Question : What do you do to protect yourself from online fraud or identity theft?
In order for computer users to transact with confidence online, it has become increasingly important for them to protect personal and confidential data like their passwords, credit card numbers and account information. What are people doing to protect this valuable data?
- asked by Marian Merritt
All Answers:
Answer #1
stop trusting companies with your credit cardspeople!...because some ppl can quickly get intothat without a problem...so I've heard.
- answered by Louisiana!
Answer #2
I just dont give it out, or open any spam e-mailsor ones from e-mails i dont know. I also usenorton 2007. It checks if the website is a fraudvia toolbar so yea, im safe.
- answered by death_taru1
Answer #3
Personally, I try to do business thru paypal andno problems the last 9 years or so.But if you haveto give a company your credit card number, make anote of it and check your account for the nextcouple of days for any unauthorized purchases. Ilike to use Master Card for example as I canalways reverse charges and if someone were tosteal the number, I do not have to pay nothing,but ony thru my credit union. All banks aredifferent on this. Do not be stupid and fall forthe online scams. They may ask for money to mayYOUR big winnings. Or they may ask for your bankaccount number and home address so they candeposit the money. What it says in the fineprint, is that they will deposit YOUR money inTHEIR bank account. Besides, tell them to mailyou your check. You can wait.And there is neveran excuse for giving out your social securitynumber too. Giving that out along with your homeaddress to anyone is a recipe for disaster.Did youknow you can google credit report and get a FREEonce a year credit report to check on your creditrating. So be like me and find out with a bigsurprise someone was using your name. Three yearslater, still trying to clear it up. I am too cheapto get a lawyer. Besides, I do not need it butthose credit card companies really do not want towork with you I find out so check your creditrating. Who knows. You might need to buy a houseor something and then find out too late.
- answered by Big C
Answer #4
I only use trusted online companies to shop with.
- answered by James Dean
Answer #5
Make sure that the website you are using beingswith https instead of http. This means that thewebsite is secure and your information will not beintercepted by a third party.
- answered by Jason B
Answer #6
There are insurance plans to help your if youridentity is stolen. What I do is constantlymonitor my bank statements. I have to rememberwhat I spend my money on and make sure my bankstatements say the same.On another note, youridentity can be stolen even if you have never usedthe internet. So checking to make sure all yoursites are secure won't always help. Your data isstored electronically through other companies andgovernment agencies.
- answered by Fara
Answer #7
get norton 360 or something like that free onesnever work propley
- answered by bibby7@btinternet.com
Answer #8
go to smartcomputing.comfor your answer
- answered by TomTom
Answer #9
Use a secure browser like Firefox for all youronlinetransactions.
http://www.cybertopcops.com/firefox-the-safe-alternative.phpCommon sense and vigilancealso plays a vital role in your online safety.Hereis an article about safe online shopping. It waswritten during the Christmas season last year, butis just as applicable to any shopping any time oftheyear.
http://cybertopcops.blogspot.com/2006/12/safe-online-shopping-tips-for-late.html
- answered by c_plus_plus_genius
Answer #10
I use F-secure Antivirus to protect my computerfrom viruses sent by e-mail. I also don't answerany e-mails from people I don't know.
- answered by jracer524
Answer #11
I use firefox as opposed to internet explorer, Ittypically runs more website, more smoothly, and itis also a lot more secure than internet explorer.
- answered by timthesharpshoter
Answer #12
The only way I can think of is to buy a InternetSecurity system. I had one a couple of years agoand it told me whenever a person was trying toaccess my internet, and it suggested if i shouldblock it or not. this would definately help a lot.You should go to any good electronic type storeand ask one of the workers there to help you. theyprobably know more than anyone else about internetsecurity. To help with interent credit card use,if you are using a credit card with any bigcompany, i dont think it would be a problem. maybeyou should check your credit card holder'swebsite, maybe that would help. I hope this helps!If you need more help, just ask anyone you know:I'm sure they would be able to help you out andthey could tell you what they do to securethemselves from the internet.
- answered by freakychad
Answer #13
To protect myself from online fraud or identitytheft is make sure to never ever give out anyinformation that i would mind freely yelling outto the entire world. If i do need to give info, itypically will make up names and other things togive out instead of any personal info. You shouldalways remember that no matter how safe the siteis, there is some genious nerd out there justwaiting to hack into it and get your info!!!
- answered by silversparkle_13
Answer #14
Do not open email attachment from unknowncontact.Do not fill any form from the linkprovided in email rather go to the site by typingthe url yourself.when filling online form, makesure you are not filling it to any phishingwebsite.
- answered by mehul_trivedi
Answer #15
Apparently not enough. The ID and Password for aYahoo account no longer work even though I've beenusing it for about 7 years! And since I didn't usemy actual private information when I registered-and have since forgot - I cannot get a newpassword and Yahoo refuses to help. Which seems tomean Yahoo doesn't take kindly to people trying toprotect themselves.
- answered by othnielia_rex
Answer #16
I don't give out personal information unless I amthe one who has chosen to contact a siteinitially. I don't ever give out enoughinformation for someone to open an account in myname - especially not my Social Security number. I always give out the minimum amount ofinformation necessary to do whatever it is thatI'm trying to accomplish online; I keep a closeeye on my debit/credit/bank accounts, so that Iknow very quickly if something is awry. Inaddition, I use a couple of different servicesthat will alert me if unusual numbers oftransactions occur, or if unusually large amountsof money are being charged to my account. Morethan anything, I simply use common sense - ifsomething seems "fishy," there's a good chancethat it is!
- answered by dances_with_unicorns1955
Answer #17
First of all I notice the asker of this questionis brand new to Yahoo Answers. I would first offnot give information to new members of yahooanswers about what I do to avoid or protectpersonal and confidential data or information.Yahoo Answers should not be posting posers wholike to pretend they are like the ordinaryperson...
- answered by lag_time2
Answer #18
I am careful about online transactions and onlyuse secure sites.We tear up any checks from thebank where they try to get us to write ourselvesloans and we have contacted the bank and told themwe don't want these checks sent to us.We neveropen attatchments from strangers and we trash allemail from strangers.
- answered by redunicorn
Answer #19
My personal methods are very low tech. Tho I amadmin of a net bd and spend at least 4-6 hrs a dayon line I simply do not put personal info on lineor store it in my computer in any form. If it isnot there it can not be stolen from there. Ialso do not leave computer on line or if in awireless or DSL location even turned on if I amnot using it. I use the full Nortom protectionsplus some others and have these things set to scanand update daily. Because of the work I do on netI have free contact w/ consultants who are up onthe latest scams and protections and also seeInfoworld's data on them but the methods I havethe greatest confidence in are the low tech ones. That is policy in our office as well. Turningcomputers on takes less than 60 seconds. It iswell worth that to be sure we do not have mice.
- answered by A F
Answer #20
I never use my own name for email addresses.Basically most identity theft does not come fromtransactions you do on the internet. It is verysecure. Big dont's: Never give personal accountinformation to any source that solicits it fromyou, like Emails that say, We belive your accounthas been compromised, please login and verify youraccount information. May frauds come looking likethe real sites, AE Paypal ect. If such informationis requested then contact the company directlyand verify the request? Most will say that is afake scam. Dont worry so much, it really ispretty safe to do online business. Just make sureit is something you requested and no asolititation asking for information.
- answered by a2z_4me
Answer #21
Use as many passwords as you possibly can- makesure your passwords are of good quality (mix ofletters, cases, numbers, symbols) - make sure youhave at least a software firewall and a virusscanner - don't give out any personal informationover an unencrypted connection - use securitysoftware to scan outgoing data to see if anypersonal information is being sent out withoutyour permission - give as little personal info. aspossible especially when signing up to servicesthat technically don't require that info. - usepaypal instead of paying with your credit cardwhen possible - always check your statements, bankrecords, credit records etc. regularly - be waryof suspicious looking sites with funky urls -never give out personal info./password info. viaemail or phone - lol that's all I can think of..
- answered by Basil
Answer #22
I don't open any emails from anyone I don't knowand I change my passwords alot. After I have madea purchase and received my purchase I erase anyprivate info whatever company I am doing businesswith has. Incase any one hacks into the businessesI do business with.
- answered by Faith In God
Answer #23
Shred anything with sensitive numbers onit.Password protect your computer.Set browsers tohigher level of security.Don't even open phishingemails.Don't keep credit card data on yourcomputer.For starters....
- answered by DLeibowitz
Answer #24
Well if your young you shouldn't do this enless uact secret like a agent lol.You have 2 meet theperson (enless your young)b4 you talk 2 them ifYOU think the intrnets not safe 4 YOU.Keep all boginfo private.And teenagers,stop giving info onyour games.AND DON"T ASK 4 PERSONAL INFO IN HTEFIRST PLACE!
- answered by David M B Callahan the 2nd
Answer #25
I do not give my social security to anyone,anyone, online.I make no online purchases--I dopay my utility bills, but on secure sites.No oneonline has my correct name or address (other thanthe utility companies--and those bills are insomeone else's name).
- answered by mamabear
Answer #26
I never give my card number on line if I want toorder something i order it then call the companyand give them the card number. And I don't givemy real info on line.
- answered by michelle
Answer #27
i don't give any info on the computer. i will calland have info sent to my home. fill it out andmail it back or tell it over the phone.
- answered by loretta
Answer #28
well: according to safety I do not giveinformation also keptprivate at all times
- answered by toddk57@sbcglobal.net
Answer #29
I don't bank online--that's probably the biggie. I don't check credit card balances online--I do itthe old fashioned way--I pick up the phone andcall the 800 number on the back of my card. Whatshopping I do online I only do with companies thatI'm familiar with. I change my passwordsregularly.
- answered by basketcase88
Answer #30
Hey I know the best way to protect yourself! Useone of those "giftcard" credit cards! The oneswere you put however much money you want on it andbuy what you need! If they try to swipe thenumbers or info of the mag strip your just goingto have watever was left on your card after youbought watever u were buying! Just put like 20bucks more than what you need on it and voila! Nobig loss and the credit card cmpny will reimburseu!
- answered by tenowest
Answer #31
Watch for phishing, and variants of the Nigerianmoney scam; these are often nowadays in the formof "You have won a lottery!" Report all attemptsat phishing to the appropriate financialinstitution.Deal with only trusted merchantsonline, verifying that the web site issecure.Monitor credit card and other accountsclosely.Burn all documents containing identifyinginformation. Shredding is not good enough.
- answered by rhsaunders
Answer #32
i dont shop online nor even talk to strangers on the net. ( chat ) . and the websites that i visit are totally free from viruses. so you know it now. i am totally safe.
- answered by stupid
Answer #33
- Don't give out your real name and otherparticulars unless absolutely necessary. Use fakeinformation instead. - Register up to 5 or moredifferent email addresses. Try to rotate yourforum/website registration between these emailaddresses. - Avoid registering to too manynewsletters. Though they're fun to read, often thecompany also keeps your email addresses forcertain purposes, some more sinister than others.And the user has no control and no say should saidcompany decide to sell off your information toanother company. - Use Anti-spyware programs likeAdaware, Spybot Search and Destroy, AVGAnti-spyware, CWShredder, Bazooka, SpywareBlaster,etc, - Make sure you have a good anti-virusprogram or if you can't afford a commercial one,at least get a free program like AVG. And makesure your anti-virus program is up-to-date and |
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