Protect Yourself....from Fraud

Some of you may remember that once upon a time I was a victim of bank fraud: approximately $5,000 was taken from our checking accounts; some a** went to multiple ATMs and withdrew hundreds of dollars at a time.   Fortunately, it was resolved, but it was still a horrible experience.

Then, a few months ago, we received a $2500 lens in the mail.  My parents have been known to order/have shipped presents and some businesses don't always list packages as a gift, so we weren't sure if it was an error or a gift.  We called my parents; they didn't send it.  My husband emailed the company and said, "We didn't order this.  Can you tell me who ordered it or how it was paid?"  The business said they were unable to do that.  !!??  Weird, right? We checked our credit card statements online.  Nothing had been posted.  

So we waited.  If we shipped it back, we'd lose $200 in shipping costs - for something we never ordered. 

The following week, one of our credit card bills came...with a $2500+ charge on it.  We called the credit card company to find out what we could do.  They said it sounded like fraud.  It often happens that a person will try to charge something as a test, but then they'll get locked out after the order was placed. They took the information, noted fraud, and contacted the company.

A detective later called my husband to get some information.  They found the person(s) who committed the fraud and was gathering evidence.

I think with the internet, these things happen more often.  Over the course of the past few years, I have learned a few tips about how to avoid being a victim of fraud or identity theft:

1. Obviously don't post your personal information online: full name, birthday, etc. 

2. Refrain from mentioning your exact birthday.  In a blog, it's easy to just say, "Today's my birthday.  I'm XX years old today."  From that, a person knows your exact date of birth.  On myspace, people generally have their birthdays up for everyone to see.  Mine is wrong...and as far as myspace knows, I am an elderly, aging senior over the age of 65. ;) haha.

3. When using an ATM machine, make sure NO ONE can see the card numbers or you pushing in the pin number - and I am not talking about just the people standing behind you.  There have been some reports of people using the zoon lens on camcorders from further away.

4. Phishing is a common practice.  NEVER, NEVER click onto a link from an email when it asks you to verify your account information, pin numbers, etc.  I have received numberous emails from so-called banks, stating that my accounts need verification.  The best ones are from banks I have never done business with.

5. Shred information with your full name and address on it.  Sure, it's a pain, but in the end, it could save you a lot more heartache.

For steps to take if you have been a victim of identity theft, check out this website:

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/idcrisis.shtm