Identity Theft Consumer Information

SCAMS and FRAUD

Scam and Fraud techniques and activities that were once conducted door-to-door, by phone or by postal mail have migrated to the World Wide Web in the form of phony websites, interactive online communities, emails about financial propositions or account alerts, spyware disguised as free downloads and more. Here is broad definition of “what is a SCAM” and “what is FRAUD”

• The SCAM is ‘how’ the criminal attempts to take your identity information, or gets you to react or respond in the manner they need (i.e. the scheme).
• FRAUD is the act of ‘using’ your information or personal access (that was scammed or stolen from you) for the perpetrators gain.

The following sections contain great resources and deep information for scams of all types …

TYPES OF SCAMSclick to view >>

SCAMS Information and Resources: This section reviews the most notorious SCAMS that result in Fraud: Online Auction Scam, Nigerian 419 Money Offer SCAM, Phishing Scams, Advance Fee Loan Scam, Work at Home Internet Scam, Fuel Scam, Jury Duty Scam, IRS Refund Scam, Social Security Phishing Scam, Report a Scam, Internet Scams, and more.
Industry Resources and Information on Identity Theft Scams

REPORT A SCAM OR FRAUDclick to view >>

Report Fraud: Report Internet Fraud, Report Credit Card Fraud, Report Tax Fraud, Report Credit Fraud, Report Identity Fraud, Report Online Fraud, Report Email Fraud, Report Social Security Fraud, Report SPAM email…and more! This is the web’s most comprehensive list of resources, authorities and organizations where examples and cases of scams and fraud can be reported.
Resources and Organizations where you can Report Various Types of Fraud

PREVENTION TIPSclick to view >>

Identity Theft Prevention Tips: Credit Card Fraud Prevention, Identity Theft Prevention Tips, Prevent Identity Fraud Tips…etcetera! Your First Defense to Prevent FRAUD is to “SHRED all documents and mail headed into the trash, and MONITOR YOUR CREDIT REPORT!!” This area has the basic identity theft prevention tips as recommended by the U.S. government.
Resources and Information for Identity Theft Prevention Tips

REPORT SPAMclick to view >>

Report SPAM to the U.S. government watchdog group: Want to get back at the spammers filling up your inbox with garbage? Email has an electronic signature that can be traced, or used as ‘partial DNA’ to contribute evidence or a trail for government spam hunters to find and build a case against criminal spammers.
Report SPAM to the U.S. Government Watchdog Group

Scams and Fraud News

Paypal Fraud, Paypal Email Scams and Avoiding Paypal Phishing
To access a Paypal account you need to have the username and password of the account. The username of a Paypal account is the main email address (primary email address) used to register the account. The owner of the account would also set up a password to be used along with the username to access the account. The security system is quite secure as long as the username and password of the ...read full story

Online Security and Email Scams
It does not matter whether you are a buyer or seller on the Internet. This article will be extremely useful to you. Even the casual web surfer would do good to be aware of the dangers of being online.

There are a few very rampant frauds being perpetuated on the Internet right now. Avoid being duped and ensure that you stay updated on the latest dangers on the net. Here is a list of th ...read full story

Email Scam Warnings!
Email Scam Warnings by BB Lee (C)2004

Most people online are very familiar with the Nigerian Email Scams. They've victimized thousands over the years and continue to do so. I am certain you've received many in your inbox over the course of your online experience. They are easy to recognize to the experienced. But if you are new online check out the following signs. These words a ...read full story

FTC Names Dirty Dozen Email Scams
The FTC has published 12 scams you are most likely to receive as email. They are:

1. Business opportunities

These business opportunities make it sound easy to start a business that will bring lots of income without much work or cash outlay. The solicitations trumpet unbelievable earnings claims $1,000 a day or more without doing any work. Many business opportunity solicitations cla ...read full story

Email Spam and Phishing

It seems like the volume of email spam has doubled in the last month. Increasingly, we receive daily emails for better mortgage rates, pharmaceutical discounts, and offers to enlarge body parts we don’t even have.

The next generation of sophisticated tools is available to email spammers. Hidden code can be embedded into email allowing the sender to track it. A “spam be ...read full story

Online Security and Email Scams

It does not matter whether you are a buyer or seller on the Internet. This article will be extremely useful to you. Even the casual web surfer would do good to be aware of the dangers of being online.

There are a few very rampant frauds being perpetuated on the Internet right now. Avoid being duped and ensure that you stay updated on the latest dangers on the net. Here ...read full story

New IRS Scam Hits Email Mailboxes
There is a new wave of email “phishing” that is showing up in email mailboxes this spring, unscrupulous scammers are now targeting the American public with email claiming to be from the IRS.

The ingenious fraudsters’ aim is to collect your Social Security number, credit card account information and banking account information. The emails, which look authentic complete with the IRS ...read full story

Protect Your Online Accounts from Phishing Scams
What is phishing? Phishing involves the sending of an e-mail falsely claiming to be from an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft. The e-mail directs the user to visit a Web site where they are asked to update personal information, such as passwords and credit card, social security numbe ...read full story

Paypal Fraud, Paypal Email Scams and Avoiding Paypal Phishing
To access a Paypal account you need to have the username and password of the account. The username of a Paypal account is the main email address (primary email address) used to register the account. The owner of the account would also set up a password to be used along with the username to access the account. The security system is quite secure as long as the username and password of the ...read full story

I’m new to Ebay, What Scams Are Out There?
I have been looking at the possibility of doing some Ebay trading. And, since I have been on the Internet for a while, I decided that I should see what Ebay scams, if any, was floating about. Why? It is always good to be aware of the good, the bad, and the ugly of any online venture. And since, I’ve seen all sides – it’s wise to have cautious optimism.

Wholesale List Scam

W ...read full story

IRS Warning Taxpayers About New Email Scams
If you have an email account, you know about all the scam emails you get. Scammers are getting braver and using the IRS name in their new tactics.

IRS Warning Taxpayers About New Email Scams

The IRS has begun warning taxpayers that it is seeing a surge in tax scam emails. Many of the emails even have the hubris to use the IRS name! Brave souls, indeed. Regardless, the scam ...read full story

Lottery Scam, what it is and how to avoid it?
Internet scams and frauds are on the rise! The quantity of scam
emails with various fraud schemes any email account receives
today is simply overwhelming! There is this infamous Nigerian
419 scam, which is by far the most widely circulated one. I wrote
about it in one of our ezine articles not long ago. You can read
about it here! And there are many other scams like L ...read full story

4 Tips to Avoid Internet Scams
This article may be freely reproduced
provided it is unaltered and the resource
box at the end is included.

4 Tips to Avoid Internet Scams

If you are new to the internet you will come
across numerous programs offering promises
of riches. You may know about people who have
become rich on the Net but you have also heard
about the scams.

How do you dis ...read full story

About Internet Scams
Are you tired of all those scams?

Are you tired of having your mail box filled every day with all those scams and pyramid schemes? I certainly am. Do you really believe that by signing up with any of those programs you will make $7,000 $10,000 or even a million dollars in the next two weeks as some of those programs claim? Come on! get real! The only people that make money with th ...read full story

How To Protect Yourself From Work At Home Scams
You have decided to start a home based business, but you want to find a honest, legit home based business.With all the scams out there , you are unsure of how to go about finding one that is not a scam. Before starting a home business, there are many factors to consider. Many work at home opportunities are honest and will not rip you off , but also, some are scams. By learning to researc ...read full story

How to Spot a Scam a Mile Off
Received the following forwarded email from a subscriber
this morning:

"I am an Executive Director with the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and a member of the
Contract Advisory Committee (CAC). I am seeking your
assistance to enable me transfer the sum of
$26,500,000 (Twenty Six Million, Five hundred Thousand
United States Dollars) into your priva ...read full story

The Truth About Internet Scams

Internet Scams

The Truth About Internet Scams.

Internet scams are more plentiful than ever. Most online scams have origins in the off-line world and they have been brought on board the net by con artists and frauds. Internet scams come in all shapes and sizes. But I'm going to show you some proven methods for sniffing out and identifying most scams on the net. Just read be ...read full story

10 Tips to Protect Yourself From Charity Scams

Charity scammers are very clever -- they know exactly what heartstrings to tug and how to make you think the scam is real. Here are 10 tips to help spot charity scams:

1. Ask for the name, address, and phone number of the charity -- and whether or not it is registered. If the presenters claim that it is registered, get a registration number.

Fake charity scammers often set ...read full story

How to Respond After Identity Theft Occurs

Identity theft has become one of the most frequently reported crimes. But, maybe you are asking yourself: What is identity theft? I am glad you asked.

Identity theft is the wrongful use of your name, birth date, social security number as well as financial records and banking information.

An identity thief obtains this information by going through your trash, or by pretendi ...read full story