses and malware are also easily prevented.

Risks posed by mobile devices are also growing. Ten percent of users have experienced cybercrime on their cell phones.

To prevent cybercrime, make sure your spam blocker is turned on. Most Internet providers supply a spam blocking feature to prevent unwanted messages from getting into your mailbox. This will prevent fraudulent e-mails and phishing attempts.

Make sure you have loaded anti-virus software onto your computer, and use your computer's firewall protection feature. Always keep it turned on. You should also encrypt important data you don't want compromised.

Be wary of providing personal information via a website that's new to you or that you know little about, especially if the site requests your bank account or Social Security numbers.

If you do business or shop online, make sure you do so only on secured sites that feature "https" in the URL, not just "http."

When it comes to phony e-mails, when in doubt, don't

IdentityTheft — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:20:00 GMT

You probably receive dozens of spam e-mails a day. Among them you see warnings that say you must contact your bank to prevent your account from being frozen, or that you must download information to double-check a purchase you don’t remember making.

These are common examples of e-mail identity theft scams. Consumers must learn to recognize them in order to keep their personal information safe. Here’s how:

Evaluate whether the subject line or the e-mail is aimed at scaring you into immediate action. Identity thieves do this so that you act without thinking, revealing information you wouldn’t normally give away.
Read the e-mail to see if it refers to you by name. Most scams refer to the recipient in generic terms, like “Dear Customer,” or “Dear Account Holder.”
Check the e-mail address of the sender. Many scammers don’t bother to disguise their return address, even though they claim to be representing your bank or a government agency.
Move your mouse over any links in the e-mail to see where they would actually send you, but don’t click. The link won’t correspond with the bank URL if it’s not legitimate.
Skim the e-mail to see what information is being requested. Scammers are usually looking for names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, bank account numbers and credit card numbers.
Note whether there are any attachments within the e-mail. If so, it’s likely a phishing attempt, aimed at getting you to submit your personal information or downloading a virus that can steal information from your computer without you even knowing it.

The key to protecting yourself from identity theft is to always move slowly and carefully analyze the source, as well as the information or request itself. The safest bet is when in doubt, don’t.