Protecting Your Online Personal Information
by: NickMakaryk |
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Sad as it is, there is the danger of being victimized by criminals everywhere these days. You may not even see them, but they are there waiting for an opportunity. One of the biggest threats to your security is identity theft over the internet. For tech-savvy criminals around the globe, stealing credit card information is rapidly becoming the most popular crime to commit.
The most common way for criminals to get credit card information is through phishing, which involves a fake email that appears to be sent from your credit card company. Normally, this fake email states that there was an error with your account, or that it was accessed by unauthorized personnel and needs your attention.
Spotting fake emails isn't hard to do - as long as you know what to look for. The most obvious hint for most, is the fact that they don't even have a credit card from the company that has sent the email. For others, the link is what gives the fake email away. Anytime you get an email from a credit card that you believe to be fake, you should always hover your mouse over the link, then "right click" the link with the mouse and select "view source". If the link is indeed fake, the website address that comes up will be something other than that of a credit card company.
Most people do not know that this is a standard function with any computer. Fake emails will include a link to their version of the credit card company's website. Most often, it will be identical to the real website in almost every way. This includes banners and logos that your credit card company may use.
It is very easy to duplicate a website, even the novice criminal can do it. By using the mouse and right click method, you can obtain the criminals real website address. It is important to remember that using this method is not totally safe, it can be used to infect your computer with spyware or viruses. It is better to avoid it altogether and just delete the email.Many people fall victim to these scams every year. Once you have entered your personal information, you are a victim. The information is all the criminals' want, and when you supply it, you have given them carte blanche to ravage your accounts and your life. Once they have your credit card and social security number, they can use it in any way that they can think of.
If you receive an email such as this, you should always delete it. Even if you just click on the fake website to investigate, you may do more harm than good. Even though you may not enter any information at all, your computer may get infected with viruses or spyware simply because you clicked on the link. To avoid this altogether, you should never click on a link that you believe to be a fake credit card company website.
Criminals are everywhere today and you can't necessarily tell who they are. You have to take steps to protect yourself from their scams. If you get an email claiming to be from your credit card company, call them and ask if it is legitimate. Don't call any telephone number given in the email - use the customer service number from your credit card statement.
For the sake of your financial health, it is imperative that you take precautions and keep yourself safe from these scammers.
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About the Author
Nick Makaryk is a Editor who works with Best Credit Cards to help individuals make informed credit decisions. For easy to use online Credit Card Applications Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service
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