COUNTERMEASURE FOR IDENTITY THEFT

• Be suspricious of email with urgent request for personal financial information
• Do not use the links in an email to get to any web page, if you suspect the message might not be authentic.
• Call the company on the telephone , or log onto the website directly by tying in the Web address into your browser.
• Avoid filling out froms in an email that asks for personal financial information.
• Always ensure that you are using a secure website when submitting credit card or other sensitive information via a web browser.

What is Identity theft and its Type

Identity Theft Explained
Identity Theft occurs when your personal information is taken and used without your knowledge. It is a serious crime and should not be underestimated or overlooked. A person whose identity has been stolen can spend years and hundreds of dollars repairing the damage done to their name and credit. In the blink of an eye your life can be turned upside down by identity theft; loss of job opportunities, loans denied, negative credit ratings, and in rare cases, arrested for crimes you did not commit.

Type

1. Dumpster Diving

                           They look through your trash for bills, financial statements, or anything else that can be used to assume your identity. Your car or home may also be broken into to find your personal information, including passwords to your computer.

2. Skimming

                   Your credit card or debit card numbers are captured by a special storage device, which can be attached to the swipe-capture machine in a store, or placed on an ATM. Another d evice can be secretly attached to any computer and record every keystroke entered
                          

3. Phishing

                   Thieves pretend to be online legitimate financial institutions or organizations. They will send you spam, letters of concern, or pop up messages to get you to r eveal your personal information.

4. Address Change

                                Thieves may complete a “change of address form” to divert your mail to another location.

5. Stealing

                       Thieves will do whatever it takes to get your personal information. They may steal your wallet or purse, your mail, bank or credit card statements, new checks, tax information, abuse their employee authorization, watch as you input your account number or pin number in an ATM and other machines, memorize your account numbers as you write a check, and fill out
pre-approved credit offers. They may also steal your personnel records, electronically transfer your information, or bribe someone with legal access to your reports.

6. Pre-texting

                  Thieves may use false pretenses to get your information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources. They may pose as an authority figure, a research firm, or other organization to collect information about you such as name, address, birth date, and social security number. After obtaining the information they need, they call your financial institution and pretend to be you or someone with authorized access to your account. They may claim they forgot their checkbook and need information about their account using your information. With this information, they may gain other personal information about you such as your bank and credit card account numbers, your credit report information, and the status of savings and investment portfolios.