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The Latest Email Scam Is Nothing New
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By Tim Knox
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Q: I recently received an email that supposedly came from eBaythat said someone had attempted to log into my eBay businessaccount without authorization (whatever that means). The emailinstructed me to click a link to re-enter and confirm my accountinformation to make sure that my account had not been hacked.Being naturally paranoid I contacted eBay directly and foundthat my account had not been hacked and that this email wasactually from someone trying to steal my eBay accountinformation. Is there nothing that can be done about this kindof thing? -- Wesley C.
A: The only thing you can do, Wesley, is be thankful that yourparanoia kicked in because you were about to fall victim to justone of the latest attempts by thieves to steal your personal andcredit card information.
As you discovered, the email you received was not from eBay, butfrom someone using a forged email address that gave theimpression that the email was really from eBay. If you hadclicked the link to "re-enter and confirm" your personal andcredit card information, you would have been taken to a websitethat probably looked a lot like eBay, but was really a fake sitecreated for the sole purpose of stealing your information. Youwould have been instructed to enter your eBay accountinformation and other personal information, including yoursocial security number, checking and savings accountinformation, driver's license number, and credit card number. Inthe end you would have supplied the thieves with everything theyneed to steal your identity.
The eBay scam is just the latest in a long line of sophisticatedattempts to steal personal information through online means.Customers of PayPal, Amazon, Dell Computer, eTrade, Bank One,and many other online merchants have been the target of suchscams in recent years.
The shear number of eBay customers is the main reason that eBayhas become the most popular target of scam artists trying tosteal personal information from individuals and businesses alike.
As we talked about way back in 2003, thanks to the Internet,stealing someone's identity has never been easier. At any givenmoment, there are thousands of Internet thieves using all mannerof high tech wizardry in an attempt to steal personal andbusiness information from unsuspecting souls, and many timesthey can gain access to this information simply by asking theperson to provide it through fraudulent means, like a fakeemail.
While most people are familiar with identity theft, mostbusiness men and women never think about it happening to them,at least on a professional level. Consider this: if a criminalcan learn your business checking account number or the number ofyour company credit card, they can steal far more from yourbusiness than if they had simply knocked down the door andcarted off your desk.
Here are a few ways to protect you from business and personalidentity theft.
กค Never give out your first name, last name, business name,email address, account passwords, credit card numbers, bankaccount information, PIN number, social security number, ordriver's license number.
กค Change your online account passwords every 30 days. Believe itor not, a hacker who steals your personal information can oftenguess your online account passwords in about two minutes. Ifyour Charles Schwab online account password is your birthday orthe name of your first born or family pet, count on a hackercracking that code faster than you can say "Open Sesame."
กค Never provide personal information in response to an email ortelephone call. Just because someone calls and says they arefrom Dunn & Bradstreet and need to confirm your businessinformation does not mean they are really from Dunn & Bradstreet.
กค Never give your business credit card number over the phone toplace an order with someone who has called you unsolicited. Ifyou are interested in what they are selling get their number,check out their company, then call them back to place the order.
If you think that you have become the victim of identity theftor think someone is trying to steal your identity or personalinformation you should report them immediately to the FederalTrade Commission. You will find more information on theirwebsite at http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/.
For more information on what to do if identity theft happens toyou visit http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs17a.htm.
You should also remember that no reputable online company willever ask you to log in and completely re-enter your accountinformation. Think about it. They already have this information.Why would they ask you to provide it again? The answer is: theywouldn't.
Be careful out there.
Here's to your success
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