| If you are worried about credit card fraud you | | | | made to mimic real websites (like those of online |
| are well on your way to protecting yourself from | | | | banking sites) with the sole purpose of getting |
| being a victim. The truth is anyone can easily be a | | | | information from you. A mail will be sent to you |
| victim of fraud because of the careless ways we | | | | informing you of a need to access your online |
| handle our personal information. Here are the top | | | | credit card account for certain transactions. The |
| 5 ways you can avoid becoming a fraud victim. | | | | mail will contain a link, with a page that looks like it |
| Never give solicited personal information to a | | | | will connect you to your account site. In reality, |
| stranger | | | | this page links to a Phishing site, which functions |
| We always tell our children never to speak to | | | | to collect your personal information illegally. Finally, |
| strangers. Yet when someone calls and talks to | | | | your details will be utilized by these criminals for |
| us in a friendly way, most of us will be glad to | | | | online shopping, or even for credit card duplication |
| give out any information the caller requests. In | | | | purposes. |
| order to avoid letting your personal information be | | | | Check your monthly statements |
| used against you, never provide vital information | | | | It could be months before you discover that |
| about yourself to anyone that you do not fully | | | | someone else has been using your credit card |
| trust. In other words, do not give your social | | | | without your knowledge if you do not regularly |
| security number, your driver's license, your full | | | | check your monthly statements. As you know |
| address, your credit card number or any | | | | your spending patterns, you will definitely be able |
| combination of the above to a stranger. | | | | to sniff out something fishy when your |
| Do not share unsecured personal information over | | | | outstanding totals jumps a grand or two. Provided |
| the Internet | | | | that you don't have family members with |
| During the early days when the Internet was | | | | uncontrollable spending needs, it is a definite way |
| young and most users were naive, junk mail was | | | | of knowing that someone has been using your |
| one of the easiest ways to obtain personal | | | | card illegally. |
| information from unknowing surfers. False | | | | Protect your mail |
| promises of a lottery win or a special prize can | | | | Most of us take our mail for granted. We don't |
| easily convince surfers to part with their private | | | | usually lock our mailboxes when in fact, we should. |
| information for something trifling or nothing at all. | | | | Our mail contains much of our personal |
| Whilst most of us have better common sense | | | | information, especially mail that comes from |
| nowadays, you should still never provide any form | | | | banks, insurance companies and credit card |
| of personal information to anyone over the Net, | | | | companies. If anyone were to steal any of your |
| especially your credit card details. | | | | mail which contains your personal information, you |
| Beware of Phishing sites | | | | would have lost your identity to these thieves |
| Phishing is a term related to websites that were | | | | even before you got your morning mail. |