card - Blog - Global Risk Community2024-03-29T06:38:24Zhttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/cardGift Cards: The Newest Scam that You Should Be Aware ofhttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/gift-cards-the-newest-scam-that-you-should-be-aware-of2019-10-27T13:34:19.000Z2019-10-27T13:34:19.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>Hackers are making a lot of money thanks to phishing attacks these days, and now they are also focusing on gift card scams. One of the most notorious scam groups, Scarlet Widow, which is out of Nigeria, has been boosting its efforts to scam people with gift cards since 2015. This group generally focuses on people in the UK and US and also is known for tax scams, romance scams, and rental cons.</p><p><img src="https://safr.me/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/iovation-cyber.png" alt="" width="300" height="227" align="right" /></p><p>Are you at risk of getting scammed by Scarlet Widow? The group generally focuses on medium to large US businesses and nonprofits including the United Way, Boy Scouts of American, and YMCA chapter. The scammers send emails to employees of these organizations, and though most people understand that the emails are, indeed, scams, it only takes one person to put your organization at risk.</p><p><strong>The Targets</strong></p><p>From November 2017 to the present, Scarlet Widow has targeted thousands of nonprofits and individuals. It also targets the education industry and tax industry. Scarlet Widow only succeeds by getting access to these organizations’ email accounts. They might put malware in the emails or use malicious phishing links. Either way, eventually, these people are going to be able to scam the organizations.</p><p><strong>The Scam</strong></p><p>Though traditional phishing scams work for Scarlet Widow, it is really focusing on the gift card scam these days. In October 2018, more than a quarter of people who have been scammed during the year said that they were victims of a gift card scam. Scammers love these because they can get the cash quickly, they can be anonymous, and it’s very difficult to reverse. All the scammers have to do is convince someone to buy a gift card, then send them a photo, and they can take the money that is on there.</p><p>Scarlet Widow generally focuses on Google Play and iTunes gift cards, but other scammers will ask for cards from places like Target, Walgreens, or CVS. You might think it sounds strange that these people could con others into paying for business services with gift cards but remember…these scammers are experts at manipulation. They will certainly come up with some story with a sense of urgency, and people fall for it all of the time. For instance, there was an administrator in Australia who sent a scammer $1,800 in iTunes gift cards. The email she got seemed as if it was from the head of the finance department, so she believed it was legitimate. However, it was just a scammer.</p><p>A <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://safr.me/actnow/">security awareness training</a> financial advisor client of mine was conned too. Actually it was his assistant. She received an email that looked like it was coming from him requesting 5 $500.00 Apple gift cards to send to their top 5 clients. She went right out to Walgreens, bought 5 cards and the instructions were to scratch off back to reveal the codes and email pictures of the cards and codes back to him. Which she did. And then the scammers disappeared.</p><p>Though there are limitations to scammers using gift cards, these nefarious groups will use any method they can think of to get more money funneling in. So, if you ever get a request from a contractor or organization leader asking for a gift card, use an extreme amount of caution.</p><p>ROBERT SICILIANO CSP, is a #1 Best Selling Amazon author, CEO <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://creditparent.com/" target="_blank">CreditParent.com</a>, the architect of the <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://protectnowllc.com/" target="_blank">CSI Protection</a> certification; a Cyber Social and Identity Protection <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://safr.me/actnow/" target="_blank">security awareness training</a> program.</p></div>WARNING: You or Your Members Could be Targets of List Scamshttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/warning-you-or-your-members-could-be-targets-of-list-scams2019-05-23T17:15:55.000Z2019-05-23T17:15:55.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>There are scammers out there targeting conference exhibitors and attendee. What are they looking for? Credit card numbers, money wires and personal information that they can use to steal identities. One of the ways that scammers get this information is by using invitation or list scams. Basically, if you are registered for a conference, speaking at a conference, a conference vendor or just “in the business”, you might get an email…or several emails…that invite you to a conference or offer to sell you a list of attendees, and their contact information, which may be beneficial to you…but is it too good to be true? Definitely.</p><p><img src="https://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/scam.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" align="right" /></p><p><strong>These Lists are Lies</strong></p><p>Along with conference invitation scams, many associations are targets of list scams. A quick search of “<a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Attendee+List+Sales+Scam&oq=Attendee+List+Sales+Scam&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60.1385j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8">Attendee List Sales Scam</a>” pulls up numerous associations whose members and anyone interested in marketing to these members are being targeted by criminals to purchase non-existent lists.</p><p>Though it might sound great to get a list of all attendees of a conference, including their contact information, you might be surprised to know that these lists are lies. On top of that, getting this information might not even be legal.</p><p>Think about it for a second. When you signed up for a conference, did you choose to opt-in to have your personal information shared with others? Probably not, and that also means that most of the other attendees did not do this either.</p><p>To find out if the list is possibly legit, take a look at the show’s policies. Do they give information to third parties? Do they rent or sell lists of attendees? Is the name of the company that contacted you on the list of their third-party vendors? If this checks out, the list could be legitimate. If not, it’s probably a lie.</p><p>If you think you are dealing with a liar, the first thing you should do is plug the company that contacted you into the Better Business Bureau’s website. If it is a scam, you should certainly see information proving that. If not, but you aren’t interested, just unsubscribe. If you think that you are dealing with a scammer, don’t reply or even unsubscribe. Instead, just delete the email and don’t take any action. Many of these scammers are simply looking for active email addresses.</p><p><strong>More Conference Invitation Scams</strong></p><p>Another scam involves telling attendees about exhibitors that don’t even exist. This can push you into wanting to sign up for the conference, but in reality, the conference, itself, might not even exist, and in this case, you could just be giving your hard-earned money to a scammer.</p><p>So, if you find yourself in this situation, the first thing you want to do is research. One step is to look up the person who contacted you online, such as on LinkedIn, and see if they are who they say they are. Another thing to do is to contact the conference venue and ask if the event is being held there. You can also check the contract for refund or cancellation information. You also should do some research about the reputation of the contactor company. Finally, always make sure that you pay for any conference with a credit card. This way, with zero liability policy’s, you can get your money back, and every legitimate conference company is happy to accept credit cards.</p><p><strong>But Wait…There’s More</strong></p><p>Another scam associated with trade shows and conferences is to contact attendees about hotel reservations, but once you pay…it’s all a scam. Usually, these scammers will contact the attendees and say that they represent the hotel for the conference. They will tell you that rates are significantly rising or that it is sold out, so you must act immediately…however, they will say that they need the full amount up front.</p><p>When in doubt about this type of scam, you should always contact the trade show organizers yourself, and then ask who the booking rep is. You should also give them the name of the company that you believe is scamming you so they can advise others of the scam.</p><p><strong>Know Your Options</strong></p><ul><li>It is very important when you are signed up to present or attend a conference that you only engage with the company that is running the conference</li><li>If in doubt, confirm with the company that the offers from third-party claims are correct.</li><li>You can also get an official exhibitor list of official vendors.</li><li>Keep in mind that these legitimate companies might have your personal information, but they would not release your personal contact information with third-parties.</li><li>Some exhibitors might get the mailing address of attendees, which you can opt out of. Most of this is harmless, of course, but that doesn’t mean that all of these lists are.</li></ul><p><strong>Wi-Fi Hacks</strong></p><p>Finally, you want to watch out for wi-fi hacking. This is a common scam for conference goers. When you attend a conference or trade show, you probably just expect that you will get free wi-fi, right? This allows you to take care of business and ensure that your booth runs smoothly. Hackers know this, of course, so they set up nearby and create fake networks. Once you connect to these networks, they can come into your device, take your information, and even watch everything you are doing online.</p><p>Keep in mind that these fake networks look remarkably similar to the legitimate networks set up by the conference. So, always double check before connecting, and if you are ever in doubt, make sure to ask one of the conference or trade show organizers. They can confirm that you are on the right network. There are always going to be scammers out there, especially when you are attending a trade show or conference. There are just too many opportunities for scams, and they can’t say no. Fortunately, by following the advice above and by reporting any suspicious activity, you can not only make sure that you, yourself aren’t falling for these scams, but also help others to not fall for this type of nefarious scheme.</p><p><a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://safr.me/meet-robert/" target="_blank">Robert Siciliano</a> personal security and <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://safr.me/blog/2018/03/16/identity-theft-advice/" target="_blank">identity theft expert</a> and speaker is the author of <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://www.amazon.com/Identity-Theft-Privacy-Protection-Prevention-ebook/dp/B07FT67BMC/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1535732363&sr=1-3&keywords=Robert+Siciliano&dpID=51hWnD29JtL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch" target="_blank">Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud</a>. See him knock’em dead in this <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://youtu.be/2m3Ra6ROPeA" target="_blank">Security Awareness Training</a> video.</p></div>PAN Card Tracking Procedure: How to check PAN Card Statushttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/pan-card-tracking-procedure-how-to-check-pan-card-status2019-01-11T06:07:26.000Z2019-01-11T06:07:26.000ZJatin Kapoorhttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/JatinKapoor<div><h2>What is a PAN card?</h2><p>A PAN (Permanent Account Number) is a 10 Digit AlphaNumeric number. The pattern of a PAN number is first 5 are the alphabets than the next four number and 1 alphabet (AAAAA1111A). It is mandated by the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) and the Government of India for every individual, company, firm or trust to present the PAN card in front of the bank while opening the bank account. A PAN card is a necessary document for tracking the status of financial transactions related to <a href="http://legalraasta.com/income-tax-return"><span>ITR filing</span></a>. Also, it is vital for <a href="https://www.legalraasta.com/private-limited-company-registration/"><span>company registration procedure</span></a> in order to keep a track of tax payments made by businesses who have enrolled themselves under the <a href="http://taxraahi.com/gst"><span>GST registration</span></a> procedure .</p><h2><span>What is the validity of PAN Card?</span></h2><p>A PAN card is valid for lifetime. Also, PAN card is never gets affected by the changes made in the address of the individual, company, firm or trust as no address is mentioned on the PAN card.</p><h2>How to track a PAN Card?</h2><p>Once the application is accepted a acknowledgement number is provided to each applicant. The application can be tracked via various means. These includes:</p><ol><li><u>Tracking through SMS:</u><br />Any individual can track its PAN card application anytime using the SMS facility on their mobile. They just need to send SMS to 57575. The should contain <span>NSDLPAN</span> followed by your15 acknowledgment number. It should be like "<span>NSDLPAN 123456789012345</span>".</li><li><u>Track PAN application on call:</u><br />Any individual can track their PAN application on call. They need to call TIN Call center at +91-20-2721-8080. The customer care will ask for the 15 digit application number, name and Date of birth as mentioned in the application.</li><li><u>Track application online:</u><br />Any individual having access to the internet can track its PAN card application. They just need a device and their PAN card application number and follow these steps</li><li>Visit the official <a href="https://tin.tin.nsdl.com/pantan/StatusTrack.html"><span>PAN card tracking website</span></a></li><li>Select application as PAN - New/Change Request</li><li>Enter the digit acknowledgment number</li><li>Press submit. However, there is another online method to track the PAN card application. Follow these steps to track application online:</li></ol><p> </p><p>Step 1 – Visit the <a href="https://tin.tin.nsdl.com/pantan/StatusTrack.html_bkp24052013"><span>TIN website</span></a></p><p> Step 2 - Click on the name option.</p><p>Step 3 - fill in all the information as asked(Please note this information should be same as details mentioned int he PAN Application). These details should be the applicants' First name, Middle name and Last name</p><p>Step 4 - Fill in the Date of Birth. This details should be the same as it was filed by the applicant for PAn card application.</p><p>Step 5 - Click Submit.</p><p>This article has been contributed by <strong>Gaurav Rawat</strong><strong> </strong>who is a content writer with <a href="https://www.legalraasta.com/">LegalRaasta</a>. <strong>Legal Raasta</strong> is an online portal that assists companies and startups with <a href="https://www.legalraasta.com/private-limited-company-registration/">Company registration</a>, <a href="http://legalraasta.com/fssai-license">FSSAI Registration</a>, <a href="https://www.legalraasta.com/nbfc-registration/">NBFC Registration</a>, <a href="https://legalraasta.com/iso-registration/">ISO Certification</a> and <a href="https://www.legalraasta.com/income-tax-return/">ITR filing</a>.</p><p><br /></p></div>Should You Worry About Contactless Credit Card NFC Skimminghttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/should-you-worry-about-contactless-credit-card-nfc-skimming2019-01-09T15:42:57.000Z2019-01-09T15:42:57.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>If you have a contactless card, you might have worries about skimming. A contactless card or “frictionless” or “tap and go” is a card that has technology in it that allows payment over secure wireless like Apple Pay, Android Pay etc. Basically, this is where a criminal literally digitally pickpockets you by scanning things like your debit card or passport. What’s scary about this is that anyone can get an app for their phone that will allow them to skim. Is there protection for this? Maybe.</p><p><img src="https://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/credit-card-hackers.png" alt="" width="300" height="200" align="right" /></p><p>But before you freak out, you probably don’t even have a contactless card. Very few cards deployed in the USA are contactless, so that sleeve you use doesn’t protect you from anything. Now if you are overseas or even in Canada, then look at your card and if there is a WiFi looking logo on there, you have contactless.</p><p>The way that the bad guys skim this information is by using RFID, or radio-frequency identification. There are RFID signal jammers out there, but the question is this: do they work and are they necessary?</p><p><strong>RFID Signal Blockers</strong></p><p>If you put some time into it, you will find a number of RFID signal blockers on the market. Some of these are small and slip right into your wallet. Others are passport sized. There are also RFID signal blocker wallets on the market.</p><p><strong>The Test</strong></p><p>A blogger recently put these RFID signal blockers to the test…on the London Underground, one of the most crowded places in the world, especially during rush hour. He set up the test by asking one person to place a debit card in their pocket, and then another person used a mobile phone with an RFID signal scanner. The result was that the phone could scan and record the number on the debit card and the expiration date, simply by holding the phone really close to the pocket.</p><p>The blogger took the test a step further and tried to block these signals with RFID blocking technology. Even though the experiment was very unscientific, the blogger found that the blocker stopped the skimming.</p><p><strong>Protecting Yourself</strong></p><p>There are some things you can do to protect yourself from this. First, check your passport. It should have a chip in it. This chip is in all US passport that have been released since 2007. Now, someone can still take information from your passport using RFID skimming, but they have to actually be on the page where the photo is, and it’s pretty rare that they would have access to that.</p><p>You can also use a shielding device. They can certainly work, and some people have even found great results by using tinfoil. This will further help to protect your accounts.</p><p>Finally, even if you are using an RFID shielding device, make sure that you are checking your statements for anything suspicious. This is especially the case if you often find yourself in crowded places, like the subway.</p><p><a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://safr.me/meet-robert/" target="_blank">Robert Siciliano</a> personal security and <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://safr.me/blog/2018/03/16/identity-theft-advice/" target="_blank">identity theft expert</a> and speaker is the author of <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://www.amazon.com/Identity-Theft-Privacy-Protection-Prevention-ebook/dp/B07FT67BMC/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1535732363&sr=1-3&keywords=Robert+Siciliano&dpID=51hWnD29JtL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch" target="_blank">Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud</a>. See him knock’em dead in this <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://youtu.be/2m3Ra6ROPeA" target="_blank">Security Awareness Training</a> video.</p></div>Protect Yourself From Gift Card Scamshttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/protect-yourself-from-gift-card-scams2018-12-06T14:37:48.000Z2018-12-06T14:37:48.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>So maybe Christmas now means the very predictable gift card swap, but hey, who <em>can’t</em> use a gift card? But beware, there are a ton of scams. This includes physical, not just digital, gift cards.</p><p><img src="https://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/11D.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="228" align="right" /></p><p>Regardless of who gave you the card, you should always practice security measures. Below are two common ways that fraudsters operate.</p><p><strong>Transform Gift Card to Cash Twice.</strong></p><p>If someone gives you a $200 gift card to an electronics store and then it’s stolen, you technically have lost money, as this is the same as someone stealing a wad of cash from your pocket.</p><p>Nevertheless, you’ll feel the loss just as much. Crooks who steal gift cards have numerous ways of using them.</p><ul><li>Joe Thief has plans on buying a $200 item with your stolen gift card from your gym locker.</li><li>But first he places an ad for the card online, pricing it at a big discount of $130 saying he doesn’t need anything, he just needs money.</li><li>Someone out there spots this deal and sends Joe the money via PayPal or Venmo.</li><li>Joe then uses the $200 gift card to buy an item and sells it on eBay</li><li>And he just netted $130 on selling a stolen gift card that he never shipped.</li></ul><p><strong>Infiltration of Online Gift Card Accounts</strong></p><p>Joe Thief might also use a computer program called a botnet to get into an online gift card account.</p><ul><li>You must log into your gift card account with characters.</li><li>Botnets also log into these accounts. Botnets are sent by Joe Thief to randomly guess your login characters with a brute force attack: a computerized creation of different permutations of numbers and letters – by the millions in a single attack.</li><li>The botnet just might get a hit – yours.</li></ul><p><strong>Here’s How to Protect Yourself</strong></p><ul><li>Be leery of deals posted online, in magazines or in person that seem too good to be true and are not advertised by reputable retailers.</li><li>Buy gift cards straight from the source.</li><li>Don’t buy gift cards at high traffic locations, at which it’s easier for Joe to conceal his tampering.</li><li>Change the card’s security code.</li><li>Create long and jumbled usernames and passwords to lessen the chance of a brute force hit.</li><li>The moment you suspect fraudulent activity, report it to the retailer.</li><li>Spend the card right away.</li></ul><p><a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://safr.me/meet-robert/" target="_blank">Robert Siciliano</a> personal security and <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://safr.me/blog/2018/03/16/identity-theft-advice/" target="_blank">identity theft expert</a> and speaker is the author of <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://www.amazon.com/Identity-Theft-Privacy-Protection-Prevention-ebook/dp/B07FT67BMC/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1535732363&sr=1-3&keywords=Robert+Siciliano&dpID=51hWnD29JtL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch" target="_blank">Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud</a>. See him knock’em dead in this <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://youtu.be/2m3Ra6ROPeA" target="_blank">Security Awareness Training</a> video.</p></div>How to Protect You Frequent Flier Miles NOWhttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/how-to-protect-you-frequent-flier-miles-now2018-11-29T13:00:00.000Z2018-11-29T13:00:00.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>Social Security numbers and credit card numbers are not the only types of data that hackers are after. Now, they are looking at frequent flyer accounts, and they are stealing reward miles, and then selling them online.</p><p><strong><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-15988" src="https://safr.me/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/card-got-stolen-300x242.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="242" /></strong></p><p><strong>How do Hackers Steal Frequent Flyer Miles?</strong></p><p>As with other types of ID theft, hackers use info that they have illegally obtained to access frequent flyer accounts. With more data breaches happening than ever before, hundreds of millions of records are exposed, and thus, hackers have great access to the personal info they need to get into these accounts.</p><p><strong>What do Hackers Do with Frequent Flyer Miles?</strong></p><p>It is hard for hackers to use these miles on their own because often, the travel has to be booked in the name of the owner. However, it is very easy to transfer these miles to other accounts or to use the miles to purchase other rewards. Usually, no ID is needed for a transfer like this. This is also difficult to track because hackers use the dark web and VPNs to remain anonymous.</p><p>Hackers also sell these miles, and they catch a pretty penny. For airlines like British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Delta, they can get hundreds, or even thousands of dollars for their work.</p><p>In addition to transferring these miles from one account to another, hackers are also selling the account’s login information. Once someone buys this, they can now get into the owner’s account and do what they want with the miles.</p><p><strong>Protecting Your Frequent Flyer Miles</strong></p><p>There are some things that you can do to protect your frequent flyer miles. You should check your frequent flyer accounts regularly using your airlines mobile app. Change all your airline passwords and never re-use passwords and set up a different password for each account.</p><p>Other things that you can do include the following:</p><ul><li>Protect your personal information by making sure every online account has a unique and difficult to guess password.</li><li>Use a dark web scan. This will show you if any personal information is out on the dark web.</li><li>If you do find that your miles have been stolen, it also is probable that your personal information has been compromised, too. Monitor your credit report and check it often for anything that looks odd. This is a big sign of an issue.</li></ul><p><a href="https://safr.me/meet-robert/" target="_blank">Robert Siciliano</a> personal security and <a href="https://safr.me/blog/2018/03/16/identity-theft-advice/" target="_blank">identity theft expert</a> and speaker is the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Identity-Theft-Privacy-Protection-Prevention-ebook/dp/B07FT67BMC/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1535732363&sr=1-3&keywords=Robert+Siciliano&dpID=51hWnD29JtL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch" target="_blank">Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud</a>. See him knock’em dead in this <a href="https://youtu.be/2m3Ra6ROPeA" target="_blank">Security Awareness Training</a> video.</p></div>A "Credit Profile Number" is a fake SSN, and it Workshttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/a-credit-profile-number-is-a-fake-ssn-and-it-works2018-09-12T15:22:24.000Z2018-09-12T15:22:24.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>Cyber criminals are constantly trying to stay one step ahead of the good guys, and there is now another scam out there that you should know about: synthetic identity theft. Basically, the criminals take information from someone, and then make up the rest. They also often use fake Social Security numbers, called CPNs, or “credit profile numbers,” or names.</p><p><img src="https://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/us-credit-card-fraud.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" align="right" /></p><p>This type of identity theft shows us that our credit system is more vulnerable than we might think. Basically, it is easy to create a credit file on these identities, and once they have that, they can get a credit card or loan.</p><p>Of course, using a CPN like this on an application for credit card or loan is illegal, but lenders currently don’t have a conclusive way of distinguishing a real Social Security number from one of these fake ones. The Social Security Administration generates SSNs randomly. This makes it difficult for a lender to notice a fake one. Technically, a lender can contact the SSA and cross-check, but most of them don’t. Why? Because the SSA requires a handwritten signature from the person who has that SSN, and this is a pain in the neck for lenders.</p><p>So, of course, the best thing to do is to create a way for lenders to instantly check to see if a Social Security number is valid or not, and as of now, they do not have the capacity to do this. Lenders do, however, use their own fraud-detection tools, but these requests for credit still fall through the cracks.</p><p>This practice also has created more open windows for fraudsters, because they know that the system is vulnerable. It’s true that many lenders won’t accept a credit application from someone with no history of borrowing, which is the case with a CPN, but some still do, and the more activity the file sees, the more likely it is that credit will be given. Once credit is approved, a full credit report is created. Though it likely won’t be a high amount of credit, many lenders take a chance on new borrowers, and at a minimum, extend a couple of hundred dollars. Some people will even get a card that has, say a $300 limit, and use the card for a time. Once they establish a good payment history, they can get a credit increase, and that’s where the fun really begins.</p><p>This is just one more scam that you should be aware of, and one more reason to keep your private and personal information safe.</p><p><a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://safr.me/meet-robert/" target="_blank">Robert Siciliano</a> personal security and <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://safr.me/blog/2018/03/16/identity-theft-advice/" target="_blank">identity theft expert</a> and speaker is the author of <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://www.amazon.com/Identity-Theft-Privacy-Protection-Prevention-ebook/dp/B07FT67BMC/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1535732363&sr=1-3&keywords=Robert+Siciliano&dpID=51hWnD29JtL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=srch" target="_blank">Identity Theft Privacy: Security Protection and Fraud Prevention: Your Guide to Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft and Computer Fraud</a>. See him knock’em dead in this <a style="color:#f30e0e;" href="https://youtu.be/2m3Ra6ROPeA" target="_blank">Security Awareness Training</a> video.</p></div>Your Social Security Card Gets Stolen: Now What?https://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/your-social-security-card-gets-stolen-now-what2018-01-04T15:14:03.000Z2018-01-04T15:14:03.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>You might be shocked to know that when Social Security numbers were first given in the 1930s, the intention was never to use them as a form of identification. However, most of us use our Social Security numbers all of the time, from doing transactions at the bank to visiting our doctor’s office.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/internet.jpg" alt="" width="325" height="198" align="right" /></p><p>You need your SSN to apply for jobs, to open credit cards, and even to marry the love of your life. Since we use this number of often, what happens if you lose your card, it gets stolen or it’s leaked in a big data breach? Here’s what to do:</p><p><strong>Contact the 3 Credit Bureaus –</strong> The first thing you should do is to contact one of the three major credit monitoring bureaus. You have to put a fraud alert on your credit report. By doing this, a lender or creditor uses much stricter guidelines when they receive an application for credit. These alerts only last for 90 days, but you can also get an extension when that 90 days passes. But there’s better:</p><p><strong>Freeze Your Credit –</strong> Another step that is even more secure is to freeze your credit. When this happens, you can’t use your credit to open a line of credit or refinance until you go through a simple “thaw” or unfreeze process. Keep your credit frozen for the remainder of your life and thaw when needed.</p><p><strong>Get Identity Theft Protection –</strong> Also, consider getting identity theft protection. This might be a bit of an investment for some people, but it also ensures that someone is monitoring your credit all day, every day. These experts can also quickly get you back on track if your identity is stolen.</p><p><strong>Watch Your Credit –</strong> If 90 days has passed, and you don’t see anything strange on your credit report, that doesn’t mean that you are safe. Thieves can use your information in other ways, too, so you should continue to watch your credit report. You can get a free credit report each year at AnnualCreditReport.com</p><p><strong>Use Caution When Online –</strong> Finally, make sure that you are being careful when browsing the internet. Cybercriminals are sneaky, and people fall for their tricks quite often. Here are some things to keep in mind:</p><ul><li>Don’t click on any link you get in an email. This is the case even if you believe that it’s from someone you know. Unless you’ve just signed up for a website and you need to confirm your email address.</li><li>Don’t open any email that is in the spam folder.</li><li>Don’t open any email that has a subject line that is exaggerated or sensational.</li><li>If you can use two-factor authentication with your online accounts, you should.</li><li>Use an antivirus program, anti-malware software, and a firewall.</li><li>Create a different password for each account. Make sure they are difficult to remember and stay away from those containing your name, date of birth, or even 123456.</li><li>Use a password manager.</li><li>Shred your personal documents before throwing them in the garbage. This is especially important if the document contains information like your SSN or an account number.</li><li>Don’t give your SSN out to anyone unless it is totally necessary, such as on a job application or when applying for a loan or credit card.</li></ul><p>I give out my SSN all the time. But, I omit it from applications often. And if the applications administrator says “we can’t process your request without the SSN”, I may briefly question them, but inevitably give them my SSN. I have a credit freeze and identity theft protection. I’m not worried.</p><p><a style="background:0px 0px;border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:#005aff;" href="http://robertsiciliano.com/" target="_blank">Robert Siciliano</a> personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of <a style="background:0px 0px;border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:#005aff;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Things-Wish-Before-Identity-Stolen/dp/1941308996/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=httprobertc02-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=JAZ7MOSJYUIXZMJ3&creativeASIN=1941308996" target="_blank"><em style="background:0px 0px;border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;">99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen</em></a>. See him knock’em dead in this <a style="background:0px 0px;border:0px;margin:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:#005aff;" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m3Ra6ROPeA&index=1&list=PL68455D9C6D4E9101&t=237s" target="_blank">identity theft prevention</a> video.</p></div>Second Hand and Discarded Devices Lead to Identity Thefthttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/second-hand-and-discarded-devices-lead-to-identity-theft2017-05-10T12:20:53.000Z2017-05-10T12:20:53.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>A new study was just released by the National Association for Information Destruction. What did it find? Astonishingly, about 40% of all digital devices that are found on the second-hand market had personal information left on them. These include tablets, mobile phones, and hard drives.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/14D_new.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" align="right" /></p><p>The market for second hand items is large, and it’s a good way to find a decent mobile device or computer for a good price. However, many times, people don’t take the time to make sure all their personal information is gone. Some don’t even understand that the data is there. This might include passwords, usernames, company information, tax details, and even credit card data. What’s even more frightening is that this study used simple methods to get the data off the devices. Who knows what could be found if experts, or <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://www.trustedalarm.com/">hackers</a>, got their hands on them. It wouldn’t be surprising to know they found a lot more.</p><p>Here are some ways to make sure your devices are totally clean before getting rid of them on the second-hand marketplace:</p><ul><li><strong>Back It Up –</strong> Before doing anything, back up your device.</li></ul><ul><li><strong>Wipe It –</strong> Simply hitting the delete button or reformatting a hard drive isn’t’ enough. Instead, the device has to be fully wiped. For PCs, consider Active KillDisk. For Macs, there is a built in OS X Disk Utility. For phones and tablets, do a factory reset, and then a program called Blancco Mobile.</li><li><strong>Destroy It –</strong> If you can’t wipe it for some reason, it’s probably not worth the risk. Instead, destroy the device. Who knows, it might be quite fun to take a sledge hammer to your old PC’s hard drive, right? If nothing else, it’s a good stress reliever!</li><li><strong>Recycle It –</strong> You can also recycle your old devices, just make sure that the company is legitimate and trustworthy. The company should be part of the e-Stewards or R2, Responsible Recycling, programs. But destroy the hard drive first.</li></ul><p><strong>Record It –</strong> Finally, make sure to document any donation you make with a receipt. This can be used as a deduction on your taxes and might add a bit to your next tax return.</p><p><a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://robertsiciliano.com/">Robert Siciliano</a> personal security and <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://www.trustedalarm.com/">identity theft</a> expert and speaker is the author of <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Things-Wish-Before-Identity-Stolen/dp/1941308996/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=httprobertc02-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=JAZ7MOSJYUIXZMJ3&creativeASIN=1941308996"><em>99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen</em></a>. See him knock’em dead in this <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ikx0_erfU">identity theft prevention</a> video.</p></div>The Switch to the Chip Card – One Year Laterhttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/the-switch-to-the-chip-card-one-year-later2016-11-02T14:23:12.000Z2016-11-02T14:23:12.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>The October anniversary of the liability shift has passed, and anniversaries are an excellent time to look back on progress…this is no exception. The <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/seanmcquay/2016/10/25/happy-first-birthday-chip-cards-right/#5d6e40b88895" target="_blank">U.S. EMV migration</a> plan was set four years ago as a way to fight card fraud and to protect both consumers and merchants.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/The-Shift-to-Chip-Infographic-11-1-2016.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="593" align="right" /></p><p>Back in the day, we had one choice when we wanted to purchase something, and that was cold, hard cash. However, a few decades ago, people began using credit cards for everyday purchases instead of for only big ticket items, such as refrigerators. Though this was certainly convenient, it also opened the door for the bad guys to not only access your credit card information, they could use this information to make purchases and even to learn more about you and steal your <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://www.trustedalarm.com/">identity</a>. Over the past couple of years, once again, we in the U.S. are changing things up when it comes to how we use credit and debit cards. Our new cards, the ‘<a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://newsroom.mastercard.com/2016/09/28/six-things-worth-knowing-about-chip-cards-emv-an-evolution-in-security/" target="_blank">chip cards</a>,’ as in use in most other places in the world, are making it safer than ever before to make purchases.</p><p>Love ‘em or hate ‘em, these new chip cards and terminals are working to eliminate card fraud, and they are working very well. The way we pay in the U.S. needed a huge overhaul, and this security upgrade was an attempt to make things safer. Data and research confirms that this new technology has had a great impact on reducing card fraud.</p><p>Don’t get me wrong. This transformation has not been without a few headaches for merchants and consumers but believe me…things are improving, and they will continue to improve as businesses complete their shift to the chip. How much? Mastercard fraud data indicates that there was a 54 percent decrease associated with counterfeit fraud when comparing data from April 2016 to April 2015.</p><p><strong>We Have a Strong Start, But There is Still Work to be Done</strong></p><p>When considering everything, the U.S. is off to a solid start, but we still have work to do. When looking at the more than 150 world markets that use chips in cards, we know that more chip transactions must be done before we can see a significant drop in fraud. To do this, we will need about 60 percent of chip terminals interacting with a minimum of 60 percent of chip cards in market. If you have one or have seen chip cards, you likely know that we have gone well beyond that 60 percent mark on cards, but only about 30 percent of store terminals are set up to accept chips.</p><p>Another thing that we need to do is continue to speed up the certification process for merchants. The faster we can get chip terminals in stores, the faster we will see these card fraud levels drop.</p><p>We also need to increase the speed of which these transactions occur. If you have used a chip terminal, you know that it feels like a slower process than the ‘swipe’ we are used to. The payments industry is hard at work to address this issue, and new technologies are being created to speed up transaction times when using these payment methods. Remember, even though the process feels a bit slower right now, you are significantly safer when using a chip card.</p><p>Ultimately, if we can have a little bit of patience with the process and endure these short-term issues, we will all greatly benefit when it comes to payment security. We are already moving in the right direction, and if we keep adding terminals and encouraging the use of chip cards, we will definitely see even more improvement when we compare with next year. Before you know it, most forms of card fraud will be all but gone thanks to the switch to the chip.</p><p><a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://robertsiciliano.com/">Robert Siciliano</a> CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Things-Wish-Before-Identity-Stolen/dp/1941308996/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=httprobertc02-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=JAZ7MOSJYUIXZMJ3&creativeASIN=1941308996"><em>99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen</em></a>. See him knock’em dead in this <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ikx0_erfU">identity theft prevention</a> video.</p></div>Phone Account of FTC Chief Technologist hijackedhttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/phone-account-of-ftc-chief-technologist-hijacked-12016-07-14T14:37:23.000Z2016-07-14T14:37:23.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>An impostor posed as Lorrie Cranor at a mobile phone store (in Ohio, nowhere near Cranor’s home) and obtained her number. She is the Federal Trade Commission’s chief technologist. Her impostor’s con netted two new iPhones (the priciest models—and the charges went to Cranor) with her number.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/11D.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="228" align="right" /></p><p>In a blog post, Cranor writes: “My phones immediately stopped receiving calls.” She was stiffed with “a large bill and the anxiety and fear of financial injury.”</p><p>Cranor was a victim of identity theft. She contacted her mobile carrier after her phone ceased working during use. The company rep said her account had been updated to include the new devices, and that her Android’s SIM cards had been disabled. The company replaced the SIM cards and restored use of her phones.</p><p>The company’s fraud department removed the charges but blamed the theft on Cranor.</p><p>So how does an impostor pull off this stunt so easily? Stores owned by the mobile carrier are required to ask for a photo ID and <em>last four digits of the customer’s SSN</em>. However, at a third party retailer, this requirement may not be in place. In the Cranor case, the crook used a photo ID of herself but with Cranor’s name—and was not required to reveal the victim’s SSN last four digits.</p><p><strong>Cranor’s Actions</strong></p><ul><li>Changed password of online account</li><li>Added extra security PIN</li><li>Reported the theft to identitytheft.gov</li><li>Placed a fraud alert and got a free credit report</li><li>Filed a police report</li></ul><p>Hijacking a smartphone is becoming more common, with the FTC having received over 2,600 reports just for January this year.</p><p>You may not think that this type of fraud ranks as high as other types of fraud, but it all depends on the thief and his—or her—intentions. Though the thief may only want to sell the phones for a little profit, a different kind of crook may want to hijack a phone to commit stalking or espionage. Or the thief can gain access to the victim’s text messages. If the phone is used for two factor authentication, then a thief would have access to your One Time Passwords (OTP) upon logging into a critical website. There’s all sorts of possibilities. The most important tip: add an extra security PIN to your account. This way, whether over the phone, web or in person, this “second factor” of authentication will make it harder for a thief to become you.</p><p><a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://robertsiciliano.com/">Robert Siciliano</a> CEO of IDTheftSecurity.com, personal security and identity theft expert and speaker is the author of <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://www.amazon.com/Things-Wish-Before-Identity-Stolen/dp/1941308996/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=httprobertc02-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=JAZ7MOSJYUIXZMJ3&creativeASIN=1941308996"><em>99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen</em></a>. See him knock’em dead in this <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ikx0_erfU">identity theft prevention</a> video.</p></div>Carders cashing out on Magstrip Cardshttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/carders-cashing-out-on-magstrip-cards2016-06-30T14:52:25.000Z2016-06-30T14:52:25.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>Two thousand credit card payment terminals stand to become infected with malware called Trinity point of sales.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/2C.jpg" alt="" width="320" height="213" align="right" /></p><p>Ten million credit cards were stolen by hackers, called Fin6, who may end up scoring $400 million. The cards were stolen from retail and hospitality businesses. If each card sells for $21 on secret carder shops, you can see how the hackers will rake in hundreds of millions of dollars.</p><p>As you may know, the U.S. is gradually switching over to chip cards. But it will be a while—a very long while—before magnetic strip cards are non-existent in America. Until then, these types of cards remain a favorite target for cyber thieves.</p><p>The methods that Fin6 used are technical, but suffice it to say, these hackers are pros. At this point, there has not been any way to stop this hacking group.</p><p>This is yet another example of the inherent vulnerability of the magnetic strip card, which, unlike in other industrialized nations, continues to be the main type of credit card in use in the U.S.</p><p>Protect yourself:</p><ul><li>Go to “alerts/notifications” at your bank/cards website and sign up for emails/texts for every charge made.</li><li>Download your bank/cards mobile app and sign up for emails/texts for every charge made.</li><li>Check your statements frequently.</li><li>Federal law protects you from unauthorized charges made with your credit card number but you still have to dispute the charges.</li><li>In the event the credit card is in a thief’s hands, you’ll be liable, but only for a maximum of $50, provided you report the problem to the credit card company. However, in many cases a “zero liability” policy may kick in.</li><li>Debit cards fall under a different federal law than credit cards. Regulation E, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, says after two days, you could be liable for up to $50. After 2 days liability jumps to 500.00. Beyond 60 days, you could be liable for all unauthorized transactions. Otherwise, federal rules are on the bank’s side.</li><li>Beyond 60 days, there’s likelihood you’ll never see your money again.</li></ul><p>Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://bestidtheftcompanys.com/companies">BestIDTheftCompanys.com</a> discussing <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ikx0_erfU">identity theft prevention</a>.</p></div>Never put these Docs in your Wallethttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/never-put-these-docs-in-your-wallet2016-05-17T14:08:58.000Z2016-05-17T14:08:58.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>Yes, believe it or not, you CAN get by in life with a wallet that just has a little cash, a store card or two, one to two credit cards and your ID. Unless you absolutely need your insurance card or Social Security card, leave those items at home.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/1D.jpg" alt="" width="320" height="269" align="right" /></p><p>For years now, wallets have been on the market that you can stuff everything into, save for the kitchen sink. This doesn’t mean you must carry a <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="https://www.google.com/search?q=george+costanza+wallet&espv=2&biw=1584&bih=707&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwij3aHtgqDMAhXCPB4KHUAnCZ4QsAQIGw#imgrc=_">ridiculous bulging wallet</a> everywhere you go.</p><p>Now you may not mind having to dig through your wallet for five minutes to retrieve things because there’s so much stuff in there, but do you know who actually would <em>enjoy</em> this?</p><p>A crook who specializes in identity theft. With just your Social Security card (<em>come on already</em>, just memorize the number), a crook could open up credit lines in your name and make your life a nightmare.</p><p>Now you may think it doesn’t matter because your wallet will never be lost or stolen. Everyone must lose their wallet at some point in their lives? But what if you’re in an accident? What if you’re jumped on the street? What if someone brazenly approaches you, grabs the wallet out of your hands and runs?</p><p>If my wallet is lost or stolen I won’t care because there’s nothing in my wallet that the thief could easily use to steal my identity, nor is there anything I couldn’t easily name or easily replace.</p><p><strong>Keep the following items out of your wallet:</strong></p><ul><li>Anything with your Social Security number; again, just memorize it already.</li><li>Home address</li><li>Keys</li><li>PINs and passwords (if you need an assortment of these to function while away from home, use an encrypted app—assuming you have a smartphone).</li><li>Checks</li><li>Credit cards you <em>won’t</em> be using on any given day you’re out in the community (though one emergency credit card at all times is a smart move).</li><li>Birth certificate</li><li>Credit card receipts</li><li>Medical cards unless you are going to the doctor</li><li>Store cards unless you are going to that store</li></ul><p>Make photo copies of all docs in your wallet and upload them to your secure email account. Consider an app like <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="https://www.keyringapp.com/">“Key Ring”</a> and enter the cards into your mobile device. Put ALL your loyalty cards there and copies of most cards you might need in a pinch.</p><p>Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://thebestcompanys.com/antivirus/">TheBestCompanys.com</a> discussing <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ikx0_erfU">identity theft prevention</a>.</p></div>My EMV for a Week Challenge is DONE!https://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/my-emv-for-a-week-challenge-is-done2016-02-20T14:16:09.000Z2016-02-20T14:16:09.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>This week I worked with Gemalto, as part of Gemalto’s #ChipAwayAtFraud campaign. I was tasked with using my “chip” card when making a bunch of every day purchases like getting coffee and shopping. Gemalto, one of the world’s leaders in digital security, wanted a real-world take on the EMV card experience, which includes the security benefits EMV cards presents. You know EMV; it’s the “chip” credit card that, by now, you should have.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/1C.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="271" align="right" /></p><p>Here’s what I learned:</p><p>A significant portion of the retailers I frequented didn’t have the chip terminals in place. The ones that did afforded more security and a seamless transaction. At this point in EMVs rollout, the biggest issue, or frustration, I think, is its lack of deployment. For instance, you may have to redo a transaction when a chip card is inserted opposed to swipe and then to be told by the cashier “We don’t accept chip cards yet, please swipe”. The opposite happens too, but less frequently.</p><p>Otherwise, chip cards are a no brainer. The “learning curve” for EMV or Chip is learned in the first transaction. Once done, you’ll be able to do it every time, and there are no delays or issues with the transaction.</p><p>Overall, we are collectively more secure because of EMV/Chip technology. Over time, there will be 100% adoption of this method as magnetic striped cards are phased out along with magnetic striped “swipe” point of sale terminals. For now, and really, forever, a consumer’s first line of defense is to pay close attention to their card statements.</p><p>I always recommend signing up for your bank or card company’s mobile app and receiving alerts and notifications with each transaction. This way you’ll be able to dispute fraudulent charges in real-time, if needed.</p><p>Meanwhile, your chip cards are here to stay. Embrace the technology, as its primary purpose is security and convenience. As more and more retailers get up to speed, we will see fewer and fewer news reports of huge credit card data breaches because of EMVs full scale deployment.</p></div>Gemaltos' "EMV For a Week Challenge," starts now!https://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/gemaltos-emv-for-a-week-challenge-starts-now2016-02-10T19:01:54.000Z2016-02-10T19:01:54.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>As part of Gemalto’s #ChipAwayAtFraud campaign, I’m being tasked with numerous tasks, some tacky, some essential to living. Gemalto, one of the world’s leaders in digital security, wants a real-world take on the EMV card experience. Which includes the security benefits EMV cards presents. You know EMV; it’s the “chip” credit card that by now, you should have. EMV by the way stands for Euro/MasterCard/Visa. The Euro part essentially means that’s where the card was first deployed.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/1C.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="271" align="right" /></p><p>If you don’t have a chip card by now get on the phone, call your bank and in your loudest, angriest voice scream at them and politely ask why they haven’t sent you one yet.</p><p>You, Mr. and Mr.’s credit card holder should support for the new technology in your community by explaining it to people, and encourage its use.</p><p>As a Gemalto campaigner I’m deploying two articles, one introductory (this one) and one “wrap-up” piece, detailing my experience during the challenge.</p><p>The Challenge:</p><p>Complete All Ten Tasks First and Win $400 to a Charity of Your Choice: My Charity is <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://ow.ly/TZByY">Boston Children’s Hospital</a></p><ol><li>Get coffee at a local (not chain) coffee shop</li><li>Make any purchase at a big-box store</li><li>Get a meal inside a fast food restaurant</li><li>Buy a magazine at a gas station</li><li>Get $50 worth of groceries</li><li>Buy a tacky t-shirt</li><li>Get someone special a bouquet of flowers</li><li>Hit a tourist attraction in your town</li><li>Buy office supplies for your coworker(s)</li><li>Mail us a postcard from your local post office</li></ol><p>Easy. Let the games begin!</p></div>How to Remove Fraudulent Lines of Credithttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/how-to-remove-fraudulent-lines-of-credit2016-01-22T14:44:21.000Z2016-01-22T14:44:21.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>You just learned you have a new credit card account by checking your credit or because a bill collector called you. Problem is that you don’t remember ever applying for it. You must find out what’s behind this new account and how it got there.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/14D_new.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" align="right" /></p><ul><li>Call the corresponding phone number listed with the account seen on your credit report.</li><li>Begin the process for disputing the entire account.</li><li>Get the name (and employee ID number) of every person you speak to and a transaction or reference number for every phone call.</li><li>Speak to the fraud specialist for the issuer of this new account.</li><li>Maybe you <em>did</em> apply for it. If you didn’t, find out if there are any charges on it.</li><li>If the issue isn’t cleared up with one phone call, see what your options are to put a freeze on the account while things are being checked into.</li><li>Get your free credit reports from TransUnion, Equifax and Experian to see how this new account appears.</li><li>If you’re still in a quandary over this, put a fraud alert and security freeze on all three reports.</li></ul><p><strong>Taking Matters Further</strong></p><ul><li>If it’s fraud, file an ID theft complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. You’ll get an identity theft affidavit online; immediately print it because it can be viewed only once through the FTC’s system.</li><li>Next, bring the ID affidavit form to the police, plus other documents relevant to your case, and file a report. Don’t assume your problem is too trivial.</li></ul><p><strong>What if the credit card issuer is not helpful?</strong></p><ul><li>Send a certified letter requesting they freeze or even close the account.</li><li>Include with that letter a copy (not the originals) of the FTC affidavit and police report.</li><li>The letter should request written proof of the authorization for opening this account.</li><li>Another request: written statement absolving you from any responsibility towards charges on this mysterious account.</li><li>Did you know that the creditor has 30 days or less to send you a written summary of its investigation?</li></ul><p>If you’ve been assured that the account will be removed, don’t just take their word; follow up to make sure this was done.</p><p>You should not be responsible for any debts incurred by this fraudulent account. Any negative notes on your credit report, related to this account, should be wiped clean.</p><p>What if after all that, the account still remains open and you feel the case was not handled properly? File a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Hopefully you won’t have to hire an attorney, though that’s also a next step.</p><p>Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://thebestcompanys.com/antivirus/">TheBestCompanys.com</a> discussing <a style="color:#bb0000;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ikx0_erfU">identity theft prevention</a>.</p></div>20 Security Tips For Overseas Travelers With Credit Cardshttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/20-security-tips-for-overseas-travelers-with-credit-cards2015-12-16T14:13:30.000Z2015-12-16T14:13:30.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>Thinking of bringing a credit card with you on your travels? You can end up in a jam: You just treated your extended family to fine dining in France. Time to pay; your credit card is declined.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/2C.jpg" alt="" align="right" height="213" width="320" /></p><p>If you try to make a purchase overseas, your credit card company might think it’s fraudulent, since it would appear anomalous, relative to your usual, U.S. purchases.</p><p><strong>So before you leave for your trip:</strong></p><ul><li>Back up credit card data. It’s always important to have a backup of your card data, both online and in print. Photocopy each card and carry with you or store in your luggage. The <a href="http://www.carbonite.com/en/cloud-backup/personal-solutions/personal-plans/try/">Carbonite</a> mobile app lets you access your backed-up data from anywhere in the world.</li><li>Review your auto drafts and consider these when traveling to avoid maxing out the card.</li><li>All your cards should be signed.</li><li>Get a “data plan” and make sure your credit card company’s e-mail and phone numbers actually work.</li><li>See if your company will issue you a chip-n-pin card, since this technology is widespread in foreign countries.</li><li>Memorize the PIN and make sure it’s enabled for foreign ATM withdrawals.</li><li>Install the credit card company’s mobile application so that you can be alerted to any suspicious issues.</li><li>Gift cards and debit cards should be authorized for international use.</li><li>Set your phone up for international use.</li><li>Activate the feature in your card account that alerts you every time the card is used.</li><li>Alert the credit card company when you’ll be overseas so they can monitor your purchases.</li><li>Store the company’s 800 and non-800 numbers in your phone.</li><li>Also make sure you have their e-mail address.</li><li>The card(s) numbers should be documented in hardcopy.</li><li>Find out if the card has a foreign transaction fee.</li><li>Know the to-be-visited country’s phone dialing patterns.</li></ul><p><strong>While on your trip:</strong></p><ul><li>Never give anybody your card for a purchase unless you can see everything they’re doing.</li><li>At ATMs, carefully punch in the keypad numbers; you may not get too many chances to get the PIN correct.</li><li>Save all receipts and inspect them. Use your computer or phone and secure Wi-Fi to monitor your account online. This can be done with <a href="http://www.hotspotshield.com/">Hotspot Shield</a><span style="text-decoration:underline;">,</span> which will encrypt all transmissions.</li></ul><p>Know that your card company will never request highly personal information such as your Social Security number. If anyone contacts you with such requests, it’s a scam.</p><p>Robert Siciliano is an expert in personal privacy, security and identity theft. Learn more about <a href="http://www.carbonite.com/en/cloud-backup/personal-solutions/personal-plans/try/">Carbonite Personal plans</a>. See him discussing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ikx0_erfU">identity theft prevention</a>. <a href="http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2010/01/01/disclosures-term-conditions/">Disclosures</a>.</p></div>Credit Card vs. Debit Card Fraudhttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/credit-card-vs-debit-card-fraud2015-10-22T13:53:00.000Z2015-10-22T13:53:00.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>One difference between a credit card and a debit card is that if there’s an unauthorized charge on your credit card, you just get a little sting. It’s a hassle to straighten out. But no money is taken from you.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/2C.jpg" alt="" align="right" height="213" width="320" /></p><p>But if someone gets ahold of your debit card information, the second they use it, depending on the nature of the transaction, your bank account will be drained. And in some cases, you can kiss that money goodbye; you got scorched. More than ever, crooks are using others’ debit card data and sucking dry their bank accounts via ATMs—in an instant.</p><p>An article on blogs.wsj.com outlines the differences between a credit card and a debit card:</p><ul><li>Federal law protects you from unauthorized charges made with your credit card number rather than with the actual card.</li><li>In the event the credit card is in a thief’s hands, you’ll be liable, but only for a maximum of $50, provided you report the problem to the credit card company. However, in many cases a “zero liability” policy may kick in.</li><li>Debit cards fall under a different federal law than credit cards. Regulation E, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, says after two days, you could be liable for up to $50. After 2 days liability jumps to 500.00. Beyond 60 days, you could be liable for all unauthorized transactions. Otherwise, federal rules are on the bank’s side.</li><li>Beyond 60 days, there’s likelihood you’ll never see your money again.</li></ul><p>How does the thief get one’s card information in the first place?</p><ul><li>The thief places a “skimmer” in the swiping device of an ATM or other location such as a gas pump or even the swiping device at a checkout counter. The skimmer snatches card data when the card is swiped.</li><li>The thief returns at some point and retrieves the skimmer, then makes a fake card.</li><li>Thieves may capture PINs with hidden cameras focused on the ATMs keys. So when entering PINs, conceal the activity with your free hand.</li><li>A business employee, to whom you give your card to purchase something, may be the thief. He disappears from your sight with your card to swipe it at some unseen location. While away from you, he skims the data.</li><li>The thief sends out mass e-mails designed to look like they’re from the recipient’s bank, the IRS or retailers. The message lures the recipient into clicking a link inside the e-mail.</li><li>The link takes them to a site set up by the thief, further luring the victim into typing in their card’s information.</li><li>The thief calls the victim, pretending to be the IRS or some big outfit, and lures the recipient into giving out card information.</li></ul><p>It’s obvious, then, there are many things that can go wrong. Your best solution is to pay close attention to your statements, online or via a mobile app, frequently.</p><p>Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to <a href="http://bestidtheftcompanys.com/companies">BestIDTheftCompanys.com</a> discussing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ikx0_erfU">identity theft prevention</a>.</p></div>Beware of Vacation Rental Scams this Summerhttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/beware-of-vacation-rental-scams-this-summer2015-07-10T14:32:35.000Z2015-07-10T14:32:35.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>Talk about getting taken to the cleaners: Imagine you spot a great summer rental property advertised online. Looks wonderful. The deal sounds too good to be true, but the owner tells you (via e-mail or even phone) that the fee is correct. You apply for the rent and send in the required upfront payment.</p><p><img src="http://robertsiciliano.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/9D-300x250.jpg" align="right" height="250" width="300" alt="9D-300x250.jpg" /></p><p>Then you head down there for the first time to see an empty lot. It then dawns on you that the owner was really a crook who used some photo he found online and advertised it for rent. And if losing your money isn’t bad enough, the thief now has other private information on you like your Social Security number.</p><p>How can you protect yourself if the property is too far away to check out in person? Limit yourself to only local rental properties that you can actually physically check out first? Whether or not you can do that, here are safeguards:</p><ul><li>Copy and paste the rental description into a search engine. If it shows up elsewhere consider it a scam. However…a smart crook will alter the wording so that this doesn’t happen!</li><li>Google the listed address and see if it matches up. Google any other information connected with the ad, such as the landlord’s name.</li><li>If you locate the property on another site that lists it for sale, the rental ad is a scam.</li><li>Request a copy of the owner’s driver’s license to verify property records at your county assessor’s office.</li><li>If you can’t physically visit the property, use an online map to get a full view, including aerial, to make sure it actually exists. But this doesn’t rule out scam. The property may exist alright, but the ad you’re interested in was not placed by the owner, who’s either not renting at all or might be selling the place.</li><li>Conduct all communication by phone.</li><li>Never wire transfer an upfront payment or pay via prepaid debit card—two red flags for a scam. Pay via credit card.</li></ul><p>Honest landlords can be scammed, too. They should search the information of responders to their ads to see what comes up.</p><p>Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to <a href="http://thebestcompanys.com/antivirus/">TheBestCompanys.com</a> discussing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ikx0_erfU">identity theft prevention</a>.</p></div>Is It Fraud or are You just Crazy?https://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/is-it-fraud-or-are-you-just-crazy2015-06-09T14:43:45.000Z2015-06-09T14:43:45.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>What would you rather have happen to you? A Russian ring of hackers has infiltrated your computer and smartphone and is hell-bent on taking control of your finances, social media life, even the smart gadgets in your house…OR…you’ve just been diagnosed with paranoid psychosis, and in fact, nobody’s out to harm you at all.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.trulia.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/12D.jpg" alt="" align="right" height="240" width="360" /></p><p>In a day and age where it’s become increasingly easy for hackers to hijack your credit card and bank accounts, spy on your baby by hacking into the baby-cam and spy on <em>you</em> via your laptop’s camera … the line between paranoia and real-life spying has become very muddled.</p><p>Unfortunately, there isn’t a day that goes by that someone contacts me completely convinced they are being spied on. Maybe they are, most likely they are not. Especially when they begin to explain how every device they own and seems to know everything about them and so on. The likelihood of a hacker having control over their TV is pretty small.</p><p>For example, 30 years ago if someone said, “Someone is watching me through my computer,” we’d just assume that person was delusional and needed some medication. Nowadays, we’re apt to immediately think, “Put tape on your laptop’s camera hole!”</p><p>So how can we weed out the crazies from the true victims? Just because your laptop has a camera hole doesn’t mean you <em>can’t</em> be imagining that your ex-spouse is spying on you through it.</p><p>Many claims of fraud or victimization are real, and many are deliberately made up for financial gain (e.g., faking back pain after a fender bender) or are the result of mental illness.</p><p>Sometimes, it’s obvious when the claim is fraudulent or the result of being “crazy.” In fact, the tip-offs that it’s mental illness at play are more obvious than when it’s fraud, since the con artist can be quite skilled.</p><p>A general rule of thumb is to look at the simplicity—or lack thereof—of the case. Is the claimed cause simple or convoluted?</p><p>For example, you hear a crash, race into the living room and see that your favorite vase—which is located near the bottom of the staircase—has been broken to smithereens. Near the vase is a basketball. At the top of the staircase are your two young sons with scared looks on their faces.</p><p>They cough up an explanation: “We were in the living room reading. The basketball was on the floor. A gust of wind blew through the window so hard that it tossed the basketball into the vase. We thought you’d blame us so we ran up the stairs.”</p><p>Common sense must be used in determining the most probable cause of an event. This holds for parents, claims adjustors, detectives and juries at a trial. The best judge views things through the lens of simplicity.</p><p>Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to <a href="http://bestidtheftcompanys.com/companies">BestIDTheftCompanys.com</a> discussing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ikx0_erfU">identity theft prevention</a>.</p></div>Hackers for Hire both Good and Badhttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/hackers-for-hire-both-good-and-bad2015-03-26T14:44:42.000Z2015-03-26T14:44:42.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>Ever see those public bulletin boards with all the business cards on them? Don’t be surprised if you spot one that says “<strong>Hacker•for•Hire</strong>.” These are hackers who will, for a nice juicy fee, hack into your wife’s Facebook account to see if she’s cheating on you.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.trulia.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/4D.jpg" alt="" align="right" height="233" width="350" /></p><p>However, there’s at least one hackmaking site that matches hackers to clients who want to infiltrate a network for personal gain or even revenge. The site, Hacker’s List, is a good idea, certainly not the first of its kind; the site’s founders (who wish to remain anonymous) get a piece of the pie for each completed job. Kind of sounds like one of those freelance job sites where someone bids on a posted job. The client must put the payment in escrow prior to the job being carried out. This pretty much guarantees payment to the hacker.</p><p>The site began operation in November. Imagine the possibilities, like business people getting a complete list of their competitors’ clients, customers, prices and trade secrets. And yes, a college student could hire a hacker for changing a grade. Makes you kind of wish you were skilled at hacking; what a freaking easy way to make a lot of money.</p><p>Is a site like this legal? After all, cracking into someone’s personal or business account is illegal. The site has a lengthy terms of service that requires agreement from users, including agreeing not to use the service for illegal activity. The verdict isn’t out if Hacker’s List is an illegal enterprise, and further complicating this is that many of the job posters are probably outside the U.S.</p><p>Hacker’s List was carefully developed, and that includes the founders having sought legal counsel to make sure they don’t get in trouble.</p><p>Hiring hackers can easily occur beyond an organized website where jobs are posted and bid on. And there’s no sign of this industry slowing down. The line of demarcation between good hackers and bad is broad and blurry, beginning with legitimate businesses hiring hackers to analyze the companies’ networks for any vulnerabilities.</p><p>Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to <a href="http://bestidtheftcompanys.com/companies">BestIDTheftCompanys.com</a> discussing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ikx0_erfU">identity theft prevention</a>. <a href="http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2010/01/01/disclosures-term-conditions/">Disclosures</a>.</p></div>Very effective Social Engineering Scamshttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/very-effective-social-engineering-scams2015-03-09T14:32:20.000Z2015-03-09T14:32:20.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>It’s amazing how ingenious cybercriminals are, but the victims also need to take some responsibility for falling for these ruses, especially when the victim is a business that has failed to train its employees in cybersecurity measures.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.trulia.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/10D.jpg" alt="" align="right" height="350" width="350" /></p><p><strong>Ransomware</strong></p><p>The stuff of science fiction is here: Who would have ever thought there’d ever be a such thing as criminals remotely stealing someone’s personal information (word processing files, any kind of image, etc.), scrambling it up via encryption, then demanding ransom in exchange for the remote “key” to “unlock” the encryption?</p><p>Payment is remotely by Bitcoin which can’t be traced. The payment is usually at least $500 and escalates the longer the victim waits.</p><p>The virus that poisons a computer to steal someone’s files is called ransomware, a type of malicious software (in this case, “Cryptolocker” and “CryptoDefense”). But how does this virus get into your computer in the first place?</p><p>It’s called social engineering: tricking users into allowing their computer to be infected, or duping them into revealing personal information.</p><p>Often, a phishing e-mail is used: It has an attention-getting subject line that entices the user to open it. The message contains a link. They click the link, and a virus is downloaded. Or, the link takes them to a site which then downloads the virus.</p><p>These e-mails, sometimes designed to look like they’re from the company the user works for, often go to workplace computers where employees get tricked. These kinds of attacks are lucrative to their instigators.</p><p><strong>Funeral Fraud</strong></p><p>If you wanted to notify a relative or friend that a mutually dear person has left this earth…would you send an e-mail or phone that person? Seems to me that heavy news like this would warrant a phone call and voice interaction.</p><p>So if you ever receive an e-mail from a funeral home indicating that a dear one to you has passed, and to click a link to the funeral home to learn details about the burial ceremony…consider this a scam.</p><p>Because if you click the funeral site link, you’ll either get redirected to the crook’s server because he’s already created an infected funeral looking site ahead of time. This is where a virus will be downloaded to your computer.</p><p><strong>Vishing Credit Card Scam</strong></p><p>You get a phone call. An automated voice identifies itself as your credit card company (they’ll say “credit card company” rather than the specific name). It then says something like, “We are investigating what appears to be a fraudulent charge on your card.”</p><p>They’ll ask if you made a particular purchase lately, then to hit 1 for yes and 2 for no. If you hit no, you’re told to enter your credit card number, three-digit security code and expiration date. You just fed a thief all he (or she) needs in order to go on an online or on-phone spending spree.</p><p>Ever order something via phone and all you had to give up was the credit card number, expiration date and security code? This trick is also aimed at employees. The calls come from an automated machine that generates thousands of these calls.</p><p><strong>Healthcare Record Scam</strong></p><p>You receive an e-mail that appears to be from your employer or healthcare provider that you get through work. This may come to you on your home computer or the one you use at work. The e-mail is an announcement of some enticing change in your healthcare plan.</p><p>The message may reference something personal about you such as marital status, income or number of dependents. When enough of these e-mails are pumped out with automated software, the personal situation of many recipients will square off with those identified in the e-mail, such as income and number of children. The user is then lured into clicking a link in the e-mail, and once that click is made…malware is released.</p><p><strong>Facebook Company Group Scam</strong></p><p>Scammers will scan Facebook and LinkedIn seeking out employees of a particular company and create a group. This groups purpose is for information gathering so scammers can penetrate a company’s facility or website. Once all the groups member join, the scammers will pose various innocuous questions and start palatable discussions that make everyone feel comfortable.</p><p>Over time scammers will direct these discussions to leak bits of data that allow criminals to enter a facility under a stolen identity or to contact specific employees who have advanced access to computer systems in an attempt to get usernames and passwords.</p><p>Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to <a href="http://hotspotshield.com">Hotspot Shield</a>. He is the author of <a href="http://robertsiciliano.com/identity-theft-book/"><em>99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen</em></a> See him discussing internet and wireless security on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ynj5SgZEIyY&feature=share&list=UUxPUhCstuAW8GJR826pamYA">Good Morning America</a>. <a href="http://ow.ly/1bdMH">Disclosures</a>.</p></div>How to build up or rebuild your Credithttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/how-to-build-up-or-rebuild-your-credit2015-02-11T14:37:57.000Z2015-02-11T14:37:57.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>After taking all the necessary steps to Fixing a Credit Report after being hacked, it is then tome to rebuild your credit. Bad credit is bad credit no matter how it happens. No matter how responsible you are with your money, you won’t get a loan if there’s no evidence of this. The evidence comes from having credit. You need to show lenders you can be trusted. <img src="http://activerain.trulia.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/12D.jpg" alt="" align="right" height="233" width="350" /></p><ul><li>Every time you apply for a credit card, this puts a dent in your credit score. In other words, it can negatively affect your scores especially if there are lots of credit checks in a short period of time. So apply with a lot of discretion; do you <em>really</em> need that extra charge card? Or is it worth it to continually cancel accounts and open new accounts while playing the interest/points game?</li><li>Get a major credit card. A charge card is an opportunity to show that you will pay back, on time, money that you “borrowed.” A debit card for this purpose is meaningless because it withdraws money from your account on the spot.</li><li>An option is a type of credit card that requires a security deposit. Payment of your bills will not come from this security deposit. But it looks good to a potential lender, making you seem more trustworthy.</li><li>Charge things like gas, food and other items, and/or put a monthly bill on the card for automatic payments such as your cable bill, then pay the card on time every single time—ideally the entire balance. This will create a record of your trustworthiness.</li><li>Charge no more than 50 percent of the card’s limit in any given month, even if you CAN pay the whole thing off every month. Exceeding 50 percent, some say, can adversely affect your credit score.</li><li>A rule of thumb is to charge only what you’d be able to pay in cold cash every month. Just because your card has a $5,000 limit doesn’t mean you should rack up $4,500 worth of purchases in one billing cycle.</li><li>Use the card every month; don’t let it go dormant, as this is not impressive to a lender. If you’re having a tough time remembering to charge things like new shoes, food, drug store items, etc., then set it up for automatic draft of a monthly service.</li><li>Even ONE late payment will screw things up. Remember, charge only what you’d be able to pay for in cash each month. If you can’t, don’t charge it.</li><li>If YOU check your credit report any time; it won’t dent your credit score. When lots of creditors check your credit, that can affect your scores.</li></ul><p>Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to <a href="http://thebestcompanys.com/antivirus/" target="_blank">TheBestCompanys.com</a> discussing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ikx0_erfU" target="_blank">identity theft prevention</a>. For Roberts FREE ebook text- SECURE Your@emailaddress -to 411247. <a href="http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2010/01/01/disclosures-term-conditions/" target="_blank">Disclosures</a>.</p></div>Fixing a Credit Report after being hackedhttps://globalriskcommunity.com/profiles/blogs/fixing-a-credit-report-after-being-hacked2015-02-04T14:26:33.000Z2015-02-04T14:26:33.000ZRobert Sicilianohttps://globalriskcommunity.com/members/RobertSiciliano<div><p>First off, how NOT to fix a hacked credit report: signing on with a service that promises to correct the problem in a jiffy—a “sounds too good to be true” advertisement. A company that claims they will 100% fix your bad credit by removing negative information from your credit report is a bit scammy. In fact, whatever a credit repair company CAN legally do, you yourself can do.</p><p><img src="http://activerain.trulia.com/image_store/uploads/agents/robertsiciliano/files/3D.jpg" align="right" height="185" width="362" alt="3D.jpg" /></p><p><strong>Tips to Know Ahead of Time</strong></p><ul><li>If a company takes action against you, you’re entitled to a free credit report if you request it within 60 days of being notified.</li><li>Experian, Equifax and TransUnion are required to provide you, free of charge, your credit report every year.</li><li>It’s free to question anything on your credit report.</li><li>Credit reporting agencies are required to investigate your disputes, if valid, within 30 days.</li></ul><p><strong>Credit Reporting Agency</strong></p><ul><li>Send the reporting company a document explaining your issues. Include copies of documents for evidence.</li><li>Your mailed packet (use certified mail) should include an itemized list of your disputes and associated details.</li><li>The agency will send your material to the entity that provided the information in question. This entity must investigate the issues, then provide feedback to the credit reporting agency, and that includes corrections in your report if it’s deemed that the suspicious information was, in fact, inaccurate.</li><li>You will then hear back from the reporting agency: an updated report (free) and the results in writing. The agency will send a copy of the revised report, at your request, to anyone in the previous 24 months who had received the erroneous one.</li></ul><p><strong>Creditors</strong></p><ul><li>Inform them in writing of your dispute.</li><li>Include copies of all evidencing documents.</li></ul><p>Repairing errors and getting rid of accurate but negative information are not the same thing. Time heals wounds; you’ll need to let time (usually seven years) completely get rid of the bad stuff.</p><p>Should you decide to use a credit repair company, know that it’s against the law for them to lie about their services or charge you before they’ve done their job. By law they must provide a contract explaining your rights and their services, plus many other details including total cost.</p><p>Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to <a href="http://thebestcompanys.com/antivirus/" target="_blank">TheBestCompanys.com</a> discussing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_ikx0_erfU" target="_blank">identity theft prevention</a>. For Roberts FREE ebook text- SECURE Your@emailaddress -to 411247. <a href="http://robertsiciliano.com/blog/2010/01/01/disclosures-term-conditions/" target="_blank">Disclosures</a>.</p></div>