Protecting Yourself from Modern-Day Identity Theft
Althea Floyd
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A winning Nigerian-lottery number. The perfect man or woman. A long-lost relative whose millions you've inherited.
No, it's not an episode of your favorite soap opera; it's the state of today's Internet. And the most important thing to remember is: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 
Each day inboxes all over the world are flooded with scammer's e-mails, and keeping an open and watchful eye out for popular scams can help stop more people from loosing money and experiencing heartache. Popular website scambusters.org reveals recent scams, as well as tips for protecting yourself against them. One of the most important words to watch for when dealing with someone you don't know, Audri Lanford, PhD, one of the cofounders and coeditors of scambusters.com wrote on the website, is social security number. Once a scammer has that number he or she can access more of your information, leading to identity theft, a crime local law enforcement officers have trouble solving due to the global nature of the internet, according to a Sheriff's department representative in Indiana.
The Federal Trade Commission identifies a crime as identity theft when a person uses another's personal information to commit Fraud or other crimes, estimating that about 9 million U.S. citizens have their identities stolen annually. Identity thieves can use the personal information they obtain to order services, like phone, cable, or electric, in the victim's name and then default on the bills, ruining the victim's credit. Identity thieves can also apply for loans and other financial services in the name of another. Illegal residents in the United States can actually purchase social security numbers from identity thieves, which the illegal residents then use to obtain work, work whose earnings will cost the identity theft victim money in taxes! Once the thieves have your social security number, they have an open door.
No, it's not an episode of your favorite soap opera; it's the state of today's Internet. And the most important thing to remember is: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Each day inboxes all over the world are flooded with scammer's e-mails, and keeping an open and watchful eye out for popular scams can help stop more people from loosing money and experiencing heartache. Popular website scambusters.org reveals recent scams, as well as tips for protecting yourself against them. One of the most important words to watch for when dealing with someone you don't know, Audri Lanford, PhD, one of the cofounders and coeditors of scambusters.com wrote on the website, is social security number. Once a scammer has that number he or she can access more of your information, leading to identity theft, a crime local law enforcement officers have trouble solving due to the global nature of the internet, according to a Sheriff's department representative in Indiana.
The Federal Trade Commission identifies a crime as identity theft when a person uses another's personal information to commit Fraud or other crimes, estimating that about 9 million U.S. citizens have their identities stolen annually. Identity thieves can use the personal information they obtain to order services, like phone, cable, or electric, in the victim's name and then default on the bills, ruining the victim's credit. Identity thieves can also apply for loans and other financial services in the name of another. Illegal residents in the United States can actually purchase social security numbers from identity thieves, which the illegal residents then use to obtain work, work whose earnings will cost the identity theft victim money in taxes! Once the thieves have your social security number, they have an open door.