IDENTITY THEFT
is the deliberate use of someone else's
identity, usually as a method to gain a financial advantage or obtain credit
and other benefits in the other person's name, and perhaps to the other
person's disadvantage or loss.
CAUSES from identity theft:
- Financial Problem
- Credit Issues
- Benefit Losses
- Legal Problems
- The Real Cost of Identity Theft
PREVENT:
- Avoid sharing your Social Security number, especially at
hospitals and doctor’s offices.
- Only use your home computer for online banking and make sure
you have anti-virus protection for it.
- Avoid using your mobile phone for banking when you’re on public
Wi-Fi networks
- Consider placing a credit freeze on your credit report with all
three credit bureaus
HOW TO DETECT
Monitor the transactions on your
accounts regularly (at least monthly) and report any suspicious transactions
immediately. You might want to sign up for email or text message alerts so you
receive notifications when suspicious transactions take place.
HOW TO RESOLVE
If your credit card is stolen or skimmed,
just call your bank or card issuer and report it. Typically, you’ll get a new
card and all fraudulent charges will be forgiven.
PHISHING
Phishing is the attempt to obtain sensitive
information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details, often for
malicious reasons, by disguising as a trustworthy entity in an electronic
communication.
PREVENT:
- Never give your banks detail or password through
email
- Phishing scams promises enormous wealth. If you find something
that's 'too good to be true' than you'd better ignore it
- When you suspect something, immediately report to your email
provider
CAUSES:
criminals will able be able to use them to
help themselves to your cash
HOW TO RESOLVE:
1. Notify Your bank and credit cards
companies immediately
2. Update anti-virus programme
3. If its a worse case: reformat your hard
drive
4. Scan Your site
5. change your password
6. scan your computer
7. update everything
