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When you go out, do you lock your front door? If you are one of the millions of people who uses social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, to broadcast your whereabouts to the world, the chances are that you might as well not bother.
Announcing that you are anywhere but home is a burglars’ dream, as the creators of the Please Rob Me website point out. They deliberately channel information from networking sites, such as Twitter and the Foursquare online location game, to their own pages to show when people’s homes are empty – and highlight what an opportunity this is to criminals.
“The danger is publicly telling people where you are because it leaves one place you’re definitely not – home,” says one of the founders of Please Rob Me, Frank Groeneveld.
By publishing personal details online, you are setting yourself up for fraudsters to use your identity to clear out your accounts or set up new ones in your name.
The mess this creates can take months to sort out and can trash your credit rating. So it makes sense to think carefully when you update your pages, especially if you are planning to include your whereabouts and your personal details – you never know who might be reading.
We know criminals are successfully finding identities to steal, a recent survey,– based on the first nine months of 2009 – shows a 206% increase in account takeover fraud.”
These ten tips will help you to stay safe online.
1. Don’t be too social on social networks
Apparently harmless personal details, such as your date of birth and full name, are gold dust to fraudsters, so don’t put them on public display. The same goes for your children’s or pets’ names, anniversaries and important dates, which you might use as a password or PIN. Check the privacy options on your favourite networking sites and use them to make sure you are only sharing information with genuine friends.
2. Update your security
Make sure your security programs and firewalls are updated regularly, or you could be letting hackers into your system. That would give them access to all the personal information you keep there, including online banking or card account details – more than enough to steal your ID and ruin your finances.
3. Keep PINs and passwords private
Memorise security information, such as passwords and online banking codes, rather than writing it down. If you have to keep a record in your computer, use reminders rather than the actual words or numbers. Never give your account details, passwords or PINs to other people to use.
4. Ignore suspicious e-mails
Phishing e-mails may look as if they come from your bank, building society or credit card issuer but don’t be fooled – they are designed to get you to reveal personal and account information so a criminal can impersonate you and steal your money or run up debts in your name. So contact the relevant organisation independently, using a number or e-mail you already have on file, before you delete the offending message. And never click through to a link provided by an unknown sender – you could be downloading a virus that will either take over your computer or eavesdrop on every keystroke you make.
5. Check your credit report regularly
Your credit report is the history of your credit accounts, your repayment record and other information that lenders use when they decide whether to make you an offer. Checking makes it easy for you to spot unfamiliar applications for cards, loans, catalogue and mobile accounts and to note suspicious transactions, such as a sudden rise in your card balance. The Home Office recommends regular checks as an effective precaution against ID fraud (www.identitytheft.org.uk), so get into the habit now – you can see your Experian credit report for free with a 30-day trial of CreditExpert. You’ll also be alerted if there are any significant changes to your report that could indicate ID fraud.
6. Read your statements
Go through your bank and credit card statements every month looking for unfamiliar transactions. Be especially alert for smaller purchases that you don’t remember – fraudsters often take a little money from accounts now and again to see if they can get away with it before going in for the kill.
7. Watch out for eavesdroppers
Think twice about using public wi-fi for mobile shopping or banking. Wi-fi is easier to eavesdrop than a fixed line, so don’t log onto accounts that need a password. Also take extra care inputting personal information and pass codes into public computers and at cash machines – you never know who might be watching. And don’t forget clear the memory cache when you’ve finished if you’re sharing a PC with others.
8. Shop safely online
If you are shopping online, check that the url begins https and that there is a locked padlock symbol at the bottom of your browser – both indicate that you are in a secure area.
9. Make your passwords effective
When you choose a password, make sure it includes numbers as well as upper and lower case letters and is at least eight digits long. Avoid obvious combinations that can be easily guessed, such as your date of birth, nickname, pets’ or children’s names. And avoid the temptation to use the same password for multiple accounts – if it’s compromised, you could be handing over access to your finances.
10. If it looks too good to be true…
You can finish the sentence for yourself. So why would you reply to an e-mail telling you that you’ve won a lottery you never entered, inherited a huge sum from someone you’ve never heard of or can make millions by helping a total stranger to get money out of a foreign country you’ve never visited? To get these riches, you’re normally asked for full name, address and bank account details. Often they want your mobile number, your credit card, date of birth and more. It’s easy to see what’s in it for them – your ID and your money. Don’t respond. Have a laugh and bin the email instead, or the last laugh could be on you.
© Experian
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