Phishing:You get an email or pop-up message that says your...
Transcript of Phishing:You get an email or pop-up message that says your...
Nat
iona
l Cri
me
Pre
vent
ion
Co
unci
l10
00 C
onn
ectic
ut A
venu
e, N
W •
13t
h F
loo
r •
Was
hing
ton,
DC
2003
6 •
ww
w.n
cpc.
org
Sca
ms
and
sche
mes
are
a c
rim
inal
’s “
brea
d an
d bu
tter
.” I
f yo
u ha
ve a
com
pute
r, a
tele
phon
e, o
r a
mai
lbox
, yo
u co
uld
beco
me
a vi
ctim
. Yo
ur b
est
defe
nse
is t
o kn
ow a
sca
m w
hen
you
see
(or
hear
)on
e. F
ollo
win
g ar
e a
few
com
mon
sca
ms
that
cri
min
als
pitc
h to
inn
ocen
t pe
ople
eve
ry d
ay:
■ C
redi
t-re
late
d S
chem
es:
You
are
prom
ised
a c
redi
t ca
rd r
egar
dles
s of
you
r cr
edit
his
tory
, fo
r an
adva
nce
fee.
Or
you
are
prom
ised
cre
dit
card
pro
tect
ion
or c
redi
t re
pair
ser
vice
s, a
lso
for
a fe
e.Yo
u pa
y, b
ut t
he c
ard
or s
ervi
ce i
s ne
ver
deliv
ered
.
■ M
agaz
ine
Sal
es S
cam
s:Yo
u ar
e of
fere
d a
mag
azin
e su
bscr
ipti
on a
t a
very
low
pri
ce b
y so
meo
new
ho c
laim
s to
wor
k fo
r th
e m
agaz
ine
com
pany
. Th
e pr
ice
is m
isre
pres
ente
d an
d is
act
ually
muc
hhi
gher
, or
the
mag
azin
e is
nev
er d
eliv
ered
.
■ In
vest
men
t Fr
aud:
You
are
invi
ted
to p
arti
cipa
te i
n an
inv
estm
ent
oppo
rtun
ity
and
prom
ised
spec
tacu
lar
prof
its
wit
h no
ris
k. I
nste
ad o
f m
akin
g m
oney
, yo
u lo
se i
t.
■ O
verp
aym
ent
Sca
ms:
You
adve
rtis
e so
met
hing
you
wan
t to
sel
l, an
d a
pote
ntia
l bu
yer
offe
rs t
opu
rcha
se i
t. T
he b
uyer
sen
ds a
che
ck f
or m
ore
than
the
ask
ing
pric
e an
d as
ks y
ou t
o w
ire
back
the
diff
eren
ce.
You
do,
but
late
r th
e bu
yer’s
che
ck b
ounc
es.
■ W
ork-
at-h
ome
Sca
ms:
Adv
erti
sem
ents
pro
mis
e bi
g ea
rnin
gs f
or p
eopl
e w
ho w
ant
to w
ork
atho
me.
You
sen
d a
chec
k fo
r tr
aini
ng o
r m
ater
ials
and
rec
eive
a k
it w
ith
chea
p cr
aft
mat
eria
ls a
nddi
scov
er t
here
are
no
clie
nts
to p
ay f
or y
our
wor
k.
■ Va
catio
n/Tr
avel
Fra
ud: Y
ou a
ccep
t an
off
er f
or a
fre
e or
ver
y ch
eap
trav
el p
acka
ge b
ut e
nd u
p pa
ying
hidd
en c
osts
, su
ch a
s re
serv
atio
n fe
es o
r ta
xes,
or
liste
ning
to
a hi
gh-p
ress
ure
sale
s pi
tch
for
ati
mes
hare
or
club
mem
bers
hip.
■ Ph
ishi
ng:Yo
u ge
t an
em
ail o
r po
p-up
mes
sage
tha
t sa
ys y
our
acco
unt
mus
t be
upd
ated
imm
edia
tely
or it
will
be
clos
ed. Y
ou c
lick
on a
link
to
a w
ebsi
te t
hat
look
s lik
e it
bel
ongs
to
your
ban
k or
oth
erin
stitu
tion
and
“upd
ate”
you
r ac
coun
t by
ent
erin
g pe
rson
al id
entif
ying
info
rmat
ion.
Soo
n yo
u di
scov
eryo
u ar
e a
vict
im o
f id
enti
ty t
heft
.
■ Ph
arm
ing:
Als
o ca
lled
dom
ain
spoo
fing,
thi
s te
chni
que
is u
sed
by c
rimin
als
to r
edire
ct W
eb t
raff
icfr
om a
leg
itim
ate
serv
er t
o th
eir
own
serv
er,
whe
re t
hey
can
stea
l an
y pe
rson
al i
nfor
mat
ion
that
the
user
typ
es in
. Pha
rmer
s “p
oiso
n” t
he D
omai
n N
ame
Ser
vice
in o
rder
to
“foo
l” a
use
r’s b
row
ser
into
lin
king
to
a bo
gus
web
site
.
■ N
iger
ian
Mon
ey S
cam
:Yo
u ar
e co
ntac
ted
by s
omeo
ne f
rom
Nig
eria
and
off
ered
mill
ions
of
dolla
rsif
you
will
tra
nsfe
r m
oney
fro
m a
for
eign
ban
k to
you
r ba
nk a
ccou
nt f
or s
afek
eepi
ng.
Whe
n yo
uag
ree,
you
are
ask
ed t
o pa
y hu
ge t
rans
fer
fees
or
lega
l ex
pens
es b
ut r
ecei
ve n
o m
oney
.
■ P
rize
and
Sw
eeps
take
s S
cam
:Yo
u ar
e to
ld t
hat
you
have
won
a f
abul
ous
priz
e bu
t m
ust
buy
som
ethi
ng o
r pa
y ta
xes
up f
ront
in
orde
r to
cla
im i
t. T
he p
rize
is
a ch
eap
trin
ket,
wor
th f
ar l
ess
than
the
mon
ey y
ou p
aid
to c
laim
it.
■ Fo
reig
n Lo
tter
ies
Sca
m:
You
are
offe
red
tick
ets
to e
nter
a f
orei
gn l
otte
ry a
nd s
end
mon
ey,
but
eith
er t
he lo
tter
y do
esn’
t ex
ist
or t
he t
icke
ts n
ever
arr
ive.
It
is il
lega
l to
prom
ote
a fo
reig
n lo
tter
yby
tel
epho
ne o
r m
ail
in t
he U
nite
d S
tate
s.
■ P
yram
ids
and
Mul
tile
vel
Mar
keti
ng:
For
a fe
e, y
ou a
re p
rom
ised
big
pro
fits
in
exch
ange
for
recr
uiti
ng n
ew m
embe
rs.
Pla
ns t
hat
prom
ise
prof
its
for
recr
uitm
ent
of m
embe
rs r
athe
r th
an f
orse
lling
goo
ds a
nd s
ervi
ces
are
illeg
al a
nd u
sual
ly c
olla
pse.
■ S
chol
arsh
ip S
cam
s:A
com
pany
gua
rant
ees
scho
lars
hip
mon
ey f
or a
n up
fron
t fe
e, b
ut i
t on
lyhe
lps
loca
te s
chol
arsh
ips
rath
er t
han
awar
ding
the
m.
■ Ch
arity
Sca
ms:
A n
atur
al d
isas
ter
is d
omin
atin
g th
e ne
ws
and
you
get
a le
tter
/em
ail/p
hone
cal
las
king
you
to
dona
te f
unds
to
help
its
vic
tims.
You
sen
d m
oney
, bu
t th
e vi
ctim
s ne
ver
rece
ive
your
dona
tion
or r
ecei
ve o
nly
a tin
y po
rtio
n—th
e re
st g
oes
to c
over
adm
inis
trat
ive
cost
s lik
e sa
larie
s.
■ B
ogus
Mer
chan
dise
Sal
es:Y
ou p
urch
ase
som
ethi
ng a
dver
tise
d fo
r sa
le o
n th
e In
tern
et o
r th
roug
ha
tele
mar
keti
ng c
all.
You
pay
for
the
mer
chan
dise
but
nev
er r
ecei
ve i
t or
rec
eive
an
infe
rior
or
coun
terf
eit
prod
uct
in i
ts p
lace
.
■ Te
leph
one
Cra
mm
ing:
Una
utho
rize
d ch
arge
s fo
r go
ods
or s
ervi
ces
appe
ar o
n yo
ur p
hone
bill
, bu
tyo
u m
iss
seei
ng t
hem
bec
ause
you
r ph
one
bill
is c
ompl
icat
ed w
ith
auth
oriz
ed c
harg
es s
uch
asvo
ice
mai
l an
d In
tern
et s
ervi
ce.
■ Te
leph
one
Sla
mm
ing:
Your
tel
epho
ne s
ervi
ce i
s sw
itch
ed f
rom
you
r cu
rren
t co
mpa
ny t
o an
othe
ron
e w
itho
ut y
our kn
owle
dge
or p
erm
issi
on, r
esul
ting
in h
ighe
r ch
arge
s fo
r lo
ng d
ista
nce
and
othe
rse
rvic
es.
Don’
t Be
Scam
med
!
Scam
s an
d sc
hem
es a
rea
crim
inal
’s “b
read
and
butte
r.” If
you
hav
e a
com
pute
r, a
tele
phon
e,or
a m
ailb
ox, y
ou c
ould
beco
me
a vic
tim.
steal your Social Security or account numbers and credit
card information. They may send you an email message
asking you to “update” your account information and
link you to a bogus website so they can steal your
personal information.
How To Prevent Identity Theft• Do not give out personal information over the phone,
through the mail, or over the Internet unless you have
initiated the contact or know with whom you’re dealing.
• Shred all documents, including preapproved credit
applications, insurance forms, bank checks and statements
you are discarding, and other financial information.
• Protect your computer from Internet intruders—use
“firewalls.” Also use anti-virus software and keep it
up-to-date.
• Create hard-to-guess passwords that cannot be found in
any dictionary. Select passwords with at least eight
characters and that include a mix of numbers and both
uppercase and lowercase letters.
• Minimize the identification information and the
number of cards you carry. Take only what you’ll
actually need.
• Do not put your Social Security number on your checks
or your credit receipts. If a business requests your Social
Security number, give an alternate number.
• Be careful when using ATM machines and long-distance
phone cards. Someone may look over your shoulder
and get your PIN numbers.
• Make a list of all your credit card account numbers
and bank account numbers with customer service
phone numbers, and keep it in a safe place.
• If you request a new credit card and it doesn’t arrive
in an appropriate period of time, call to make sure
someone has not filed a change of address for you.
• Never submit your credit card number to a website
unless it is encrypted on a secured site. Look at the
bottom of the screen for a padlock symbol. Do not
select to save your information on the site for future
transactions.
• Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with
creditors if bills don’t arrive on time. A missing credit
card bill could mean an identity thief has taken over
your credit account and changed your address.
• Cancel all credit cards you have not used in the last
six months.
• Order your credit report at least twice a year from the
three major credit bureaus: Equifax (www.equifax.com),
Experian (www.experian.com), and Trans Union
(www.transunion.com). The Fair Credit Reporting
Act allows you to get one free credit report from each
of the three major credit bureaus once per year. Visit
www.annualcreditreport.com.
• Correct all mistakes on your credit report in writing.
Send a letter to the credit reporting agency identifying
the problems item by item, include a copy of the credit
report, and send the letter return receipt requested.
In the course of the day you may write a check at the
drugstore, charge tickets to a concert, rent a car, call
home on your cell phone, or apply for a credit card.
Chances are you don’t give these routine transactions
a second thought. But others may.
Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America,
affecting half a million new victims each year.
Identity theft is the taking of a victim’s identity to obtain
credit and credit cards from banks and retailers, steal
money from a victim’s existing accounts, apply for
loans, establish accounts with utility companies, rent
an apartment, file for bankruptcy, or obtain a job using
the victim’s name. Thousands of dollars can be stolen
without the victim knowing about it for months or
even years.
How Identity Theft OccursAll an identity thief needs is any combination of your
Social Security number, birth date, address, and phone
number. This makes it possible to create a fake driver’s
license and then pose as you in order to apply for credit.
The identity thief might put in a change of address with
a credit card company so you will not know that someone
else is running up charges. Once an identity thief opens
one account, opening a second and a third is easier.
Identity thieves can get information about you from
doctors, lawyers, schools, health insurance carriers, and
other places. They may pick up your discarded personal
information, such as utility bills, credit card slips, and
bank statements. They may hack into your computer and
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