by Jessica Mendoza, PICurrent Network Contributor
The battle against online hackers, phishers and scammers may never be won. In fact, online fraud is on the rise. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to avoid being a victim.
Although 90% of identity theft occurs offline (usually by someone the victim knows) (BBB Online), online fraud is on the rise. For example, according to APACS (the UK’s payment authority), online phishing has more than doubled in the first half of 2008 compared with 2007.
Online phishing is a con game where Internet criminals try to steal your identity be sending an email claiming to be a real business and asking you to give up private information. The email links to a false Web site where you are asked to “update” your personal information, such as credit card number, social security number, or password. The site may look real, but it’s not. If you enter your information on this false site, the phisher will use that information to steal your identity.
However, online fraud is not limited to emails. Just last week, The Washington Post reported that hackers hijacked the Web site CheckFree.com—an online bill payment site. When visitors went to the site, they were redirected to a Web site that tried to install malicious software (or malware) on their computers.
The Federal Trade Commission also warns consumers about pop-up windows and phony websites that trick people into providing their private information.
With so many different scams online, how can you protect yourself and your family? Check out the Beehive for tips on:
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Great post! I had a nasty virus sneak onto my computer and create all sorts of problems. I think one thing everyone should do is avoid anything trying to connect to the internet unless you know the program well. It’s just one more way for someone to gain information, or simply cause trouble.
Also, I had never thought of this, but any time your unsure whether a site, or download is safe to allow, Google it! Just check it out, trust me it’s better to be safe than sorry. Small piece of advice: beware the process because it is very likely a virus or worm attacking your computer. I recently figured out first hand that this is a nasty little bug, but avoidable.
Criminals using phishing schemes have gotten better over the years. Identity thieves can often time direct you to a website that looks just like the real one. They pretend to be your bank, the IRS, or other institutions to get you to divulge your personal information. To learn more about identity theft you can visit http://www.solusid.co or http;//oneidproblog.com.
Don’t be fooled with online scams, they really sucks! I got a lot of e-mails every now and then telling me some sort of winning but actually will scam you if you’ll attentively reply to them with your personal information.