Identity theft and the internet
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Part 2 of a 4 part series
Today, information can be found with just a few clicks of a mouse. Information is so readily available to us more than ever with the invention of the internet, and as technology advances, criminals are one step behind with new ways to steal your name, e-mail address, home address, phone number, social security number, credit card numbers, and more.
Internet safety is something that should be practiced by all.
Criminals can obtain your personal information over the internet by:
Hacking into a company's computer files. Some merchants can keep your credit card information on file for months, and if their firewalls are not sufficient enough to block out hackers then the hackers have an open invitation to your credit card numbers.
Hacking into your personal computer. If you keep your tax documents on your computer and a hacker gains access to your computer, that person then has your social security number, name, date of birth, place of employment, salary information, and more.
Use personal information you share on the internet. If you tell a friend on your Facebook page that you never lock your house then weeks later post that your on vacation in Hawaii, you just gave an open invitation for a robbery.
By scamming information from you, by e-mail or social networking sites. Criminals can send out mass e-mails that appear to originate from somewhere else, but are actually scams. Some scams will ask for you to verify your address or account numbers and seem very legitimate. Be very careful that you do not respond to these 'phishing' e-mails.
Identity theft is the nation's fastest growing crime according to FBI statistics, and over half of all fraud or identity theft reports are internet related.
Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace have opened up new avenues for criminals looking to scam people out of money. The FBI calls this new type of identity theft, "social engineering."
In one incident, a scammer picked a random e-mail and changed the password, then created a Facebook page in the woman's name. The criminal then sent out a mass e-mail to all the victim's friends and family saying that she was traveling in London, and was held at gun point by a man who stole all her money and her passport and she desperately needed money wired to her immediately.
The scary part is that most of her friends were ready to wire her money! Luckily she caught all of this in time to contact her friends and family and let them know that she was safely at home and that the e-mail was a scam.
When using social networking sites, take these precautions:
Never exchange personal information over a social networking site.
Change your password often.
Have a strong password. (A combination of numbers, letters, and special characters. Try not to use your last name, graduation date, birth date, child's name, pet's name, favorites, etc.)
Never tell anyone else your password or allow them to access your site.
Avoid people you don't know. (Set your account to private so that only your friends may view your site and don't add people you don't know to your friend's list.)
Don't give out too much information about yourself. (For example, if you use your favorite sports team for passwords or security questions, don't advertise that information on your social networking site.)
There are steps you can take to keep your personal computer safe:
Update your virus protection software regularly.
Have a password for your wireless internet.
Update your Operating Systems software. (The most recent versions of Microsoft and Apple operating systems have an "automatic update" feature for their security upgrades.
Keep an up-to-date firewall on your computer.
While browsing the internet, you have probably thought about purchasing items from store websites. If you are considering purchasing an item online, here are some things you want to do to keep your personal information safe.
Check that you are using a secure browser. (The URL name should change from http:// to https://) whenever you enter a page where you must insert your name, credit card information, phone number, social security number, etc.
Look for the lock or key icon on the status bar in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Do not respond to e-mails that request your personal information or credit card numbers.
Practice common sense. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. For example, if a website offers you a free item worth $1000, and all you have to do is give them your name and credit card number, it is most likely a scam.
Do not download files sent to you by strangers or clink on links that you do not recognize. Opening a file could expose your computer to viruses and worms.
Install a back-up of all critical files on your computer. (You can put tax documents, school work, e-mails, etc on a flash drive or some other kind of external hard drive.)
If you own a laptop, Wi-Fi is another way that criminals can obtain your information. Wi-Fi systems at cafe's, restaurants, hotels, and airports are open to anyone with a laptop. On a Wi-Fi system, many people can connect to the same server and use the internet services. This is very dangerous in the world of hacking. If you do log onto a Wi-Fi system, make sure that you have a firewall on your computer to block other users from seeing your information. Do not make purchases while using a Wi-Fi system.
For more information about internet safety, visit www.usa.gov.