Posts Tagged ‘social networking’

Cyber Criminals Using Photo-Sharing Programs to Compromise Computers – FBI Press Release

The FBI has seen an increase in cyber criminals who use online photo-sharing programs to perpetrate scams and harm victims’ computers. These criminals advertise vehicles online but will not provide pictures in the advertisement. They will send photos on request. Sometimes the photo is a single file sent as an e-mail attachment, and sometimes the victim receives a link to an online photo gallery.

The photos can and often contain malicious software that infects the victim’s computer, directing the user to fake websites that look nearly identical to the real sites where the original advertisement was seen. The cyber criminals run all aspects of these fake websites, including “tech support” or “live chat support” and any “recommended” escrow services. After the victim agrees to purchase the item and makes the payment, the criminals stop responding to correspondence. The victims never receive any merchandise.

The FBI urges consumers to protect themselves when shopping online. Here are a few tips for staying safe:

  • Be cautious if you lose an auction on an auction site but the seller contacts you later saying the original bidder fell through.
  • Make sure websites are secure and authenticated before you purchase an item online. Use only well-known escrow services.
  • Research to determine if a car dealership is real and how long it has been in business.
  • Be wary if the price for the item you’d like to buy is severely undervalued; if it is, the item is likely fraudulent.
  • Scan files before downloading them to your computer.
  • Keep your computer software, including the operating system, updated with the latest patches.
  • Ensure your anti-virus software and firewalls are current—they can help prevent malware infections.

If you have fallen victim to this type of scam, file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

If you need education and resources to protect your identity click on http://www.theidentityadvocate.com/identity-advocate-services.php

Social Networking Identity Theft

Are You a Target for Social Networking Identity Theft?

Social networking. Most of us do it. For some of us it’s an addiction. But it can be dangerous. Social networking identity theft is on the rise as more and more identity thieves adapt to this increasingly easy way to steal your identity. Once they have your identity, the sky’s the limit. They can drain your bank account, run up your credit, and virtually destroy you financially. And it all starts with some “innocent” communication online.

Social Networking Identity Theft Statistics

The statistics are in, and they aren’t pretty. According to PC World, one third of members of social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and MySpace have at least three pieces of personal information posted on their profile that can make stealing their identity easy for identity thieves. These include full names, birth dates, addresses, phone numbers, names of parents, and names of children. When pieced together, this information makes stealing your identity on social networking Web sites as easy as creating a fake profile on one of these sites.

Although nearly 80% of people in the PC World poll said they were concerned about their privacy on social networking sites, about 60% said they had no idea what their privacy settings were and who could see their personal information on those sites.

Scary statistics? Yes. A playground for social networking identity theft? You bet.

Prevention Tips

Follow these tips to avoid becoming a victim:

Personal Information: How much do you want the world to know about you? Remember: Your friends aren’t just finding you on Facebook. Scammers may be seeking you out as well. Keep your personal information safe by not posting your full name, birthday, address, phone number, and other private information that could be used to find you. Don’t even think about posting seemingly harmless information like when you’ll be out of town or when you’re at the gym. A growing identity theft tactic is to identify when you’re gone and then pounce to break-in and rob your home. Sound crazy? It happens all the time. Think before you tweet “Going on vacation for a week.”
Learn the Rules: All social networking sites are different and they all have their own rules. Identity thieves take advantage of this vulnerability and prey on you before you even know what happened. They know the faster they get to you, the faster they can rob you. Before you register with a site, read the privacy policy and terms of use to avoid becoming another victim.
Restrict Access: You’re in control. Always remember that. You don’t have to share everything to the world. Most social networking sites allow you to restrict access to your page so only “real friends” can keep up with you. Steer clear of social networking identity theft by only allowing people you actually know (not even friends of friends who could be posing as identity thieves) to be friends and follow you.
Google Alerts: This is free and easy. Just setup a free Google Alerts notification for your full name. You’ll get an email every time your name shows up in a search online. This helps prevent identity theft because you can see where, how, and why your name is being searched for online. If it looks suspicious, such as someone pretending to be you, you can take immediate action.
Post for Posterity: Everything you post online “lives” forever. Even if you think you’ve deleted information from a site it exists on people’s computers that they can then use to steal your identity-even years after you posted it!

Protect Yourself!

The moral of the story? Have fun on social networks, but be cautious. You never know who may want to be your “friend.” If you want to learn more about fool-proof ways to prevent social networking identity theft, contact The IdentityAdvocate at 310.831.4400 or email info@theidentityadvocate.com.

Keeping Your Eye on Facebook and Their App’s

Fearing how Facebook can loose/abuse/post your personal information! Check out this Wall Street Journal. Remember, protect yourself always…To start with, birthdays are great to celebrate, but no one needs to know the year!

Source: online.wsj.com via Linda on Pinterest

More concerns, contact me!

Facebook and Privacy and the FTC — LA Times

Facebook Settles Privacy Suit with Federal Trade Commission

December 1, 2011 – Facebook’s privacy policies and tools have been a bit of a running joke and a regular topic of conversation among the privacy advocates that I know. The company has repeatedly changed its policies without notification to users and without seeking user permission. And those changes got the company in hot water with the FTC, which claimed that they violated the FTC Act by making false promises to consumers to keep their information private. This week, the FTC and Facebook settled their case. As a part of the settlement, Facebook is going to find the FTC looking over the company’s shoulder for the next 20 years.

Read article in the LA Times at:http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/29/business/la-fi-facebook-privacy-20111130

Be Vigilant! Don’t let Your Children Become Victims of Identity Theft

School is starting. Who is asking you for your child’s social security number? How are they protecting that information? Does you school have computerized records? Are they encrypted? Do they do background checks on all new hires? These questions need to be foremost in your mid as you send your little one or even your college bound sons and daughters off to college!

Anyone can be a victim of identity theft. Unfortunately, since young people are less likely to monitor their credit and may make themselves especially vulnerable to identity thieves, students at all levels are a common victim of identity theft.

Whether your child is six years old and is just starting school, or is eighteen and going off to college, he can be a target and victim of identity theft for many reasons. By taking a few simple steps to safeguard his identity, you can help prevent your child from becoming the next victim of identity theft.

A Victim of Identity Theft in Elementary School
There are many actions you can take to reduce the risk of your child becoming a victim of identity theft. The first thing you need to do is setup a system for keeping tabs on your child’s credit. We recommend creating a Credit Calendar to make it easy and free to monitor his credit and be alerted of any suspicious activity all year round.

Here’s how a Credit Calendar works to help prevent your child from being a victim of identity theft: There are three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and Transunion, and each bureau allows you to order your child’s credit report for free once every year. Use your child’s Credit Calendar to record when you can order your child’s credit report from each agency. You’ll request a report from one of the three credit bureaus every four months, on a rotating schedule, to ensure there is no lapse in his credit monitoring each year.

Begin protecting your child from being a victim of identity theft by creating his Credit Calendar today. Here’s the contact information for the three credit bureaus:
• Equifax: 800.685.1111 and www.equifax.com
• Experian: 888.397.3742 and www.experian.com
• Transunion: 800.680.7289 and www.transunion.com

A Clear Sign Your Child Is the Victim of Identity Theft
Your mail carrier may be the one to deliver the news that your child has become a victim of identity theft. If your child begins to receive credit card offers in the mail, it’s very likely that he is a victim of identity theft. A typical scenario is that someone steals a child’s Social Security Number, creates a new identity, and uses that new identity to obtain credit. Of course, this can destroy your child’s credit, not to mention his good name, before he’s even old enough to actually use his own credit!

So, what’s the identity of that “someone” who stole your child’s personal information and made him an unwitting victim of identity theft? Studies show that the most common child identity thief is a close relative, including a parent. Indeed, vigilance is vital to protecting your child from being a victim of identity theft.

A Victim of Identity Theft in College
By the time he’s ready for college, your child may be smarter but, unfortunately, being smart doesn’t necessarily correlate to avoiding becoming the victim of identity theft. There are many actions your college age child can take to prevent identity theft:
• If he hasn’t done so already, it’s time to create that Credit Calendar to regularly keep track of his credit with the three credit bureaus
• Shred every credit card application that arrives in the mail
• Be careful when obtaining school-branded credit cards, which often contain such incentives as free gift cards, tee-shirts, and pizza when he applies

In addition to the damage inflicted by identity thieves on your child’s credit, many employers also review credit reports of job candidates. As competition for the best jobs increases, you don’t want your child’s future to be jeopardized simply because you didn’t take the proper precautions to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft from the time he began his education to the time he began his career. Whether you have a young child just starting first grade or a teenager ready to start college, now is the time to take action to prevent him from being another victim of identity theft.

Need help and more information to learn how you can protect your child from becoming a victim of identity theft? Contact The Identity Advocate today at 310.831.4400 or email info@theidentityadvocate.com. Visit www.theidentityadvocate.com.

Don’t be a Victim of Job Identity Theft Scams

Are you searching for a new job right now? In these tough economic times, identity thieves are taking advantage of vulnerable job seekers like never before with job identity theft scams. Whether they’re using job search sites like Monster.com to “hook” an unemployed person with a job offer that may be too good to be true, then sending emails requesting bank account information and Social Security numbers, or even creating fake Web sites that don’t match the job description on a jobsite, scammers are relentlessly trying to steal your identity. Fortunately, by paying attention to ID theft warning signs and using tips to prevent ID theft, you can avoid the scammers and land a great job this year.

How to Spot Job Identity Theft Scams
How can you be sure job postings are legitimate and not job identity theft scams? Ask yourself these questions before you apply:

Does the company have a Web site?: If not, or if the information doesn’t match the company’s description on the jobsite, you should be extremely cautious. Although not all companies have Web sites, most do, and you can get a feeling for the company by visiting the site. Does it look professional? Does it have contact information? Another simple research tool is simply to use Google to see what search results reveal for the company (if they exist!)
Does the company ask for money to submit an application?: If you’re asked to pay anything before you can get information on the job, it’s probably one of the many job identity theft scams. This is especially prevalent in work-at-home jobs. Just remember that legitimate employers will never charge to hire you.
Does the company have references?: They work both ways. If you’re unsure whether an employer is legitimate, ask for references. Most companies will be happy to provide you with them.
Does the company make financial promises?: This is another favorite tactic of job identity theft scams. If a job listing guarantees financial success in a short period of time, you can bet they’re trying to drain your bank account in a short period of time.

Another easy way to spot job identity theft scams is to contact the Better Business Bureau to see whether the company has a high or low rating, and whether any suspicious activity has been reported.

How to Avoid Job Identity Theft Scams
Job identity theft scams are rampant online, so you have to be vigilant. Use common sense and follow these tips to prevent your identity from being stolen by unscrupulous identity thieves posing as employers:

Social Security number: A common job identity theft scam is asking you to provide your Social Security number before you’ve even had a face-to-face interview. Don’t fall for it. A scammer will ask for your SSN under the guise of needing to perform a background check, but a legitimate employer can’t legally do a background check until after the interview.
Financial information: Never provide any financial information, such as your bank account, until you’ve been hired. These types of job identity theft scams are made under the pretenses that the employer needs your financial information to perform a credit check. Not true. A legitimate employer can do a credit check with just your name, address, and Social Security number.
Online forms: Be very careful when completing forms for online job applications. These forms make capturing sensitive information easy for job identity theft scams. If you’re completing an application online, make sure the Web site is both legitimate and secure before providing personal information such as your Social Security number or driver’s license number.
Email: When communicating with an employer, always ensure the emails originate from the company’s email address, not a personal address. Legitimate companies will always send official communications through their company email address. Many job identity theft scams involve identity thieves using personal email addresses to impersonate representatives from a legitimate employer.

Want to learn more about preventing ID theft and avoiding job identity theft scams?
Contact The Identity Advocate at 310.831.4400 or via email at info@theidentityadvocate.com.

Holiday Nativity – Digital Style – from youtube

For those who love Google, Wikipedia, and the search for information on line, check out the new modern approach to the birth of Jesus:

FBI Press Release: A Chilling Case of ‘Sextortion’

It can happen to you. Worse it can happen to your children. Computer hackers. Taking control of you computer. Watching every move. The hacker used social networking sites to spread a virus and infect computers with malicious code, thus infect and take over more than 100 computers. This is more than just identity theft, it was for extortion and control. Read the following FBI press release and verify you have not had communications with the screen names or email addresses listed: http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2010/november/web-of-victims/web-of-victims

Posting information on Social Networks

There is a new search engine out there called ‘not your grandmothers phone book’….www.Spokeo.com. It will find pictures your friends and associates in your email lists, they may have posted on their sites, and their social networks. It is a reverse phone directory but with so much more. More of your privacy at risk!

11 Sercurity Threats to Consider and Prevent Identity Theft!

Catch the latest article in PC World and re-evaluate all your computer systems, whether it is your wireless devices, the online backups or getting emails at your favorite coffee spot with free Wi-Fi connections….read: http://www.pcworld.com/article/187199-4/how_to_stop_11_hidden_security_threats.html