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15 Ways to Avoid being a Victim of Fraud
Do not assume a credible-looking website is credible. Anyone can
create a website that looks legitimate.
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An old financial cliche that has been around much longer than the
Internet applies to Web deals, too: If it seems too good to be true, it probably
is.
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Be cautious of unsolicited e-mails and phone calls -- many are
fraudulent.
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Be wary of anyone who asks for personal information. Do not give out
any information to a person, business or web site you have not verified with
a reputable source.
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Your personal information should not be necessary unless you are
applying for credit. Do not give it out.
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Be suspicious of anyone who contacts you and claims to be from a
company with whom you have an account like a bank, credit card or phone
company. If they ask for information that the business already has, do not
give it to them. Call the company independently, using the contact
information on your statement or from the official Web site.
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Do not respond to offers that demand you act immediately or won't take
"no" for an answer.
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Legitimate charitable causes do not need to telephone or e-mail to
solicit donations or obtain passwords to accept donations. Do not respond to
these offers or pleas for help.
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Do not follow the unsubscribe instructions in unsolicited e-mail. In
many cases, it only verifies your e-mail address -- you will get even more
junk e-mail.
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E-mail addresses or Web addresses that have a company name in the
address are not necessarily from that company. Go to the official Web site
for contact information.
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Do not open e-mail attachments from unfamiliar sources. They could
contain malicious programs designed to steal your personal information.
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Watch out for pop-up windows asking you to enter in financial data.
Legitimate companies won't require you to submit sensitive information this
way.
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Keep your computer protected. Having anti-virus software is great, but
you also need anti-spam and spyware protection to keep scams and computer
intruders at bay. Utilize and update your firewall.
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Watch out for online job ads that read like get-rich-quick schemes.
Think about it. No company wants to pay gobs of money for someone with no
experience to do easy work.
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Complicate your passwords. Don't use a word or number easy to guess,
such as your significant other's name or birthday. Change them frequently.
Sources: Internet Fraud Watch, Internet Crime Complaint Centre
Twitter: @emgfraudconsult
Email: contact@emgfraudconsulting.co.uk
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Analysis and Commentary on Fraud, Money Laundering and other Financial Crime issues
Wednesday 1 August 2012
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