Phishing
Tips on how to avoid the Internet scam known as phishing.
- If you receive an unexpected e-mail saying your account will
be shut down unless you confirm your billing information, do not
reply or click any links in the e-mail body.
- Before submitting financial information through a Web site,
look for the "lock" icon on the browser's status bar. It means
your information is secure during transmission.
- If you are uncertain about the information, contact the
company through an address or telephone number you know to be
genuine.
- If you unknowingly supplied personal or financial
information, contact your bank and credit card company
immediately.
- Suspicious e-mail can be forwarded to
uce@ftc.gov, and complaints
should be filed with the state attorney general's office or
through the FTC at
redirect.php?link=http://www.ftc.gov.
Identity Theft
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally
identifying information, like your name, Social Security number,
or credit card number, without your permission, to commit fraud or
other crimes.
The FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have
their identities stolen each year. In fact, you or someone you
know may have experienced some form of identity theft.
Deter identity thieves by safeguarding your information.
- Shred documents with personal information before discarding
- Don’t give out your Social Security number or other personal
information unless you know who you’re dealing with
Detect suspicious activity by routinely monitoring your
financial accounts and billing statements.
- Inspect your credit reports, financial statements and bills
regularly for activity you did not authorize or expect
Defend against ID theft as soon as you suspect it.
- Place a “Fraud Alert” on your credit reports
- Close the affected accounts
- File a police report
- Report ID theft to the FTC
Learn more... click the "Play" button below and watch a
10-minute educational video that provides an overview of identity
theft and outlines the steps consumers can take.
For more information, visit
ftc.gov/idtheft |
