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THREE (3) BASIC STEPS TO FIGHTING BACK AGAINST
CYBER CRIME AND IDENTITY THEFT
Listcrime is a one-stop-shop for reliable, up-to-date information about cyber crime, we at Listcrime.com want to give home users and small businesses the advice they need to use the Internet safely. For the most part, references within this web page appear as links to the actual site that the information came from. I revert to customary referencing when citing non-WWW based sources. A bibliography of any sources not linked will appears at the end of this web page.
1. PLAN
2.REPORT
3.RESOLVE
PLAN OF ACTION : Having a plan is the first step to take to combat cyber crime or Identity theft. Plan of Action to protect you and your family. You must educate yourself. There is alot of helpful and harmful information on the internet. Hopefully LISTCRIME can bring things together and help you develop a plan of action.
1. Plan of response. Photo Copy everything in your wallet or purse in case it is stolen. Think Ahead. If you become a victim of identity theft fraud, a properly prepared response plan will save you time, money, and heartache on recovery. Know who to contact. Keep your personal information in a secure place at home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your house. Protect your purse and wallet at all times. Example: Identity thief like to target women at gas stations. While filling up your car they will dive by open your passenger side door and steal you purse. Lock up your home, Think about locks, window locks, alarms and so on to make your home safer.
2. Plan to hide and secure away your financial information. Keep your personal information locked up at home, at work, at school, in your car, and other places where you might keep it so others won’t have easy access to it. Don't leave such things lying around; they are a temptation to any would-be thief. Protect critical documents - When possible, limit what you carry. If you have your wallet or purse lost or stolen, it’s easier to track fewer credit cards. Don’t keep your Social Security card and any information that includes your Social Security number in your wallet or purse. Audit all places that want your information. Car dealership, mortgage companies, doctors offices, Tax consultants and accountants can be security link to identity theft fraud. They have every bit of information needed to cause identity theft. Request and confirm that he or she keeps your files in a locked filing cabinet as well as in a protected computer that's safe from Internet identity theft.Only provide your Social Security number when you have to.
3. Plan to scale down and get rid of what's not needed. If you have credit cards, old drivers license, docents with Personally Identifiable Information. Keep only what you need and throw away the rest. Shred personal information - Tearing and shredding are not the same thing, as only shredding ensures private information is destroyed into unidentifiable pieces. Shred all unsolicited, pre-approved credit card offers, paper bills that are no longer necessary, unneeded tax forms, government documents, and anything else with your personal information printed upon it.
4. Plan to guard your mail and secure mailbox. Leaving your mail out all day in an open mailbox or not picking it up for days is another invitation for identity theft. Your mail contains account numbers and other personal information. Collect it promptly from your mailbox and ask the post office to hold it if you’re going away. Send bill payments from the post office or a public mailbox, not from home. If you're planning to be away from home and can't pick up your mail, contact the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 or online at www.usps.gov, to request a vacation hold. The Postal Service will hold your mail at your local post office until you can pick it up or are home to receive it. Don’t leave discarded computer boxes outside your home – it’s an advert to burglars.
Watch what you throw away. Identity thief who may pick through your trash or recycling bins to capture your personal information, always shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired charge cards that you're discarding, and credit offers you get in the mail.
5. Plan to protect your PII (Personally Identifiable Information). Your PII is any piece of information which can potentially be used to uniquely identify, contact, or locate a single person. Social Security Number and Date of Birth are the gateway to your personal identifiable information. It’s the key that unlocks your identity. Be aware of your surroundings - Thieves may eavesdrop and overhear the information you give out orally, look over your shoulder while you type or use an ATM, or use a camera phone or other technologies to steal your information.
Protect your Social Security number. Don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your Social Security number on a check. Give it out only if absolutely necessary or ask to use another identifier. Don’t give it to anyone unless you’re sure who it is and why it’s necessary to provide it. Committing your Social Security Number to memory is one of the most important measures you can take in preventing identity theft. Your Social Security Number is the gateway to your personal credit information — a goldmine that identity thieves look for. Ask your health, mortgage, insurance, tax accountants and other companies that may use your social security number to give you a substitute number if possible. Demand that they guard your PII. If your state department of motor vehicles uses it as your driver’s license number, ask if you can get an alternate number.
6. Plan to Check your credit reports regularly. If you find accounts that don’t belong to you or other incorrect information, follow the instructions for disputing those items. Check your credit report periodically - Americans are entitled to receive a free copy of their credit report from each of the 3 reporting agencies once per year. Visit http://www.annualcreditreport.com.
7. Plan to get off credit marketing lists. Credit bureaus compile marketing lists for pre approved offers of credit. These mailings are a gold mine for identity thieves, who may steal them and apply for credit in your name. Use the automated process to get off these mailing lists by calling 888-567-8688 op-out (your address & Social Security number will needed to verify your identity). Removing is a good start and does not hurt your chances of applying for or getting credit.
8. Plan to protect internet acess. CLICK HERE : LISTCRIME PROTECT YOUR PC security recommendations.
Remember As long as you have a computer and connect it to a network, you are vulnerable to someone or something else accessing or corrupting your information. Lock down your computer physical & security software. Mark your computers by placing a physical unique identifier on it. Keep notes of all the serial numbers on you PC equipment. Use a security lock for laptops.
Have a good firewall, up-to-date virus protection, spyware protection, spam filtering, data encryption, and strong passwords to help safeguard you from Internet identity theft. Never click on links sent in unsolicited emails; instead, type in a web address you know. Evaluate your security settings of your web browsers and email programs. Enabling certain features to increase convenience or functionality may leave you more vulnerable to being attacked.
Use firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software to protect your home computer; keep them up-to-date. Don’t send sensitive information such as credit card numbers by email, since it’s not secure. Look for clues about security on Web sites. Disconnect your computer from the Internet when you aren't using it.. Depending on what method you use to connect to the Internet, disconnecting may mean ending a dial-up connection, turning off your computer or modem, or disconnecting cables.
A. Plan your passwords. Don't use an obvious password like your birth date, your mother's maiden name, or the last four digits of your Social Security number. "Your name may be easy to remember, but it's just as easy for an identity thief to figure out. Don’t leave them in your wallet or on your desk where someone else could find them. To reduce your risk, periodically change your passwords and use the @#$%^&*signs along with letters and numbers.
B. Plan for Botnets A network of remotely controlled systems used to coordinate attacks and distribute malware, spam, and phishing scams.
C. Plan for phishing. Phishing is a form of Internet identity theft whereby bogus emails, pretending to be from your bank or other trusted company, request account passwords or other personal information.
D. Plan for pharming. Pharming, another form of Internet identity theft, uses bogus websites that look like your bank and have similar URLs that you may land on if you mistype the intended Internet address.
E. Plan for phowning. Phowning consists of pre-recorded telephone messages or live operators pretending to be from a bank or credit card company that "warn" you about a bogus theft.
F. Plan for Shopping Online. Be careful what personal information you give, and always make sure vendors have taken measures to secure their sites, indicators are a lit lock icon on the browser's status bar and a website URL that begins with "https" (the "s" stands for secure").
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