Threats to your Identity
While using a computer and the internet cannot be made completely safe, there are a number of things that you can do to make it much, much safer. Here are the threats that are out there these days:
- Phishing. You get an e-mail that appears to be from your bank or an online service, most often PayPal or eBay, instructing you to click on a link and provide information to verify your account.
- Pharming or spoofing. Hackers redirect a legitimate Web site's traffic to an impostor site, where you'll be asked to provide confidential information
- Smishing. This is phishing done with text messaging on your smart phone. It instructs you to visit a bogus Web site.
- Spyware. You've unknowingly downloaded illicit software when you've opened an attachment, clicked on a pop-up or downloaded a song or a game. Criminals can use spyware to record your keystrokes and obtain credit card numbers, bank-account information and passwords when you make purchases or conduct other business online. They also can access confidential information on your hard drive.
You don't need to have a computer to become a victim. (See "How safe is your financial information?")
- Vishing -- voice phishing. You get an automated phone message asking you to call your bank or credit card company. Even your caller ID is fooled. You call the number and are asked to punch in your account number, PIN or other personal information (See "Your phone may be under attack.")
- ATM skimming. Crooks use a combination of a fake ATM slot and cameras to record your account information and PIN when you use a cash machine.
- Crooks will steal your wallet, or go through your mail or trash.
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