How do they do it?

Theft of wallets and purses was once the most common way to obtain identity documents and account

information. Today, identity thieves attack virtually every area of an individual's life. These are among the most

common methods:

·   Dumpster diving in trash bins for credit card statements, loan applications, and other documents containing

    names, addresses, account information, and SSNs.

·   Stealing mail from unlocked mailboxes to get pre-approved credit offers, credit cards, utility bills, bank and

    credit card statements, investment reports, insurance statements, benefits documents, and tax information.

·   Impersonating a loan officer, employer, or landlord to get fraudulent access to credit files.

·   Insider access to names, addresses, birth dates, and SSNs in personnel or customer files.

·   Shoulder surfing at ATM machines and phone booths to capture PINs.

·   Online sources of personal data, such as public records and fee-based information sites.

10 Ways to Protect Against Mail Theft

1.       Never put outbound mail into an unsecured mailbox, especially if it contains checks or sensitive personal

       information. Instead, take it to a U.S. Post Office branch or place it in a U.S.P.S. mail collection box.

2.       Always use a locking mailbox for incoming mail. Install a locking mailbox approved as secure by the U.S.

      Postal Service or use a U.S. Post Office box. Contact your local Postmaster for regulations and

      specifications regarding locking mailboxes.

3.       Remove mail from your mailbox promptly, especially if your mailbox is not secure. If you won't be home when

      sensitive or valuable mail is delivered, have it held or have a trusted neighbor or friend retrieve it.

4.       Don't have blank checks delivered to your home address. Instead, have them held at your bank branch until

      you can pick them up personally.

5.       Don't have mail delivered while you're out of town. Have the post office hold your mail if you'll be away.

6.       Reduce the number of credit offers sent to you by mail. Contact the three major credit reporting agencies and

      have your credit report marked "no solicitation."

7.       Make sure you're informed when sensitive mail has been sent to you, and follow up quickly if it doesn't arrive

      as expected.

8.       Consider starting or joining a Neighborhood Watch program. If you see a mail theft in progress, be a good

      witness by calling 911 and providing the best possible description of any persons and vehicles involved.

9.       At the workplace, watch out for "Financial Friday" mail theft. Leaving mail in unsecured locations over the

      weekend in order to leave work a little earlier is a dangerous practice that identity thieves know and exploit.

10.    If you feel you've been victimized in a mail fraud scheme that involves the U.S. Mail, submit a Mail Fraud

      Complaint Form to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. If you have become a victim of identity theft, contact

      the FTC, the credit bureaus, and your bank, and obtain expert guidance immediately to resolve your problem

      as quickly as possible.

What are the risks of using the Internet and other networks?

There are three main threats to the data on your computer: malicious software, network intrusion by hackers, and

physical theft.

To protect your computer against viruses, spyware, and Trojan horse programs (which let hackers control your

computer), you must use antivirus software — and keep it updated. To keep intruders out, connect to the Internet

through a properly configured firewall, which can be software or device-based; this is especially important if you

have an "always on" Internet connection, such as a cable modem or DSL. Avoid using public computers for online

banking, email account access, or other sensitive exchanges of information — keystroke loggers, web "cookies,"

or cached pages may be capturing your data. Similarly, be cautious in sending sensitive data over wireless

networks. And be careful what you send via email — unencrypted text and attachments can be intercepted as

they travel across the Internet.

Finally, beware of "phishing" and "pharming" scams, which use fake corporate email, redirected web addresses,

and "cloned" corporate web pages to plant viruses and con users into providing sensitive information. Never

provide identity or account information in response to an email, or if you have any doubt about the authenticity of

a web site.

 

For more information about your insurance needs or this article, Click Here
Let Us Handle It!