U.S. SECRET SERVICE

U.S. SECRET SERVICEU.S. SECRET SERVICE““Worthy of Trust and Confidence”Worthy of Trust and Confidence”

SCAMS & SCAMS & IDENTITY THEFTIDENTITY THEFT

IDs

SCAMMER

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FORKNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR


VICTIM PAYS MONEY TO SOMEONE IN ANTICIPATIONOF RECEIVING SOMETHING GREATER IN VALUE BUTRECEIVES NOTHING IN RETURN:

NIGERIAN ADVANCE FEE SCAM

• Government Official, Lawyer, Judge,Law Enforcement, Doctor, Widow, CEO

• Official Looking Documents or Checks

• Sense of Urgency

• Confidential nature emphasized

• Delivered by Regular Mail, E-Mail, Telephone

• “Wire”, “Send”, “Ship” $ or Deposit $ Into Account


BEWARE OF SCAMS!!!!BEWARE OF SCAMS!!!!

• BLACK MONEY $$$$$$

• JOB ADVERTISEMENT SCAM

• IRS/TAX RETURN SCAM

• eBay/PayPal SCAM


BEWARE OF SCAMS!!!!BEWARE OF SCAMS!!!!

• JURY DUTY SCAM

• VISA/MASTERCARD FRAUD SCAM

• FREE CREDIT REPORTS

• U.S. SECRET SERVICE SCAM


TACTICS OF AN ID CRIMINAL

IDs


WHAT SHOULD YOU DO????• STOP!STOP! THINK FIRST, ACT SECOND!!!

• NEVER give out your personal info over thephone or internet unless you initiate the contactand you know you are speaking to a true companyemployee. • Conduct your own background investigation.

• Companies should never ask you for yourpersonal information over the phone or via email.DON’T RESPOND!

U.S. SECRET SERVICE FRAUD ALERT FLYERU.S. SECRET SERVICE FRAUD ALERT FLYER


HELPFUL WEBSITESHELPFUL WEBSITES

Federal Trade Commission www.consumer.gov/idtheft/

Identity Theft Resource Center www.idtheftcenter.org/index.shtml

ScamBusters www.scambusters.org

Looks Too Good To Be Truewww.lookstoogoodtobetrue.com


IDENTITY THEFT FACTS AND IDENTITY THEFT FACTS AND FIGURES:FIGURES:• FASTEST GROWING CRIME IN THE US

• TEXAS IS 5TH IN THE US FOR MOST IDTHEFT VICTIMS

• APPROXIMATELY 7 MILLION PEOPLEBECAME VICTIMS OF ID THEFT IN 2002-2003

• INCREASED 11-20% BETWEEN 2001-2002

• INCREASED 80% BETWEEN 2002-2003

STATISTICS PROVIDED BY ITRC


STATISTICS PROVIDED BY ITRC

IDENTITY THEFT FACTS AND FIGURES:IDENTITY THEFT FACTS AND FIGURES:(CONT’D)(CONT’D)

• VICTIMS SPEND AN AVERAGE OF 600 HRSRECOVERING FROM ID THEFT CRIME

• VICTIMS SPEND AN AVERAGE OF $1400IN OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES

• APPROXIMATELY 85% OF VICTIMS FOUNDOUT ABOUT THE CRIME DUE TO ANADVERSE SITUATION


Use a website that looks like the website of the legitimatecompany.

Sender pretends to be a legitimate company, bank orofficial.

A fraudulent scheme involving Identification Theft typicallyby email.

PHISHING

BADBADGUYGUY

YOUYOU


How identity thieves use your information:

TACTICS OF AN ID CRIMINAL

• Open a new credit card account using yourSSN, name and date of birth

• Use your credit card number to make purchases

• Open up bank accounts in your name andwrite bad checks/counterfeit checks

• Drain your bank accounts• Buy a car and take out a loan in your name

• Set-up phone, wireless or utility service• If arrested, they give your name and info to

police and don’t show up for court


HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF

BUY A SHREDDER:• Charge receipts• Copies of credit applications• Insurance forms• Physician statements• Checks and bank statements• Expired charge cards• Credit offers you get in the mail


HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF• Deposit outgoing mail in post

office collection boxes orat your post office ratherthan an unsecured mailbox

• Promptly remove mail fromyour mailbox

• Request a vacation hold fromPost Office if away for anextended time

• Failure to receive bills, statements OR receivingstatements you did not apply for

MAIL THEFTMAIL THEFT



• Opt Out of Pre-Approved CreditCard OffersCall (888)5-OPT-OUT orwww.optoutprescreen.com

• Opt Out of Receiving Junk MailSend Letter To:Direct Marketing AssociationMail Preference ServiceP.O. Box 643Carmel, NY 10512

OR www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglistdave

MAIL THEFTMAIL THEFT


HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF• Limit the identification info and

the number of credit/debitcards you carry to what youactually need

• Never carry your Social SecurityCard in your wallet

• Monitored Alarm System at Home

• Secure/hide personal informationin your home

• Ask about security procedures at your place of work andat businesses/doctor’s offices that collect yourpersonal information. Why my SSN? Disposal?

STOLEN PERSONAL INFOSTOLEN PERSONAL INFOWALLET, WORK, HOMEWALLET, WORK, HOME


• Pay Cash instead of usinga credit/debit card

• When using your credit card/or writing a check:

- Be wary of your surroundings - Attempt to conceal your personal information - Try to keep an eye on what the store clerk, waiter does with your credit card

HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELFSKIMMING/ATM FRAUDSKIMMING/ATM FRAUD


• When possible, use ATM machines you arefamiliar with; contact your bank if you noticeanything out of the ordinary

• Monitor your bank and credit card accounts frequently


SKIMMING/ATM FRAUDSKIMMING/ATM FRAUD


HOW TO DEFEND YOURSELF• LOOSE LIPS, SINK SHIPS!!

““PRETEXTING”PRETEXTING”

• Never give out your personal info over thephone unless you initiate the contactand you know that you are speakingto a true company employee.

• THINK FIRST! ACT SECOND!!Before giving out personal information, verify this is a real representative of thecompany. Conduct your own backgroundinvestigation.

• Area Code Decoder: http://decoder.americom.com/cgi-bin/decoder.cgi



PHISHINGPHISHING

• Do not open or respond to emailsyou know are scams – DELETE!

• Never provide personal informationover the internet unless youinitiate the contact AND …

• You are using a secure browser to guard the onlinetransaction: httpss://www.website.com://www.website.com Look for security iconsLook for security icons



PHISHINGPHISHING

• Companies should never ask youfor personal information withan email, SO DON’T RESPOND!

• Independently contact companysupposedly sending the email

DO NOT use links or phone #s listed in thesuspect email

• Use complex passwords; do not use auto log-in

• Update your virus protection software regularly;recommend using a Firewall



ORDER YOUR FREE CREDIT REPORTS!!!ORDER YOUR FREE CREDIT REPORTS!!!

www.annualcreditreport.com

OR CALL 877-322-8228

Review your credit reports. Look for:• Inquiries from companies you did not contact• Accounts you did not open• Debts on your accounts you can’t explain• Check for accuracy of your personal info• Get fraudulent or inaccurate info removed/corrected


““MY ID’S BEEN STOLEN! WHAT DO I DO?!”MY ID’S BEEN STOLEN! WHAT DO I DO?!”

STEP 1: Contact the fraud department ofone of the three major credit bureaus.• Request a fraud alert be placed in your

file (effective for 90 days)• Request a victim’s statement that asks

creditors to call you before openinga new account or changing yourexisting accounts

• Order current copies of your credit report(these reports will be no charge)



STEP 2: Close the accounts that you knowor believe have been tampered with oropened fraudulently• Ask the company/bank to send you fraud

dispute forms or find out what stepsyou need to take to clear your name

• Checks – Stop payment on all checks andask the bank to notify their checkverification service (ie. ChexSystems)



STEP 3: File a report with local police orwith the police department where theoffense took place.• Be prepared to provide copies of the

report to the credit card company orbank. They may need this as proof toerase debts created by the ID thief

NOTE: For Mail Theft incidents you may also try theU.S. Postal Inspection Service



STEP 4: File a complaint with the FTC• This info can help Law Enforcement• Refer the victim to other agencies that

can help.


Equifax1-800-525-6285www.equifax.com

Experian1-888-EXPERIANwww.experian.com

TransUnion1-800-680-7289www.transunion.com

THREE CREDIT BUREAUSTHREE CREDIT BUREAUS

U.S. SECRET SERVICE

Documents

Transcript of U.S. SECRET SERVICE