As a New Hampshire and Massachusets private investigator, I’ve come across several individuals who are suffering the repercussions of identity theft. Thousands of dollars lost, debts piling up, credit suffering – quite literally, identity theft can ruin your life. We know this, yet the occurrences are growing at an enormous rate. In Massachusetts alone, more than 4,000 people were victims in 2007.
Unfortunately, some of these occurrences can be dropped directly at the door of technology. In this case, I’m not speaking of computers themselves, although the lack of real computer security has long been a bane of mine. By technology, I mean the Internet. With social media platforms, instant messaging, email transfers and any number of other communications, identity theft is easier than ever.
How can you protect yourself? Here are ten tips to do just that:
1. Understand that “knowing” someone online is not the same as meeting them in person. Con artists can be patient. If you’ve never met them in person, do not give out personal information.
2. Do not share personal information online – of any kind. Any kind of online form of communication, whether it’s email or IM, is subject to being hacked. If you must share your personal information, do so over the phone rather than through the Internet.
3. Create a “catch-all” email address. Yahoo and Gmail offer free email accounts. Rather than share your personal email address, create a “catch-all” using an account name that can’t be followed to you. For instance, rather than yourname@gmail.com, use something that has no relevance such as catchall@gmail.com. Once the account is created use the new email address any time you need to share one online. Only allow contacts that you know well access to your personal email account.
4. Do not post family pictures. It’s amazing how many individuals using Facebook or MySpace post family photos believing these social media platforms are secure. Any online service is subject to being hacked. The more personal information and photos you have on your profile, the larger an invitation it is to con artists. As well, photos can show a large amount of information of information by accident, such as house addresses and license plates.
5. Do not respond to people you don’t know. On Instant Messaging platforms such as Skype and Yahoo, anyone can message you unless you specifically set your account otherwise. If you use IM platforms for business and can’t set your account to block those not on your message list, be wary of unknown contacts. Do not click links that show up in these IMs. They often lead to websites that can install spyware.
6. Do not share files through IM, especially if you don’t know what that file contains. If you need a file from a contact, use a program such as Google docs to do so.
7. Whenever an update is offered, use it. From Mozilla’s Firefox to Yahoo Messenger, AVG Security to Norton, programs will occasionally offer updates. Often, these updates contain anything from minor program adjustments to major security fixes. Don’t ignore them. If at all possible, use the updates – don’t use outdated applications!
8. Do not use third-party applications unless sure of their origin. Take Hoote Suite, for example. Hoote Suite is a third-party application, which means it isn’t an application offered by Twitter. Do not assume an application that can be used for a social media platform is safe. To be even more secure, only download applications that the actual service offers, rather than through third-party providers.
9. Never post or comment if someone is going out of town. “My husband heads off to Toronto today for a week long conference” is a common type of statement on social media platforms. However, these types of comments are also targets for con artists, as well as criminals with even more dangerous ideas.
10. Never follow any link that leads to an account you own, whether it’s your Facebook account or your online banking account. If you receive an email or posting with a link to one of your accounts, don’t ignore it, but don’t follow it. Instead, type in your account’s main page and login in through your browser as you normally would, rather than using the posted or emailed link. If you can’t find the information from the email within your account, such as a security warning, call the contact number posted on your account for the service. In this way, you have a better chance of keeping your account information secure.
The main points to remember if you’re going to be active online: anyone you meet online can be a con artist. Every piece of information you share online can be the piece needed to take your identity. Take it from a New Hampshire and Massachusetts private investigator – while the Internet is a useful thing, it’s useful for everyone, no matter what their intentions are.
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