Outsmart Scammers: Protect Yourself From Online Crimes

We tell kids how dangerous it can be to share too much online, but adults are no exception. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) statistics show almost 675,000 cases of fraud and identity theft last year with losses of over $1 billion. How are you safeguarding yourself against being included in these statistics? By sharing personal information—through online banking, shopping, auctions and even online dating—we become vulnerable.

Online, we’re never as anonymous as we think, so we should always be careful with what we willingly share. You might feel you know everything about someone after having chatted for a few weeks. But how can you be sure the person you are talking to is really who they say they are? Here are a couple of tips from the FTC to help protect yourself online:

• Protect your social security number. Don’t carry it in your wallet, and only give it out when absolutely necessary.
• Treat your mail carefully. Don’t leave sensitive mail in an unsecured mailbox; shred all documents with personal information before throwing in the trash.
• Be on guard when you’re online. Don’t be overly trusting of people you meet online. Avoid offers that seem too good to be true, don’t send personal information across unsecured sites & don’t click links from your email.
• Choose secure passwords. Avoid using easily available information like your mothers maiden name or your birthday.

The web is an incredibly useful tool, but you should be smart about how you use it. Know just how easy it could be for a bad guy to follow just one seemingly innocuous bit of information that leads them down a path to all the details of your private life. Check out the FTC’s site for some more tips and resources for protecting your identity. Also check out the US Postal Inspection Service, their site offers plenty of great resources, including victim stories and a FAQ section that can help you learn how to be on guard against online crime.