Innocent online
chats, blogs, videos, and other interactions are like breadcrumbs that
identity thieves can follow to the feast. That makes social networking
sites such as MySpace and FaceBook a 24-hour buffet. The thieves will keep
coming back for more, as long as most Americans continue to ignore some
simple precautions.
One glaring example is that 83% of the adults who use social networking
sites download unknown files to their personal computers, according to a
2006 survey of American adult Internet users. The survey, co-sponsored by
the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), focused on social networking
behaviors that open doorways for hackers and thieves to steal identities
and cause other mayhem.
Your financial identity is worth protecting, and you must be especially
vigilant if you are active on social networking sites or posting your
resume online.
Start with these precautions:
Assume that everything you post on social networking sites will be
visible to everyone.
And don't assume
they won't know it's you—at the very least, adjust your profile so your
blogs and other materials are available only to "friends" to whom you
grant access. That doesn't guarantee security, but it's a start.
Don't click on links or attachments in e-mails unless you know what
they are and who sent them.
If you get
unsolicited e-mail asking for personal data such as your Social Security
number or financial account numbers—for any reason—report it to
www.fraud.org and delete it.
Use only trusted, secure Web sites when you enter sensitive personal
information online.
Rather than cut
and paste links from e-mails, type the Web address in directly. Once
there, look for "https" in the URL and a locked-padlock icon in the frame
of your browser window.
Use a spam filter, virus scanner, and firewall on your computer, and
keep them updated.
If you work from
a wireless router, secure it with a password.
Know what your children are doing online.
If they are
active on social networking sites, visit their site regularly to see
what's going on, and insist that they guard their identities—and yours.
If you get unsolicited e-mail asking for personal data such as your Social
Security number or financial account numbers—for any reason—report it to
www.fraud.org. The Federal Trade Commission's identity theft Web site
(www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft)
also has useful information.
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The on-line information superhighway offers convenient
access to a vast array of products and services. A still-
evolving market, the Internet and World Wide Web (the multimedia portion
of the Internet where vendors offer many goods and services) is largely
unregulated and attracts its share of thieves, misinformation, and bad
advice.
When using your credit card to pay a vendor on the web, your account
number and expiration date pass through several computer connections,
leaving a digital shadow that cyber thieves could possibly intercept.
Encryption is a technology that can foil potential cyber thieves. When
buying goods from merchants with encryption systems, you download software
that scrambles your credit card information before you make the purchase.
At this time, not all merchants offer such a system.
Because encryption isn't always an option, follow these steps to protect
your credit card data during any on-line
transmissions
* Never reveal your credit card number on a computer
bulletin board, news group, or other public forum.
* Give your credit card numbers only to merchants you're familiar with, or
to those with sterling reputations.
* Check your monthly credit card statements for unauthorized expenses, and
report them immediately to your card issuer.
The Internet has been a boon to investors, but they're also vulnerable to
fraud. Because the Internet offers anonymity, it's a magnet for con
artists. Securities regulators monitor on-line traffic, but they can't
possibly check the veracity of every stock tip or financial report.
If you're tempted to act on an online investment tip or respond to an
offer, take the following precautions:
* Do your own research and find independent verification of crucial data.
* Before buying an investment offered online, examine the prospectus and
offering document. Ensure that the stock or mutual fund is registered with
the Securities Exchange Commission and the state securities administrator
in the state where the offer originated. If you aren't sure, call the
North American Securities Administrators Association at (202)737-0900.
* Be skeptical of phrases such as "zero-risk investment,"
"make money fast," and "act now before it's too late."
* If an offers sound too good to be true, it probably is.
* If in doubt about a company's reputation, contact your state attorney
general or the National Fraud Information Center at (800)876-7060.
