If you were already worried about the increasing rate of identity theft, and the costs caused to both the companies and the individuals themselves, then you are in for an even bigger worry, and that is the new type of identity theft that is coming about, commonly called pretexting. (more…)

A warning for all internet and email users!

It’s almost Valentine’s Day once again but before opening up that  E-Valentine’s Card, you may want to think again.  It may not be coming from cupid but instead from someone ready to spread the so called Storm Worm virus.

The Storm Worm virus have used the various holidays in the previous year to send out millions of emails and electronic cards such as Valentine’s E-Cards.  It is a malicious software (malware) and it does infect computer machines and made it become a part of of the Storm Worm botnet.  A botnet is a network of compromised machines but under the control of a single user.  Botnets are known to be to be set up to facilitate criminal activity such as phishing, spam emails, identity theft and other servcice attacks to spread malware to other computers online.  When a user clicks on the email link, he automatically downloaded the malware and his computer system is infected.

It is very important to be extra careful in opening up any e-card emails. Make sure that you know the sender before opening e-cards.  Do not open any unsolicited e-mail and if you accidentally opened them, never click on any links provided.

You’ve taken on board the warnings about identity theft, you have your own personal shredder in the house as well as the office and you destroy any paperwork that includes personal information prior to tossing it in the trash.  (more…)

With the increasing prevalence of phishing cases, we have learned that it’s best to protect ourselves from falling victim to this scam. We know now how to identify a phishing email and we’ve realized that it’s wise to just ignore it and not click on any links. However, there’s also a more proactive way to further combat this scam and that is - to report phishing.  (more…)

Christmas is fast approaching and everyone is going out spending, albeit for Christmas shopping and of course travels during the holidays and other types of indulgences. Often times we find ourselves swiping more of our credit cards to give in to some impulse buys and last minute decisions (especially when it involves the last toy available in the store!) (more…)

PayPal is a very useful and popular tool to send and receive electronic payments. It’s a trusted service as evident in the number of major players (Ebay, Dell, Barnes & Noble etc.) that use PayPal to accept credit card payments.

It’s generally a helpful tool but some problems might arise such as frozen/closed accounts and identity fraud. In order to prevent these problems, here are some tips: (more…)

Have you received countless emails saying they are from Nigeria or other African countries? Is the scenario of transferring money out of the country very familiar with you? If so, you have just experienced the popular Nigerian scams at work. (more…)

When you refer to identity theft of earlier times, you will find that the history of identity theft was blood-stained. In earlier times, criminals used to kill the victim & assume his identity. (more…)

The Internet can both be heaven and hell for investors. On the brighter side, Internet is the tool for investors to search for investment opportunities, make their money through online trading, and monitor their finances through online banking, stock market and more. However, this can also a convenient tool for fraudsters. So, think twice before putting your money at risk, as there are countless kinds of Internet fraud going around. (more…)

Security software is a must for your computer to help thwart identity theft in its tracks.  Since there are several different types of security software, let’s look at the most important kinds that you need. 

Firewalls – A firewall is like a shield for your computer.  It stands out front, and protects your computer from hostile internet traffic.  Without one of these, hackers can get into your personal computer and take whatever they want.  Credit card numbers, names, birthdates and social security numbers are all available to identity thieves if your computer isn’t being protected by a firewall.  It stands between internet traffic and the connections to get into your computer, keeping out bad traffic, but letting regular or non-threatening internet traffic travel freely. (more…)