Identity Theft Scams

Every year, thousands of people lose their money and personal information to identity theft.  Identity thieves use different types of fraud to try to trick people out of their money or information.  Below are a few identity theft scams for you to be aware of to help protect yourself.

• Dumpster Diving: Thieves will rummage through trash looking for bills or other documents with your personal information.
• Skimming: Thieves steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card, for example at an ATM. Once the skimmer captures the information found in your card, it can be used to perform credit card fraud or product counterfeit cards.
• Phishing: Thieves pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up email messages to get you to reveal your personal information.
• Vishing: Thieves pretend to be financial institutions or companies and call by phone to get you to reveal your personal information.
• Pharming: Thieves create a fake version of legitimate website to get you to reveal your personal information.
• Malware: Thieves create software that when installed on your computer or mobile device can steal your personal information.
• Account Takeover: Thieves steals a business’s or individual’s valid online banking credentials and then uses those credentials to initiate funds transfers out of the account. Businesses can be targeted due to the lucrative nature of the targets, as well as consumers because individual accounts often do not have the same protections and levels of security that are regularly applied to business accounts.
• Old-Fashioned Stealing: Thieves steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. Thieves also steal personnel records from employers, use social engineering, or bribe employees who have access.