Identity Theft Posts

ID Theft Posts

ID Theft Posts

ID Theft Posts

Many of us spend a considerable amount of time in our vehicles.  That likely contributes to a certain “comfort level’, which may then lead to leaving information, or access to it, in the vehicle.  There are several opportunities there for criminals! First, the vehicle itself – stolen, then shipped overseas, or stripped down in a “chop shop” somewhere.  Always lock your vehicle and in urban centres, use the button, not your remote lock.  (We’ willLearn More

It will be surprising to many, but there are still a significant number of people browsing the internet and even doing some business by using only the “Search Line” on the monitor screen. In our seminars, we use the Royal Bank as an example and demonstrate the result of keying an actual Royal Bank website address on the Search Line.  We get multiple website options and show that screen shot on a slide.  And thatLearn More

Capital One Financial Corporation announced on July 29, 2019, they had determined that there was unauthorized access to the personal information of Capital One credit card customers. The perpetrator has been caught, but the event affected approximately 100 million individuals in the United States and 6 million in Canada.  The primary breach involved credit card application information; the perpetrator also obtained portions of credit card customer data, including:              –  Customer status data, e.g., creditLearn More

There is no doubt that texting has a number of advantages – speed, convenience and visible text are some important features.  However, there is one huge issue in that all is fine until the smart phone is lost or stolen. Let’s look at a real life story.  A woman had her purse stolen while shopping. Her purse contained her bank card and her cell phone and the cell phone had “Hubby” listed under “Contacts”.  ThatLearn More

Cheque fraud isn’t a topic that makes news headlines often, but it does represent a lot of business for identity thieves. The National Check Fraud Center now estimates Check Fraud in North America exceeds $1 Billion per year.  Again, it can be only an estimate because not all such fraud gets reported.  Several types of crime are all related to Cheque Fraud: Counterfeit Cheques – Forgery – Cheque Alteration – Bank Fraud and White CollarLearn More

Last month we published the first article on “Internet of Things” and since indications are that there is significant growth in this crime, more information may be useful.   You may recall that Internet of Things simply refers to all devices in your home which are accessed in any way via an internet connection.  While some statistics are from the U. S. Federal Trade Commission, it’s safe to assume Canadians have the same kind of risk.Learn More

Smart phones and tablets are used for a multitude of activities, including “Apps” which are downloaded for various purposes.  Home automation is becoming popular – allowing you to remotely control various equipment items in your home; everything from your refrigerator to your security system. Internet of Things is when you pair, or connect, your smart phone or tablet with all those consumer products, including your car.  Since you are using the internet to access thoseLearn More

In this post we’ll identify some criminal and some simply unethical activities you might encounter when travelling. In some countries, specific products may attract your attention.  One good example is hand woven rugs and carpets available in several Middle East and North Africa countries.  While some may be top quality at reasonable prices, others may be expensive but worthless.  Do some homework so you are somewhat knowledgeable about such products and what features to watchLearn More

We have two more scams to watch for when travelling. First is a currency exchange scam.  Getting your currency exchanged at a reputable bank or official exchange counter is the best way to stay safe.  Criminal organizations are offering the service at convenient locations using calculators that are rigged  to deliberately miscalculate the exchange rates.  Of course the miscalculation will always be in their favour, but unless you’re familiar with rates, you may not recognizeLearn More

Here are the remaining tips from ScamBusters to help keep you safe from travel scams: 7.  Make sure you get copies of all documents – examples include receipts, your itinerary and the company’s cancellation and refund policies. 8.  Don’t be a victim of the high pressure tactics used by the perpetrators of travel scams.  They will often demand that you accept the offer “today”, or advise you that this is the last day the offerLearn More

Here are 3  more tips from ScamBusters to help keep you safe from travel scams: 4.  If you are interested in a travel offer, ask yourself what is NOT included.  That could include service charges, processing fees and taxes – all of which you would be expected to pay.  Ask for details and don’t be satisfied with vague information such as “major airline”, without actually naming it. 5.  It’s a good idea to pay withLearn More

We’re nearing a busy vacation and travel season and scammers know people are looking for bargains.  ScamBusters have some tips to keep you safe and we’ll mention 3 of them here. 1.  If you receive a travel deal by e-mail, it’s most certainly a scam.  Most bulk e-mail travel offers or free vacations are scams.  If you receive the offer by phone, be skeptical.  If you’re not personally familiar with company, get the name, addressLearn More

Travel and vacation scams are often similar to various rental scams.  The scammer will advertise a vacation property that looks inviting with excellent terms, conditions and pricing.  It usually means that it looks like a good deal and there doesn’t appear to be anything suspicious. Unfortunately, the pictures may have nothing to do with any real property and the property itself may, or may not, even exist.  There will likely be some pressure to actLearn More

Scammers use these approaches to create victims by keying on the general reluctance and apprehension people have for courts and jury duty. The first one involves a phone call from someone advising that you didn’t show up for jury duty – that will create some fear of having done something illegal by not attending.  The scam is that the caller will then request that you provide personal information so they can update the file andLearn More

We continue to receive questions about the Equifax breach from last year, even though it hasn’t been in the news lately. The first thing to remember is that the breach was at Equifax US , not Equifax Canada.  We understand that only two groups of Canadians who may have had their personal information put at risk. 1.  Any Canadian residents who have U.S. Social Security cards.  We have met one individual who, although an AmericanLearn More