Preventing Fraud
Elly Baze
1. Identity Theft
Warnings:
- bills not arriving on time
- accounts show unknown activity
- bank account has suddenly been depleted or drained
- checks are missing
- Know that your bank or investment company will never email or call you asking for your account number
- Never give out information over the phone to somebody you don't know
- Shred confidential documents instead of simply discarding them in the trash
- Never click on a link inside an email to visit a website. Type the address into your browser instead
2. Overseas Internet Emails
These companies are looking for information about you that can result in a loss of thousands of dollars or even identity theft.
Ways to Prevent it:
- Do not give them any personal information
- Delete the email right away to decrease the chance of scam
3. Purchasing a Debit Card
Companies can steal your debit card data just by swiping it.
Prevention:
- Do not use debit cards to purchase items over the Internet
- Use caution when purchasing items in retail stores
4. Advertisements for Free Credit Reports
Many companies will advertise for free credit reports but what most people dont know is that there is a monthly fee.
Prevention:
- Only use http://www.AnnualCreditReport.com to check your credit report
- Ignore all the other companies that advertise free credit reports
5. Vouchers from Car Dealerships
The voucher will state that it has to be redeemed at the specific auto dealer or that you would receive a prize for coming to the dealership, such as:
• A webcam with a retail value of $30
• A home theater system with a retail value of $500
• A $5,000 scratch ticket
• $10,000 in cash
Prevention:
- Run the vehicle’s VIN number through a computerized ownership and damage history database. Most
- Car dealerships will do this for you, but make sure that you specifically ask.
- Make sure the person who you are buying from has taken good car of the car
6. Protecting Your Personal Information on a Daily Basis
- Don't carry your social security cards with you
- Keep personal records in a secure location
7. Protecting Your Personal Information on Paper
- Shred documents before discarding them
- Don't fill out personal information unless it's a legitimate resource
8. Protecting Your Personal Information Online
- Keep usernames and passwords safe
- Search your name
9. PIN Numbers
- Keep PIN numbers original
- Do not use birthdays, graduation year or age
10. Protecting Your Personal Information on Social Media
- Use privacy settings on social media websites
- Do not display your birthday or age
If You Think You're A Victim
- Check your credit reports (one from each of the three credit agencies) at www.annualcreditreport.com and report inaccuracies immediately.
- Immediately cancel all credit cards that have been compromised to stop any additional charges and report unauthorized charges