| Beware of e-mail scams this holiday season
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Just in time for Cyber Monday and the online holiday shopping rush, high-tech Grinches are cranking up their fraud attacks with a new round of bogus e-mail, identity-theft experts say.Have you won $2 million in a Christmas sweepstakes held by Coca-Cola in the United Kingdom? Can you make big bucks just by cashing checks for an Irish researcher, Chinese exporter or rich oil consultant in Dubai? Is there a problem with your account at Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, eBay or PayPal?No. But you might think so if you fall for some of the recent e-mail scams infesting the Internet.And they always peak this time of year, as millions of shoppers spend more time on the Web. Online shopping has grown at a double-digit pace in recent years. More than 70 million are expected to surf the Web this year for presents.“We do see e-mail and phone scams picking up during the holiday season," said Linda Foley, executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a watchdog group based in San Diego.
New bill boosts war on identity theft
The federal government took a landmark step toward battling the explosion of identity theft by introducing legislation yesterday making it illegal to collect personal documents belonging to others in order to commit fraud. Under the new bill, part of the government's toughened fall law-and-order agenda, it will become a crime in Canada to obtain, possess or traffic another person's passport, credit cards, drivers licence or other identity documents for the purpose of committing fraud. The legislation is meant to close a gap in the Criminal Code. While it's currently illegal to commit fraud with another person's credit card or other personal information, police have no ability to take action against criminal rings collecting documents belonging to others. That gap has severely hindered the ability of police to catch criminals who engage in identity theft and related fraud, because such crimes are often perpetrated electronically or over the Internet by large groups that the police have difficulty tracking down.
SupportSoft Helps Protect TalkTalk Customers Against Wireless Fraud
Households with unsecured wireless Internet make up around half of total wireless broadband users in the UK(1). Those without proper security on their network are vulnerable not only to piggy-backing, but to hackers who can access bank details, passwords and personal information. Consequences of these actions include identity theft as well as unauthorised spending on credit and debit cards. SupportSoft's SmartAccess(TM) software is rescuing wireless Internet users by automatically setting up their home security configurations, thereby minimising their exposure to fraud. .
'Tis the Season for Financial Crimes Against Seniors
Not everyone is full of goodwill during the holidays. Unfortunately, the holidays are a prime time for financial crimes like identity theft, robbery and fraud -- and seniors are often the target."Consumers are reminded to shred, sign up, suppress and be sensitive," says Steve J. Bernas, President/CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois. To safeguard against financial crimes this holiday season the Chicago Better Business Bureau offers these timely tips for seniors and those who care for them:-- Hang on to your personal information. Do not give any personal information over the phone or Internet to an unfamiliar company or caller. This includes your credit card numbers, but also the credit card expiration date, your Social Security number, driver's license number, bank account numbers, and personal information, such as your mother's maiden name.
E-mail scams greet the season
Just in time for Cyber Monday and the online holiday shopping rush, high-tech Grinches are cranking up their fraud attacks with a new round of bogus e-mail, identity-theft experts say. Have you won $2 million in a Christmas sweepstakes held by Coca-Cola in the United Kingdom? Can you make big bucks just by cashing checks for an Irish researcher, Chinese exporter or rich oil consultant in Dubai? Is there a problem with your account at Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, eBay or PayPal? No. But you might think so if you fall for some of the recent e-mail scams infesting the Internet. And they always peak this time of year, as millions of shoppers spend more time on the Web. "We do see e-mail and phone scams picking up during the holiday season," said Linda Foley, executive director of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a watchdog group based in San Diego.
Web scams can bring holiday headaches
Just in time for Cyber Monday and the online holiday-shopping rush, high-tech Grinches are cranking up their fraud attacks with a new round of bogus e-mail, identity-theft experts say.
Have you won $2 million in a Christmas sweepstakes held by Coca-Cola in the United Kingdom? Can you make big bucks just by cashing checks for an Irish researcher, Chinese exporter or rich oil consultant in Dubai? Is there a problem with your account at Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, eBay or PayPal?
No. But you might think so if you fall for some of the recent e-mail scams infesting the Internet.
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