Skimming can occur through a number of different ways, whether it is a recording device set up on an ATM machine or a salesman who secretly swipes your card onto his personal digital card reader. To prevent skimming, make it a habit to periodically check your credit reports. This helps you discover if anyone made unauthorized purchases or has stolen your identity to access your bank accounts or open other lines of credit in your name.
Try to minimize credit transactions and use cash. Consider using a pre-paid credit card so your liability and loss of identification is eliminated. Pretexting Pretexting occurs when a thief has done prior research on your personal information, and uses this information to bait you to release more sensitive information, such as a credit card number or Social Security Number. The schemer will call you on the telephone, and lead you to believe they are a business that requires this information.
Most people tend to believe them, since they have their name, address, and telephone number. To prevent this, verify who you are speaking to. Ask for a call back number, and question why they need this information. Call the company. Ask for the legitimacy of the request. To find other identity theft resources visit our Resources web page. Man-in-the-Middle Attack This type of theft involves criminally intercepting communication between two parties and recording the information without the two parties ever knowing about it.
A common scenario consists of making an online search for the URL address of a company, such as a financial institution. All the information you enter on this website is rerouted to your financial institution and the information your financial institution sends you is re-routed to you. The schemer is recording all the transactions that are taking place between you and the institution. You should protect yourself by making the habit of periodically checking your credit reports, which will help you discover whether anyone has stolen your identity to access your bank accounts.
Become more diligent when you select to access a website off a web search. Make sure that the website address is legitimate by verifying the URL address in the web address bar located at the top of the page. If something looks suspicious close the browser. Phishing Schemes These are the most common types of computer identity theft schemes. In these types of frauds, the thief tricks you into giving your personal identifying information.
These types of attacks occur through a number of different mediums including cell phone messages, Internet social networks, emails, text messages, and standard mail. The following explain several common schemes that are used. Pharming This can happen when a hacker tampers with a website host file or domain name system so that URL address requests are rerouted to a fake or spoofed website created by the hacker to capture personal identifying information from victims.
The victim then thinks that they are on a trusted website, and are more willing to enter their personal information, such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, and addresses. The hacker then uses that information to commit identity theft.
Protect yourself from this type of theft by checking for the padlock symbol in the right-hand bottom of the website scroll bar if it is a merchant website.
If it is an organization or an affiliation, contact the website administrator or the organization via phone or email to verify that such information is actually needed before entering in any information.
In this instance, the schemer posses as an individual working for a legitimate organization such as a government agency, a financial institution, a payment services organization, or another well-known company. The goal is to get you to disclose your personal identifying information.
Always be suspicious when receiving any unsolicited telephone call. Use your telephone service caller ID function. Look up the company information on the Internet using the call-back number on the caller ID through a reverse telephone search. Call the organization back, but do not dial the number that appears on the caller ID function, instead look for the number from a phone book or the internet. This way you prevent the schemer or someone else working with the schemer from lying to you by telling you that the company is legitimate.
Phone the creditors. The "new applications" department will be your first stop at arresting any further harm if the application is still in process. File a police report and fraud affidavit. These can be obtained from your creditor s or the Federal Trade Commission if these businesses accept the FTC's forms, and provide copies of these documents and any additional necessary paperwork to creditors' fraud departments.
Provide creditors' fraud departments with the details and contacts. It will take up to 90 days to conduct a full investigation.
Obtain letters from your creditors. These letters should state that the fraudulence on your account has been confirmed, resolved and removed from your account. Then make sure that your creditors have expunged this negative reporting on your account and that a letter stating this has been sent to all three credit reporting bureaus. As a backup, you should personally send a copy of these letters to the credit reporting agencies as well.
Be sure to call afterward to make sure that they have received this information. And finally, breathe. Identity theft not only impacts you financially but emotionally as well. The emotional stress can disrupt your sleeping and eating and lead to depression. Nichols suggests taking a step back, giving yourself room to breathe and allowing some time to pass to repair the damage, noting that recovering from identity theft can be a process that takes weeks or even months.
If you need help crafting an action plan, professional credit managers can help expedite the process, she says. Likewise, the FTC offers a tool that can provide you with a step-by-step recovery plan at IdentityTheft.
Skip Navigation. Key Points. Cybercriminals are diversifying their targets and using stealthier methods to commit identity theft and fraud. If you become a victim, there are several things you must act on immediately, including filing a police report and contacting the Federal Trade Commission.
VIDEO Credit Reporting Agencies - Contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies to place fraud alerts or freezes on your accounts. Also get copies of your credit reports, to be sure that no one has already tried to get unauthorized credit accounts with your personal information. Confirm that the credit reporting agency will alert the other two credit reporting agencies.
National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center - Report cases of identity theft due to a stay in a nursing home or long-term care facility. Financial Institutions - Contact the fraud department at your bank, credit card issuers and any other places where you have accounts.
Retailers and Other Companies - Report the crime to companies where the identity thief opened credit accounts or even applied for jobs. State Attorney General Offices - Your state's attorney general might offer tips, checklists, or an advocate to help you recover from identity theft. You may need to get new personal records or identification cards if you're the victim of ID theft. Open a new credit card or loan. Change a billing address so you will no longer receive the bills. Open new utilities accounts in your name.
Obtain a mobile phone. Open a bank account and writing bad checks. Use your debit card number to withdraw funds. Obtain a new driver's license or ID. Use your information in the event of an arrest or court action.
Protecting your PII Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to protect your personally identifiable information from exposure and reduce your risks of falling prey to identity thieves. Protecting your PII Online Use strong, up-to-date security software and passwords on all your devices. Be alert to phishing scams of all kinds that could download malware onto your device.
File your tax return early so an identity thief can't beat you to you refund. Avoid providing any PII to websites that don't begin with https. Don't overshare on social media, and never accept an invitation from a stranger. Monitor your financial accounts, and watch for transactions you don't recognize. Check your credit reports online regularly.
This is one of the first places signs of identity theft will appear. You can also protect yourself offline Identity theft is not limited to online activities. Never provide financial account numbers or other information while on the phone public. Review your statements and watch for any transactions you don't recognize. Remove mail from your mailbox right away. If you'll be away from home, request a mail hold.
Shred anything that has PII, including credit card and bank statements, receipts, medical records. How fast can identity thieves use stolen data? Immediately alert, the holder of the fraudulent debt or the company involved in the identity theft. Alert your bank. Report it to the credit bureaus and ask them to place a fraud alert on your credit file.
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