If you should get a phone call of this type make sure that you do not give out any information even if they sound legitimate for the simple reason is that you did not initiate the call.  Some of these scammers are so smart that they can even have your credit card company’s number show up on the caller ID by spoofing your caller ID.  Only trust calls that you make by using the number on the billing statement or on the back of your credit card.  If you get any numbers in an email or left on your answering machine that you do not know do not call them back and give them any personal information.

Call your credit card company immediately if you mistakenly give out your personal information.  The credit card company may give you a new credit card number or even a new credit card and deactivate the old one to prevent fraudulent charges from being made on your account.
Make sure that you check your credit card statement closely each month when you get it to see if there has been any unusual activity.  If you spot any unusual activity make sure that you call your credit card company and report it immediately.  If you mistakenly give out your social security number make sure that you place a fraud alert on your credit report.  You just need to call one of the credit reporting bureaus and they will let the other two know about the fraud alert.

The best line of defense is if you should get any type of phone calls like this to hang up.  Credit card companies would not be calling and asking you for your credit card number or security code because they already have your credit card number.

Here are some tips to follow to help prevent identity theft from giving your credit card number out.

• A very simple first rule is never give your credit card number to anyone who calls you no matter what story they give you why they need this number even if they tell you that they are not trying to sell you anything and that they are only trying to verify some information.
• If you get an email that asks you to visit a certain website or make a phone call to verify your credit card information do not respond to either one because an honest business will not ask you to do either one.
• Identity thieves like to send out emails pretending to be from some well known store so if you get any offer via email be suspicious.  Often the email will contain a phone number that actually belongs to the identity thief and not the store so if you do you will be giving your credit card information to an identity thief.

• If you are ordering something from a catalog make sure that you have the right phone number and try to make sure that you are not using a cell phone or cordless phone to place the order because it is possible to eavesdrop on those calls although it is not very common.
• If you have more than one credit card choose one with a low credit limit to use as the credit card that you only for phone and internet purchases just in case your number is stolen the limit on the card will not be that high.  Let the bank or credit card company know that the limit is to be raised only with your written permission.

These are just a few tips that will help you have credit card protection and help prevent identity theft.

Here are some things that you should and should not do to make using your Smartphone for your online banking needs.

Do….

• Make sure that you stick to using your bank’s apps for mobile banking.  If there are any well-reviewed and trusted third-party personal finance apps you can use them instead.  These you can download directly from the app store for your Smartphone type.
• Look at your phone as a personal computer and you will be able to minimize your risks of identity theft or being hacked. One thing that you can do is for identity theft protection is to install antivirus software on your Smartphone just like you would do for your laptop or computer.
• Make sure that you keep track of your Smartphone and know where it is. If you keep it in your purse make sure that it cannot fall out or that no one can steal it from your purse.  When you are out and about check often to make sure that you have your Smartphone with you.

Do Not….

• Use public WiFi access to conduct your banking business because you cannot be sure that it is secure.  You should opt for wireless networks that will require you to use a network security key or some other form of security.
• Be the first one to use your bank’s new apps but wait until they have been around thirty to forty days before you download it.  The reason is that sometimes early versions of these apps are not safe or contain malware
• Send text messages on your SmartPhone that might consider sensitive and personal information such as your checking or savings account number, your account passwords, or Social Security number.
• Be fooled by text messages or emails that ask for personal information because these may be Phishing messages that claim to be from your bank and ask for more personal information.

When you look at these ads, they want you to not only have an open e-Bay account but also a PayPal account without any limitations.  Some even put in their advertisements that they are looking for hard working, honest people.  When you answer their ad they will send you the information of what they want you to see, how much you get to keep as a fee which may include the amount that e-Bay charges you for listing the items.

They will then send you the information about the item that you are to advertise for sale, a picture or two of the item, how and where they want it listed on e-Bay and their PayPal address to send the money to.  Once you have it all set up on e-Bay you have to send the link to the person you are selling the item for so they can make sure that it is done correctly.
Once the item is sold, you take your fees which can be as much as twenty five percent or a set price plus the fee e-Bay charges from the amount the prospective buyer has sent you for the item.  In your description of the product you have also listed when they item will be sent out.

Within a few days or weeks after the item is suppose to be shipped out, you get a notice that your PayPal account is put on temporary hold until they get the shipping information such as a tracking number so they can make sure that the item has been shipped.  When you contact the person who is suppose to ship out the item, you do not get a reply even after several attempts to contact them.

By this time you know it is a scam and you are left with refunding the money the customer sent you in good faith for an item that never really existed or the worst you may actually be a victim of identity theft.  Your good name with e-Bay has been tainted, your PayPal account may be closed down for fraudulent activity, and you are out a lot of money.

Identity theft scams can also happen over the phone and one of the more popular ones that are happening right now is called the jury duty scam.  The identity thief will call someone randomly and tell them that they missed jury duty, and there is a possibility that a warrant will be issued for their arrest because of it.  They then tell this person that they can fix it and have the warrant dismissed if they will provide them with some information such as the person’s Social Security number.  All they want is that Social Security number.

There is also the “grandma” scam in which the caller tells the person that their grandchild, nephew, or niece needs money wired to them urgently for one reason or another.  Usually the victim is an elderly person.  The scammer might also tell this person that they have won a large sum of money and need their Social Security number to verify that they are who they say they are so they can receive the money.

When scammers or identity thieves get this information they can use it in several ways.  They can use credit card numbers to purchase a lot of goods and services, then not pay the bills, leaving the victim with the job of straightening out the mess.  With Social Security numbers, identity thieves can use them to get a job, open a new line of credit, and they can even use the numbers to file tax returns and get the refund.

In addition to cyber world crimes, identity thieves can get your personal information by dumpster diving, stealing mail out of your mail box, stealing mobile devices, and much more.