Avoid Identity Theft

1 : Used credit card slips or statements.Thieves go through garbage looking for slips or statements - these often have your card number or even your full details on them. From these it's easy for a thief to order goods on your card to be delivered to their address (often an apartment blockwhere they don't live - they just collect the goods from the hall)ALWAYS either destroy used slips or treat them as if they were money - to someone they ARE money.

2: Petrol Stations - dishonest staff fit card skimmers to read all the details on yourcard and then use the information or sell it to others to use.Check carefully what petrol sales people are doing with your card. Or pay cash ! (Shell lost over $1 Million in one day through this trick in the UK)

3: Restaurant Staff -can take your card away and copy it in a back room.Just like petrol station staff. Never let your card out of your sight (especially if it's a Gold Card).

4: When using your card at an ATM always cover the hand that's punching in your pin number so it can't be seen either from above (thieves put webcams over ATM keyboards)or from the side - thieves often have an accomplice with binoculars nearby reading what you are doing.

5:Your Bank will NEVER ask you for your credit card details or pin number on the phoneAnyone who does so is not who they say they are. Remember that Debit Cards are just as valuableto a thief as credit cards. A neat variation on this is a phone call that says you have won a competition - with a superprize - like the latest wide screen tv. But you have to pay a $9 delivery charge.That will be by credit card - and of course they need the security number from the back ofyour card to prove you really are you ! It's a CON - all they are doing is to trick you outof your card details. Then they will bleed your account dry - and sell the details to other con artists.

6: An email from either Paypal or Ebay says that your account has been closed or put on hold - and there in front of you is the Ebay/Paypal Logo with login details -all they are after is your login details. The con artist then puts up fake auctions in yourname and banks the cash for non-existent goods. Or in the case of Paypal they will empty your Paypal account into their bank account.If you get an email like this ALWAYS forward it to Ebay/Paypal to the following address spoof@ebay.com or spoof@paypal.com and they'll check it out for you.The higher feedback you have, the more tempting a target you become.Many Powersellers have multiple accounts to counteract this con.

These are minor identity thefts (although they may seem massive to you )More sophisticated thefts take place with forged birth certificates,driving licenses or evenpassports. These usually involve major frauds on Finance companies ,Mortgage companies or banks.I'm not going into details for fear of giving someone ideas !

7: The Nigerian Fraud - although this may appear from a number of countries worldwide.An email arrives claiming to be from a corrupt Government official who has money in an account that he/she cannot access without causing suspicion. They ask for your help in laundering the money - usually many millions of $$$ . In return you will get $ 2 Million.All they really want from you is your Bank Account number and access details together with a blank sheet of your company letterhead - to enable them to transfer the money.The money doesn't exist - neither does the money in YOUR bank account.The fraudster uses the blank notepaper with your letterhead to empty your bank account into their own. (I had THREE of these just today !) There are MANY variants on all of these frauds and cons - the basic rule to follow Is :

If it looks too good to be true - its usually is too good to be true. Don't Fall for Identity Theft.

This Article may be FREELY used providing it is not altered in any way and that the following credit is given

Author : Keith Jones Keith is a Photographer and Writer and lives on the West Coast of Ireland His Website is at www.fotos4web.com