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As mentioned in the previous topic, there are numerous ways that thieves commit fraud online to unsuspecting consumers. The following is an explanation of the most common online fraud schemes employed.
Fraudulent E-Mails & Fraudulent Websites
Every day thousands of people fall victim to e-mails requesting that you provide your personal information for a variety of reasons. Some fraudulent e-mails are extremely sophisticated and appear to come from businesses, banks, or online vendors that you trust. You may receive an e-mail that appears to be from a store where you shop, from e-Bay or PayPal, or even from your bank. These e-mails often claim that there has been a problem with your account and encourage you to log into your account to perform an action. A link to the business or bank is included in the e-mail, and when you click it you are taken to a website that appears to be what it claims to be. You enter your user name and password - and you've just been a victim of fraud.
The crime of sending e-mails that appear to be from a trusted source and that request you provide your personal information is called phishing. It can be very difficult to differentiate between a legitimate e-mail and a fraudulent one.
Scam e-mails claim thousands of victims every year as well. These e-mails often provide get-rich-quick schemes and can sometimes seem completely legitimate. If you receive e-mails from someone that you do not know stating that they will give you money if you help them, odds are it's a scam. Remember the old rule of thumb: if it seems too good to be true, it most likely is.
How to Protect Yourself: To protect yourself against phishing, never click on the links provided in e-mails that will take you to websites where you need to provide a username/password login or other personal information. Instead, when you receive an e-mail that requests that you log into your personal account, open your web browser yourself and manually type in the web address (URL) of the website you are being directed to. For example: if you receive an e-mail that appears to be from us that is requesting that you log into your Web Banking account, instead of clicking on any link in the e-mail, open your web browser and type www.harleysvillebank.com in the address bar yourself. This will ensure that there are no "hidden links" embedded in a fraudulent e-mail that would redirect you to a malicious website.
You should also never reply to any e-mail requesting your personal information - even if you are certain that the e-mail is from a trusted source. Standard e-mail can be hijacked and read by someone other than the intended recipient. Account numbers, credit card information, etc., can all fall into the wrong hands when sent via e-mail. Furthermore, most reputable businesses would never request that you provide account information, passwords, or credit card information via e-mail; a request for such information could mean that the requestor is fraudulent.
If you receive any other emails that promise to provide you with money if you provide money upfront - such as investment schemes or pleas for help from foreign countries - don't fall victim. If you do not know the sender, delete the message. For more information about many, many common online scams, visit the National Consumer's League's Internet Fraud Tips website.
Electronic Home Invasion
You take precautions to keep your home safe. You lock your doors, you do not let people in your home that you do not trust, maybe you even have a security system or other extra means of protection. You feel confident that your personal possessions and your personal information are safe - but are they? Think of all of the information that is stored on your computer. Every time you place an order online, or receive a bill or statement via e-mail, or even balance your checkbook using a program installed on your computer, you are storing your personal information on your hard drive. Don't be fooled into thinking that unless someone breaks into your home and steals your computer that it is secure. Electronic thieves have numerous ways of getting onto personal computers to steal as much data as they can:
Hacking: Hackers are thieves who find ways to break into your computer from a remote location. Just as you are able to send information out on your computer (such as via e-mail), skilled hackers can find ways into your computer. Once there they will steal your files with all of your personal information, and in many cases you will never even know they were there.
Worms & Viruses: Be careful to protect your computer against worms & viruses proliferated by e-mails and some websites. Some worms & viruses work to open up your computer to hackers who will then gain access to your personal files and information.
File Sharing/File Swapping Services: There are many services on the web that allow you to download music, video, or other files and encourage you to "share" your drives so that others can download these files from you as well. Not only are many of these violations of copyright law, but they are often fronts for identity thieves that are getting you to open up your computer for others to gain access. Only sign up for file sharing services that you know and trust - or better yet - don't use these services at all or do not permit sharing of your computer.
How to Protect Yourself: Owning and using a computer and the Internet does not have to be a risky venture. Take the following precautions and you can keep your data safe:
- Install a personal firewall on your computer - especially if you have high-speed internet access that is "always on" such cable, DSL, fiberoptic lines, T1 lines, etc. Firewalls are essentially deadbolt locks on your computer that prevent anyone from the outside coming in without your permission.
- Always, always make sure you have reliable anti-virus software installed on your computer AND you set it to automatically update or perform very regular updates to your software (daily is best, but at least weekly).
- Install anti-spyware software on your computer and run it at least weekly to clear any spyware that has been installed without your knowledge.
- Install all security patches and updates provided by your operating system. Make sure your computer is set to automatically receive these updates and install them.
- Password-protect any files that contain sensitive data, if possible. Choose passwords that are difficult to guess. Never use passwords like birthdates, children's names, pet's names, simple words, etc. - these are too easy to guess. Try to use passwords that are a combination of letters (upper and lowercase) and numbers.
- When visiting websites that you do not know, be careful where you click. Agreeing to install software that you do not trust may be an invitation for a virus to be installed. Some websites launch pop-up windows one after another after another, and these pop-ups can contain links that will install malicious spyware or viruses. The hope is that as you are trying to close these windows one after another you may accidentally click in a window "permitting" the installation. Consider running pop-up blocker software to prevent this.
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