Internet Identity Theft Facts

Thieves use a technique called phishing to steal your personal information.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft affects approximately 9 million Americans per year. Thieves use various tactics to get what they want, so if you use a computer, it's important to be aware of their methods and use caution in your communications online.

Phishing

Phishing is a method in which thieves pretend to be a financial institution or similar company. They send you spam pop-ups asking for your personal financial information and Social Security number.

Pretexting

When thieves engage in pretexting, they pretend, for instance, to be a research company in order to extract your personal information. They then use the information to call your financial institution and gain further details about your account and financial data.

Skimming

Using a technique called skimming, thieves steal a victim's credit or debit card numbers by using special storage devices when processing the card information online.

Anti-Virus Software

To protect yourself with respect to your personal correspondence online, you should have anti-virus software installed. The most updated version is crucial to the safety of your personal information.

Firewall

Use a firewall to prevent hackers from gaining access to your computer and to safeguard your personal activities online. You should have the most updated version installed on your system.

References

• Federal Trade Commission: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft: About Identity Theft
• OnGuardOnline: 7 Practices for Computer Security