Online and Off line Theft has increasingly become the order of the day. in order to easily identify online theft, please kindly follow the guidelines identified in this short guide. Thousands of men and women meet online every day and while online dating has expanded/propagated the dating universe/globe like never before; a few bad guys fly under the radar and attempt to scam innocent people. While scams asking for money are more common in online dating, it is highly imperative that online entrepreneurs are conscious of their online domain and to be vividly aware of other equally important fraudulent practices such as identity theft. About a month ago, my Google Adsense account was hacked by scammers/hijackers, but luckily i reclaimed it back. you shouldn’t be in such state..imagine what it feels like. Online theft is a serious issue and no body should ever be in such biosphere. With the above been said without missing words, here are some ways to Easily Identify Online and Off line Theft…
Read This: How I Successfully Reclaimed My Lost Google Adsense Account
What is Identity Theft?
Practically and in a simple format, when someone steals or attempts to steal your identity it is known as identity theft. Identity thieves use the victim’s personal information and details to fraudulently pose as the victim, usually for financial benefits.
How Do Thieves Steal Identities?
This is quite simple to answer…The identity thief uses the victim’s forecast/predicted identity for personal gain and this leads to identity fraud. They seemingly make use of personal information such as bank account details, social security or tax file numbers, credit card details or any other financial account information for their personal benefit. They can get hold of this vital datas or information through diverse online and offline methods.
Changing Your Address – If they know your home address, they can change the address and divert your bills and bank statements to a different address.
Phishing – They correspondingly send fraudulent emails or pop-up messages, pretending to be your financial institution to get you to reveal your personal details.In the offline world, some identity thieves resort to literally stealing your information.
Directional Stealing – They steal wallets, credit cards, mail from mail boxes, pre-approved credit offers etc. At the corporate level, they even target companies and steal personnel information from their databases.
Dumpster Diving – They rummage through the rubbish to look for identifying information or bills they can use.
I remember informing my readers of how i lost access to my Adsense Account for almost three weeks. Please ensure you’ve vividly read through it. Don’t become a victim of identity fraud; take these steps to prevent it from happening to you while you’re dating online.
Do not post or share any personal information and details with anyone, no matter how safe you think it might be. Bank account details, a credit card number or a social security or tax file number is often all a thief needs for fraud.
If you are talking to someone on the phone, get to know them before you give them your cell phone number. Identity thieves have been known to use home and work phone numbers in reverse phone directories to reveal addresses etc so it’s probably best you get to know someone a little before you share your contact details with them.
Keep a log of your chat or IM sessions wherever possible, just in case you need it in the future.
Do not entertain any requests to cash a cashiers check as these checks are usually fake and as a victim you not only lose your money but could also reveal sensitive personal information to the scammer.
Monitor your credit reports regularly to ensure there has been no unusual activity on your account. You can also freeze your report so credit issuers can only access your report when you give them permission to do so.
If you receive emails, text messages or phone calls asking you for sensitive information, make sure you double check with the bank or financial institution as they will usually not ask for sensitive information over the phone.
Use a locked mail box so your mail cannot be stolen and make sure you shred paper before you throw it in the garbage.
Getting Help
Sensitive information in the hands of a thief can lead to several kinds of identity fraud – credit card, bank and finance, government documents (getting a driver’s license in the victim’s name; using social security number), getting a job pretending to be the victim, renting services etc. Obviously an imposter is bad news and if you think you are a victim of identity theft/ fraud, you must get help immediately.
- File a police report.
- Immediately notify creditors.
- Dispute unauthorized transactions and doing so will help restore your name and credit report.
- Set up a fraud alert on your credit report to prevent the thief from opening further accounts
- Close the accounts that have been tampered with
