How to Protect Yourself from Online Identity Theft
Unfortunately, the boom of shopping and banking on the web has increased the risk of online identity theft for internet users. Identity theft occurs when an unknown entity gains access to enough personal information to open accounts or make purchases in your name. This information could include bank account or credit card numbers, addresses, passwords and social security numbers. Although a thief could gain access to this information over the phone or at a department store, online identity theft is the most common.
Online identity theft most often occurs when sensitive personal information is provided on a site that is not secure, leaving it susceptible to theft by hackers. Fortunately, there are steps that can be taken to prevent theft of your identity and still allow you to utilize the internet for shopping and banking. Be careful with your online passwords. Never write down passwords or save them anywhere online.
Mine field on the internet. Be very careful where you click next.
Also beware of any popup screens that ask you if you’d like the site to save your password. Answering “yes” on one of these popup screens saves your password in a system file that will then allow hackers to access your account.
Only make purchases and conduct financial transactions on websites that offer a secure connection. Be wary of unfamiliar websites, with no telephone numbers or other contact information, and sites asking you for credit card information as these are prime perpetrators of online identity theft. Look for seals and logos from well known online security services. Also beware of sites that seem to be asking with more information than is necessary, like birthdates, social security numbers, etc.
Beware of “phishing” sites and emails. Phishing is the most common tactic for online identity theft, and it occurs when an identity thief presents himself as a representative of a trusted company or site and then asks for passwords or credit card numbers. A common example of this type of online identity theft includes bogus unsolicited emails from your bank or credit card company asking to confirm your password or otherwise verify your identity. Clicking on these “phishing” traps in any way puts your identity at risk, so be sure a communication is real before you accept it. Verify by phone if you are unsure. Keep in mind that no bank or credit card company will ever ask you to verify your information online. If you’d like additional protection, consider purchasing identity theft insurance or enrolling in a credit monitoring service.
This is really an important matter of concern. If today some fraudulent activities happen with my credit or debit card, then it will be nothing new. According to the record of the Boston Globe, eight hundred credit and debit card holders have already faced this kind of scam. So each and every individual should be much more conscious about the daily monetary transaction records through logging in to the internet banking services.
Hi, gr8 post thanks for posting. Information is useful!
THANKS FOR POSTING!!! i was one of victims of id theft too, and it was a horrible experience. dude~ be careful!!! bad guys out there~~~
hahahaha just get a free antivirus and just don’t go to pr0n sites, i promise you will have much less to worry about