-
-
-
-
-
-
If you
can answer "yes" to any of the following questions, you could be
involved in a fraud or about to be scammed!
Click here.
|
The IACP/Bank of America team
has several tax season precautions to help
prevent identity crime:
-
Be extra wary of
“phishing”
Phishing is the act of sending an
e-mail that falsely claims to be from an
established legitimate enterprise to scam
the recipient into surrendering private
information, either directly by reply or by
sending the recipient to a bogus Web site
that looks like the site of the established
legal enterprise. The scammer then uses that
information for identity crime. Tax time is
ripe for such criminal activity. For more
information about what to do if you suspect
a scam related to your taxes and/or the
Internal Revenue Service (IRS), please
visit:
http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=155344,00.html.
-
Safeguard your
electronic files
If your tax files and related
information are stored on your personal
computer, safeguard these electronic files
with passwords and/or encryption.
-
Choose your tax
preparers carefully
According to the IRS, no matter who
prepares your tax return, you are ultimately
responsible for its accuracy. Investigate
before selecting a reputable tax
preparer—remember that this person or
organization has unfettered access to your
vital information. Be sure the preparer does
not sell, share or release your information
to third party sources.
-
Submit your return
securely
Send in your tax return
electronically through a secure Web site. If
you do send your completed tax return
through the mail, take it to the post office
rather than leaving it in your mailbox.
Leaving your return in a publicly accessible
mailbox makes you and your information a
rich target.
|
www.IDSafety.org is brought to you
by the International Association of
Chiefs of Police and Bank of America,
and is designed to help consumers and
law enforcement combat identity crime.
We encourage you to visit
www.IDSafety.org frequently for
updated information and resources. |
|
STAY INFORMED
The
following is a list of scams and fraud causing victims
millions of dollars.
-
NEW CREDIT CARD PHONE SCAM -
Click here to read more.
-
809 PHONE SCAM -
The Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) has become aware of a long distance phone scam
that may lead consumers to inadvertently ring up
high charges on their phone bills.
Click here to read more. (you will be
redirected to the FCC website)
The Internet is a
natural breeding ground for scam artists and criminals
because it lends itself to anonymity. Perpetrators can
hide very effectively by "spoofing" or quickly changing
their email address, and/or by using offshore or
"zombie" computers. A "zombie" is a computer with
a Trojan-horse installed. The Trojan lets the Trojan
owner access the computer remotely. Now it can be used
as a staging ground for anonymous attacks on other
computers. Email spam and bogus websites are often
used to perpetrate fraud.
-
NIGERIAN 419 SCAM -
Named after its Nigerian criminal code,
the "419" scam has circulated for years through snail
mail, fax, and email. The US Secret Service, who
refers to it as the Nigerian Advance Fee Fraud, has
dedicated an entire section on its Financial Crimes
Division page. It calls the crime a growing epidemic.
This hoax email, which has too many variants, all appear
to have been sent by a deposed African official or a
relative of one. The email messages ask its recipients
for assistance in transferring or handling a sizable sum
of money, offering a corresponding share for such
service.
Click here to read more.
-
PHISHING
- Con artists phish by spamming
the world with counterfeit email. Their message appears to
come from a widely recognized business like Sprint, America
Online, eBay, Yahoo!, American Express, etc. It may even
incorporate copies of the company graphics. The objective of
Phishing trips is to get into your account, or worse yet,
steal your identity. These fake messages urgently
request some personal information -- your account number,
date of birth, Mother's maiden name, credit card expiration
date, etc.
Click
here to see examples of phishing.
-
IDENTITY
THEFT - Identity theft occurs when
someone uses your personal information without your
permission to commit fraud or other crimes.
Click here to
read more on the Federal Trade Commission's id theft
website.
-
ONLINE AUCTION FRAUD -
The single largest category of
Internet-related complaints to the U.S. Federal Trade
Commission’s (FTC) Consumer Sentinel international database —
51,000 complaints in 2002, and officials expect even more in the
coming years.
TIPS TO
AVOID BEING A VICTIM OF FRAUD
-
If you receive an
unexpected e-mail saying your account will be shut down unless
you confirm your billing information, such
as a Social Security number,
do not reply or
click any links in the e-mail body.
-
Before submitting
financial information through a Web site, look for the "lock" icon
on the browser's status bar. It means your information is secure
during transmission.
-
If you are uncertain
about the information, contact the company through an address or
telephone number you know to be genuine.
-
If you unknowingly supplied
personal or financial information, contact your bank and credit card
company immediately.
-
Monitor credit card and bank statements for unauthorized charges.
-
Suspicious e-mail can be forwarded to uce@ftc.gov,
and complaints should be filed with the state attorney general's office or
through the FTC at
www.ftc.gov.
-
Consumers should also report fraudulent or suspicious e-mail to their
Internet service provider.
The following is a list
of helpful websites:
www.usps.com/postalinspectors
www.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com
If you are aware of any scams that
you feel should be included please feel free to submit them for review and
inclusion in our list. Submissions can be sent to
KGallick@SwataraPolice.org.
Please include a return email address or phone number. We especially like
to hear from our residents, so if you are from Swatara Township, include that as
well.
 |
