Avoid Identity Theft - How-to

Article by Keith Jones

Many people first find out that their identity has been stolen when their bank calls about their huge overdraft or when a Credit Card company checks to verify a transaction.
Here are the ways that thieves steal your identity and my advice on how to stop them .
1 : Your used credit card slips or statements.
Identity thieves go through your rubbish looking for slips or statements - these often have your card number or even your full details on them. I've even heard of a couple who waited outside a major building society until they had put out their rubbish at nightso that they could steal whole garbage bags full of customer details. When a customer challenged the society's manager about it she just thought their cleaning company was being super efficient......hmmm

It's not just YOU that has to be careful of identifiable details - ask your bank/building society if they actually SHREDtheir rubbish - chances are they may not ! Insist that they do so.

From these it's easy for a thief to order goods on your card to be delivered to their address (often an apartment block
where they don't live - they just collect the goods from the hall)
ALWAYS either destroy used slips or treat them as if they were money - to someone they ARE money.Buy a cheap shredder and USE it

2: Petrol Stations - dishonest staff fit card skimmers to read all the details on your
card and then use the information or sell it to others to use.
Check carefully what petrol sales people are doing with your card. Or pay cash !
(Shell lost over $1 Million in one day through this trick in the UK)

3:Bar and Restaurant Staff - may try to take your card away and copy it in a back room.- Just like petrol station staff.
Never let your card out of your sight.Insist on watching while your card is being checked. In France the system is probably best where they have handheld card readers and the transaction is done at the side of your table. There is a grownig trend to set up a tab in bars in Europe where your credit card is put behind the bar - politely decline to do this...

4: There's also a growing trend for fake fronts being attached to ATM machines outdoors - these are very realistic.They include a tiny unobtrusive webcam watching the keyboard.So be careful in your transactions -If you are using your card at an ATM always cover the hand that's punching in your pin number with your other hand so it can't be seen either from above (thieves put webcams over ATM keyboards)
or from the side - thieves often have an accomplice with binoculars nearby reading what you are doing.. NEVER write your pin number on a piece of paper in your wallet or handbag where you keep your credit/debit card. If you do so your credit card company may refuse to reimbrse you for any theft from your account.

5:Your Bank will NEVER ask you for your credit card details or pin number on the phone
Anyone who does so is not who they say they are. Remember that Debit Cards are just as valuable
to a thief as credit cards.Banks do NOT lose customer details - if the voice says they have then they are NOT from your bank !

A nasty variation on this is a phone call that says you have won a competition - with a super
prize - like the latest wide screen tv. But you have to pay a $9 delivery charge.
That will be by credit card - and of course they need the security number from the back of
your card to prove you really are you ! It's a CON - all they are doing is to trick you out
of your card details. Then they will bleed your account dry - and sell the details to other
con artists.

6: An email from either Paypal or Ebay says that your account has been closed or put
on hold - and there in front of you is the Ebay/Paypal Logo with login details -
all they are after is your login details. The con artist then puts up fake auctions in your
name and banks the cash for non-existent goods. Or in the case of Paypal they will
empty your Paypal account into their bank account.
If you get an email like this ALWAYS forward it to Ebay/Paypal to the following address
spoof@ebay.com or spoof @paypal.com and they'll check it out for you.
The higher feedback you have, the more tempting a target you become.
Many Powersellers have multiple accounts to counteract this con.Don't forget that on Paypal you can have multiple email addresses and this lessens the risk of being a target.

These are minor identity thefts (although they may seem massive to you )
More sophisticated thefts take place with forged birth certificates,driving licenses or even
passports. These usually involve major frauds on Finance companies ,Mortgage companies or banks.
I'm not going into details for fear of giving someone ideas !

7: The Nigerian Fraud - although this may appear from a number of countries worldwide.
An email arrives claiming to be from a corrupt Government official who has money in an account
that he/she cannot access without causing suspicion. They ask for your help in laundering
the money - usually many millions of $$$ . In return you will get $ 2 Million.
All they really want from you is your Bank Account number and access details together with
a blank sheet of your company letterhead - to enable them to transfer the money.
The money doesn't exist - neither will the money in YOUR bank account.
The fraudster uses the blank notepaper with your letterhead to empty your bank account
into their own. I know of at least three sensible businessmen who fell for this trick...

There are current variants pretending to be lawyers representing people who've died in Plane Crashes or deposed third world countries.

There are even variants pretending to be from Gold Mines or defunct religious organisations.

There are MANY variants on all of these frauds and cons - the basic rule to follow Is :

If it looks too good to be true - its usually is too good to be true.

8.. The Lottery Con - Congratulations - You've won the Lottery ! An email or letter congratulates you on winning 700 thousand dollars/pounds/euros ... but a fee to cover legal expenses is necessary to release the money !

But do you remember going in for the Dutch National Lottery ? - Of course not - it's a con... just to get your credit card details again !

All cons work in the same way - they rely on people's greed. The offer made to you is instant wealth - often through a computer error or clerical mistake... the temptation is of hundreds of thousands of Euros that will just fall into your lap. Look - it isn't going to happen !

To win a lottery you have to buy a ticket... that's it ! And Lottery companies NEVER trace winners - it's YOUR responsibility to make a claim. If you are in any doubt then make your claim through your local major lottery company.

 

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