tater_kamik
11-16-2005, 04:29 PM
recently there was a thread on a person losing quite a bit of money due to internet fraud. i meant to post this info but i never did due to work and very limited access to the internet. so here are some links on very useful info to help prevent this from happening. educate yourself and others!!!
http://www.cycletrader.com/fraudtips.html#buyer
http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp
and here is some info that got sent to me, i didnt write it but it does have some good info.
IDENTITY THEFT
A few months ago, I was advised by another bank that an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name. That brought home to me the danger I’d heard so much about. Here’s some things we can all do to minimize the danger to ourselves and our families.
Fraud Prevention
1. The next time you order checks, have only your initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them. If someone takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name; but your bank will know how you sign your checks.
2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "FOR" line. Instead, just put the last 4 numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check-processing channels won't have access to it.
3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box, use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# or your Drivers License # printed on your checks. You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.
4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine, do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know (1) what you had in your wallet and (2) all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call if you need to cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place.
5. Shred, shred, shred! Ollie North and Fawn Hall had it right. There are organized gangs that go through the trash of people in nicer neighborhoods (like the kind we all live in) looking for personal details (names, birthdates, account numbers, etc). Even the credit card offers we discard can hurt us if the information on them falls into the wrong hands. The fact that you get the offer means that your credit is good, and you in essence are pre-approved for another card. It then becomes very easy for someone to call the phone number on the offer and get a card in YOUR name. Rumor on the streets is that there are Nigerian, Vietnamese, Hispanic, and other gangs paying sanitation workers upwards of $25 for every usable identifying information they turn in . A pre-approved credit card application gets $100 or more. Now, suppose you’re a hard-working sanitation worker trying to live on $8.50/hour. Wouldn’t you be interested in an extra $200 - $300 /month?
What do you do if your wallet is lost or stolen?
• We all know we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
• File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where it was lost or stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one – most police departments have neither the expertise nor the manpowe to pursue these kinds of cases). This step is highly recommended, and it pays off!
• But here's what is perhaps most important: Call the three national credit-reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. The alert means that any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.
The numbers are:
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
Social Security Admin. (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271
Scott A. Johnson
Vice President
Capital Community Bank
unfortunately, i know a fair amount about internet fraud since i was a victim of it, if you have any questions, please let me know!! if the deal seems to good, or anything at all seems fishy, just dont do it. its not worth the risk
http://www.cycletrader.com/fraudtips.html#buyer
http://www.ifccfbi.gov/index.asp
and here is some info that got sent to me, i didnt write it but it does have some good info.
IDENTITY THEFT
A few months ago, I was advised by another bank that an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name. That brought home to me the danger I’d heard so much about. Here’s some things we can all do to minimize the danger to ourselves and our families.
Fraud Prevention
1. The next time you order checks, have only your initials (instead of first name) and last name put on them. If someone takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name; but your bank will know how you sign your checks.
2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "FOR" line. Instead, just put the last 4 numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check-processing channels won't have access to it.
3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box, use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# or your Drivers License # printed on your checks. You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.
4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine, do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know (1) what you had in your wallet and (2) all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call if you need to cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place.
5. Shred, shred, shred! Ollie North and Fawn Hall had it right. There are organized gangs that go through the trash of people in nicer neighborhoods (like the kind we all live in) looking for personal details (names, birthdates, account numbers, etc). Even the credit card offers we discard can hurt us if the information on them falls into the wrong hands. The fact that you get the offer means that your credit is good, and you in essence are pre-approved for another card. It then becomes very easy for someone to call the phone number on the offer and get a card in YOUR name. Rumor on the streets is that there are Nigerian, Vietnamese, Hispanic, and other gangs paying sanitation workers upwards of $25 for every usable identifying information they turn in . A pre-approved credit card application gets $100 or more. Now, suppose you’re a hard-working sanitation worker trying to live on $8.50/hour. Wouldn’t you be interested in an extra $200 - $300 /month?
What do you do if your wallet is lost or stolen?
• We all know we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
• File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where it was lost or stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one – most police departments have neither the expertise nor the manpowe to pursue these kinds of cases). This step is highly recommended, and it pays off!
• But here's what is perhaps most important: Call the three national credit-reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. The alert means that any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.
The numbers are:
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289
Social Security Admin. (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271
Scott A. Johnson
Vice President
Capital Community Bank
unfortunately, i know a fair amount about internet fraud since i was a victim of it, if you have any questions, please let me know!! if the deal seems to good, or anything at all seems fishy, just dont do it. its not worth the risk