Recognizing Identity Theft Techniques
As anti-virus and anti-spyware tools continue to advance, scam artists come up with new, creative ways to access your personal information. Some techniques are sneakier than others, and without awareness, consumers could give their information to an identity thief without even realizing it. Some of the more common Identity Theft schemes are described below. Review them carefully to protect yourself from becoming a victim of fraud.
Common Online Identity Theft Techniques:
- Malware (also known as Spyware) - Malware is malicious software installed on a computer that can damage or access sensitive information without the owner's expressed consent.
- Phishing - Phishing e-mails attempt to lure sensitive personal and/or financial information from unsuspecting recipients.
- Pharming - Pharming is an attack aimed at redirecting users from an authentic, secure site to a fraudulent site that imitates the original.
- SMiShing (phishing via SMS text message) - SMiShing begins when a text message alerts cell phone users that they have signed up for a company's services and will be charged soon unless they log on to the company's website to cancel the subscription. The website is fraudulent and could ask visitors for their personal information, encourage them to download a Trojan horse, add spyware to their computer, or attempt to victimize them with many of the other techniques described here.
- Spam - Spam victims receive unwelcomed bulk messages, usually through email or text message, that can range in seriousness, from simple promotions to more dangerous scams.
- Spearphishing - Spearphishing techniques involve a large amount of dishonest action from offenders. Spearphishers typically send out an email where they impersonate an employee from a specific organization as a way to draw in personal information from unsuspecting recipients.
- Spyware - also known as Malware (see above).
- Trojan horse - A Trojan horse is a form of malware that has the appearance of being beneficial, but once loaded onto a computer, the program is designed to perform corrupt tasks without the owner's permission.
- Vishing - With vishing schemes, recipients are asked to call a phone number where an operator requests specific personal information as a security requirement.
Other Identity Theft Techniques:
- Dumpster Diving - Highly sensitive material may be discarded with common trash and is easy for identity thieves to access.
- Stolen Mail - Sensitive financial information can be taken from unsecured mailboxes.
Identifying Secure Websites
Before giving any of your personal information to a website, there are a few steps you can take to make sure that the website is secure and that your information is protected.
- Examine the web address. A web address that begins with 'https://' is secure whereas a site that begins with 'http://' is NOT necessarily secure. Note that the only difference between the two is the s.
- Check for the padlock on the status bar. When viewing a secure website, a locked padlock icon will appear in the lower right corner of your web browser to show that the website you are viewing is secure.
- Read all small window messages carefully. If a small window pops up in your web browser with a warning or message in it, read it carefully. Most web browsers warn users if they are entering or leaving a secure site. These messages can act as road signs for when to give out personal information online.
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