Scams, deceptive spam, and electronic identity theft

Attention! Your Visa/Mastercard/Ebay/PayPal/Bank/Credit Union/Mutual Fund account needs verification/is compromised/disabled!

You've probably seen subjects like these in email messages plenty of times before. They are all scams.

These particular scams are known as "phishing," which refers to attempts to acquire personal information such as credit card numbers, passwords and user names, credit card numbers, etc., through official-looking email messages and websites.

Legitimate financial institutions never send you notices over email to verify your account. You are likely to receive a postal notice from the institution should there really be a problem.

Never before have we been able to communicate as immediately and cheaply as we now can. Along with this new found electronic achievement, there are also new responsibilities. These personal responsibilities take the form of authentication, reliability, common sense, accuracy, and respect for others.

It is your responsibility to make judgments regarding these questions for each email you receive (or anything else you receive over the Internet):

1. Is this email from whom I think it is?
2. Is the information I receive reliable and accurate?
3. Is this email accurate in its content?

The above may be simple common sense, but common sense is not always followed. Always scrutinize everything you read (even from a reliable computer source like LSCR)! It is your responsibility to protect yourself and educate those around you of these best practices.

If you wish more information about scams, deceptive spam, and electronic identity theft, you may look at the FTC Privacy Initiatives at http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/privacyinitiatives/promises_educ.html. Or if you are unsure of the above, contact your LSCR consultant.

Why are there so many scams out there?

The Internet is an unregulated mechanism of communication and information gathering. You may find yourself presented with scams over the Internet in these ways:

1. Opening an email or email attachment with deceptive content.
2. Downloading and running a program that displays deceptive content.
3. Visiting a web page that displays deceptive content.

Identity theives attempting to steal your financial information are highly unlikely to be caught. It is your responsibility to be vigilant!

How do I protect myself from scams, deceptive spam, and electronic identity theft?

The simplest way is to not respond and delete the message. If you believe the message may be legitimate, you can contact the financial institution directly by telephone or visiting its website (by typing in the URL directly into your browser rather than by a clicking a link sent to you in an email). You can also forward the message in question to a trusted computer support team like LSCR. Never provide your personal information in the form of your Social Security number, bank account, check numbers, bank routing information, postal addresses, or credit card information.

Always, the best form of phishing protection is common sense and calm and informed communication with someone who is a computer expert like your LSCR consultant. We are always here to help you.