Beware! Tis the Season for Fraud
Fraudsters are always on the job looking for ways to trick people into divulging their personal information. That’s why it is important to stay diligent and maintain a healthy dose of skepticism.
Passwords
- Change your password regularly on your email account. This is the place where “reset password” emails are sent, so it is important to keep this front door to your personal information locked.
- Create strong passwords you can remember by using the first letters of a sentence, change number words to numbers, and add special characters. For example, “Walking for Me is the Best Thing to do!” would become “W4MitBT2d!”
- Use different passwords for different accounts. Using the same password gives a fraudster easy access to all of your accounts once they figure it out.
Home Computers and Mobile Phones
- Always use the PIN lock on your mobile phone and make the number easy to remember but hard to guess. Don’t use birth dates, anniversary dates, phone numbers etc.
- Update your computer and mobile phones to the latest version or operating system. Those updates include security updates that help defend against hackers.
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi especially public Wi-Fi that doesn’t require a password.
Emails and Texts
- Be skeptical! Don’t click email links unless you are absolutely certain who sent it. Hover over links to check the website address closely. When in doubt, contact the company a different way using contact information you already know.
- If you receive a text, email or phone call asking for an instant response, be diligent. Fraudsters create a sense of urgency in hopes of tricking you into reacting quickly. They may even say you have a family member in trouble. Think before you react.
- Remember the IRS, U.S. Marshalls, the Secret Service or NuMark Credit Union will never send you an email asking for
money or your personal information.
Slow down, be alert, and ask questions. If you feel that you’ve been a victim of identity theft, contact us at 815-729-3211 and visit www.consumer.ftc.gov for additional resources.
