| Q: I use PayPal to accept credit cards
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| | others have been the brunt of many such
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| for my online collectibles business. I
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| | scams in recent years.Identity theft is
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| recently received an email that my PayPal
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| | what's known as a knowledge crime, which
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| account was going to expire in five days
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| | means that the criminal doesn't have to
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| if I didn't click a link in the email and
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| | break into your house to rob you blind.
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| give them my PayPal account information.
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| | If you have a bank account and a social
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| Being naturally paranoid I decided not to
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| | security number, you are susceptible to
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| give this information and I'm happy to
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| | identity theft.While most people are
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| say that my PayPal account did not
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| | familiar with identity theft, most
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| expire. Was this a scam?
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| | business men and women never think about
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| -- Brenda A.A: Be thankful that your
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| | it happening to them, at least on a
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| paranoia kicked in, Brenda, because you
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| | professional level. Consider this: if a
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| were about to fall victim to the scam of
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| | criminal can learn your business checking
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| the week, this one aimed at the 35
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| | account number or the number of your
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| million merchants and individuals who use
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| | company credit card, they can steal far
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| as their online payment processor.The
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| | more from your business than if they had
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| email you received was not from PayPal,
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| | simply knocked down the door and carted
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| but from an Internet bad guy behind a
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| | off your desk.The Internet aside, most
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| forged email address using the domain.
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| | business and personal identity theft is
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| You should understand that no reputable
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| | still the result of stolen wallets and
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| online company will ever ask you to
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| | dumpster diving. You should guard your
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| provide your account information. Think
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| | business records closely and be very
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| about it. They already have this
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| | careful what you throw away. Stop and
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| information. Why would they ask you to
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| | think for a moment what a criminal might
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| provide it.Since I use PayPal for several
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| | find in the dumpster behind your
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| of my online ventures, I, too, received
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| | office.There's a good chance that
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| the email in question. The email first
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| | dumpster has, at various times, contained
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| seeks to instill fear in you by saying
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| | scraps of paper with your social security
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| that your PayPal account will be closed
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| | number, driver's license number, credit
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| if you do not provide personal
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| | card number, old ATM cards, telephone
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| information. You are then directed to
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| | calling cards, and other pieces of vital
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| open an attached executable file and
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| | business information like bank
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| enter your PayPal account information and
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| | statements, invoices, and purchase
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| other personal information that PayPal
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| | orders. A dumpster-diving thief could
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| doesn't even require, including your
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| | literally rob your business blind in a
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| social security number, checking and
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| | matter of hours.Here are a few ways to
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| savings account information, driver's
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| | protect yourself from business and
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| license number, and other personal
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| | personal identity theft.* Never give out
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| information that can be used to clean out
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| | your first name, last name, business
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| your PayPal account and perhaps even
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| | name, email address, account passwords,
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| steal your identity.If you're not
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| | credit card numbers, bank account
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| familiar with PayPal, it is a hugely
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| | information, PIN number, social security
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| successful, web-based company (purchased
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| | number, or driver's license
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| by eBay in 2002) that many online
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| | number.* Change your online account
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| retailers and eBay sellers use to accept
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| | passwords every 30 days. Believe it or
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| electronic payments for everything from
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| | not, a hacker who steals your personal
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| newsletter subscriptions to consulting
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| | information can guess your online account
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| services to just about any product for
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| | passwords in about two minutes. If your
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| sale on eBay.The allure of PayPal is that
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| | Charles Schwab online account password is
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| it does not require the seller to have a
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| | your birthday or the name of your first
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| bank merchant account through which to
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| | born or family pet, count on a hacker
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| process credit cards. Anyone with a
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| | cracking that code faster than you can
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| verifiable email address and bank account
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| | say 'Bill Gates.'* Never provide personal
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| can use PayPal and the service can be
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| | information in response to an email or
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| implemented almost immediately after
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| | telephone call. Just because someone
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| registering.When someone places an order
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| | calls and says they are from Dunn &
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| on a website that uses PayPal for online
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| | Bradstreet and need to confirm your
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| payments, that customer is directed to to
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| | business information does not mean they
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| complete the payment process using a
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| | are really from Dunn & Bradstreet.* Never
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| credit card or electronic check. The
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| | give your business credit card number
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| merchant can transfer the money collected
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| | over the phone to place an order with
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| in his PayPal account to his checking
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| | someone who has called you unsolicited.
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| account any time he likes. Since many
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| | If you are interested in what they are
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| larger merchants make this transfer just
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| | selling get their number, check out their
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| once a week or so, their PayPal accounts
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| | company, then call them back to place the
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| are ripe for the picking from those who
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| | order.If you think that you have become
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| have the cunning and lack of ethics
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| | the victim of identity theft or think
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| required to gain access.The shear number
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| | someone is trying to steal your identity
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| of PayPal customers is one reason it has
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| | or personal information you should report
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| become a popular target of scam artists
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| | them immediately to the Federal Trade
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| trying to steal personal information from
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| | Commission. You will find more
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| individuals and businesses alike.Identify
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| | information on their website at For
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| theft is on the rise. Thanks to the
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| | more information on what to do if
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| Internet stealing someone's identity has
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| | identity theft happens to you visit if
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| never been easier. At any given moment,
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| | you ever receive an email from PayPal,
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| there are any number of Internet thieves
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| | Amazon, eBay, or any other ecommerce
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| using all manner of high tech wizardry to
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| | website asking you to update your account
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| steal personal and business information
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| | information by email you can pretty much
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| from unsuspecting souls, and many times
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| | bet the farm that it is a scam.In
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| they can gain access to this information
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| | business, as in life, a little paranoia
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| simply by asking the person to provide it
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| | is a good thing.Small Business Q&A is
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| through fraudulent means.The PayPal scam
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| | written by veteran entrepreneur
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| is just the latest in a long line of
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| | and syndicated columnist, Tim Knox.
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| sophisticated attempts to steal personal
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| | Tim's latest books include "Small
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| information through online means,
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| | Business Success Secrets"
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| Amazon, eBay, Dell Computer, and many
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| | and "The 30 Day Blueprint For Success!
|
