Maya Stuart's List: Computer Identity Theft

• There are many warning signs to tell you your identity has been stolen, but  there are a few more common ones we'll list.

   

   

   

  - denied credit or loans for no apparant reason

   

  - monthly credit card statements, utility bills, etc. stop arriving

   

  - receive a credit card you did not apply for

   

  - receive bills from places you never spent at to; receive bills from the  collection agency

   

  - you notice some of your mail is missing

• The FTC estimates that over nine million Americans have their identities stolen  each year. This crime has a huge potential to disrupt your life, you might be  denied a loan for education or housing, you may miss job opportunities, or in  extreme cases, you might be arrested for a crime you did not commit.
  
  One  of the most common types of computer identity theft is called phishing. This is  when you receive an email requesting your personal information from someone  pretending to be a financial institution. The email appears to be from a  business or agency that you may have had a reason to do business with in the  past, such as the IRS, a credit card company, or EBay. The email explains that  there has been a problem with your credit card, or there is a pending audit, and  you need to reply to the email with the correct credit card information, or  social security number to correct the problem.
  
  As soon as you respond  with the requested information, the computer identity theft begins. Your  information could be sold online, or the scammer
• may use your identity to make online purchases, apply for loans, or to clear out  your bank account.

  • More ways identity theft can happen.
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• Awareness is the most effective way to fight online identity theft. Share the  knowledge that you need to protect your personal information and the potential  for this type of crime with your friends and family. You should become familiar  with anti-spy software programs for your computer. Research different types, and  invest in one that works best for you. Run the program before you do any online  financial transactions.

  • This is a good definition of how to protect yourself from identity theft.
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• Don''t open emails from people you don''t know. If you receive an email from a  financial institution that you do business with, go to their website, and check  for any warnings about unauthorized emails being sent. You could also phone the  institution to see if the email is legitimate.

  • Another tip for preventing identity theft.
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• If you have only one email address, you risk having your information stolen  because you will use your email address with everything. You should make another  email address for buying or subscribing in order to protect yourself from  identity theft.
  

  • Good tip for protection against identity theft.
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• Stealing the identity of others by using their credit card, drivers license,  social security or other personal identification numbers. With "true name"  identity theft, the thief uses the information to open new accounts. With  "account takeover" identity theft, the thief uses the information to access  existing accounts.
  

  • Full definition of identity theft.
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• Before you dispose of a computer, delete all the personal information it stored.  Deleting files using the keyboard or mouse commands or reformatting your hard  drive may not be enough because the files may stay on the computer's hard drive,  where they may be retrieved easily. Use a "wipe" utility program to overwrite  the entire hard drive.

  • Reminder to erase computer files completely before disposing of computer.
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• Computer viruses are most easily spread by attachments in e-mail messages or by  instant messaging messages. Therefore, you must never open an e-mail attachment  unless you know who sent the message or unless you are expecting the e-mail  attachment. Computer viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images,  greeting cards, or audio and video files. Computer viruses also spread by using  downloads on the Internet. Computer viruses can be hidden in pirated software or  in other files or programs that you may download.

  • Warnings about how to avoid computer viruses. A virus could steal your identity.
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