Every year investigations by the Better Business Bureau uncover many scams.  The scams range from schemes that have been around for many years new gimmicks.   Many of the older scams are just recycled with different words or current issues are used to make them some newer. The top scam of the year, according to the Better Business Bureau, was a Phishing email claiming it was from them.  It was about a complaint, which could download malicious software.  This malicious software could mine financial accounts.

Here is an in depth look at the top scams of 2011 according to the Better Business Bureau.

• Job scams—every year the BBB sees many working from home and secret shopper scams but they cannot only kill your hopes of making money but also steal your personal information.  The websites, online applications, and scam emails look professional but how they get your personal information is to as you to fill out a report to check your credit or else a form to direct deposit your money to provide some bank information.  These forms are just a way for the identity thief to capture your sensitive personal information that can be used like your bank account number, Social Security numbers, etc.
• Lottery and sweepstakes scams–the top scam was the email that stated it was from the founder of Facebook telling you that you had won one million dollars from Facebook. Read the rest of this entry »

There are so many identity theft scams that it would take a long time to list them all and each day there seem to be even more.  When it comes to identity theft scams the scammer will use a variety of “hooks” to get you to fall for their scam.  Those hooks can include “you have won a prize”, “you are being considered for a great job”, or “someone died and left you a fortune.”  Here are just some of the many identity theft scams that are making their rounds.

The Lottery Winner

In this scam you will either receive a phone call or a letter telling you that you have won some foreign lottery that you do not even remember entering.  This should be the first red flag.  They then proceed to tell you that all they need is your address and name to make the check out too and for tax purposes they are going to need your Social Security number.  What this identity theft scammer is hoping is that the person they contacted is greedy enough to let them in the front door, so to speak and be able to steal your personal information.
You are Hired

You know that you have put your resume on various online job-seeking websites but have not been interviewed nor offered a job so how can you be ready to be hired.  When the company calls you to let you know that they would love to hire you for a fabulous position.  They fax you tax forms and a job application and all you have to do is fill them, return them, and you get the job.  Unfortunately this company is also asking you for personal information.  This should give you some indication that it is very possible that this is a scammer or identity thief and you should not give them any personal information.
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Many people are taking advantage of online shopping because it is easy and convenient.  You do not have to leave the house, fight the crowd in the store, fight for a parking spot and deal with rude store clerks.  When you decide to shop online there are some things that you should remember to make it a safe experience.

You should always know who you are buying from and if it is a store that you have not shopped at before make sure that you take some time to research the store to see what other customers have to say about their experience shopping at this store.  You can even call the number for customer service and ask about their guarantees and policies.  If you cannot find a phone number send them an email and ask them these questions and any others you might have before you buy anything from them.

Make sure that the store’s website is encrypted so any personal and financial information is secure before it is sent over the internet.  One way to make sure that the site is encrypted is to make sure that the website address begins with “https” and not “http” before you hit the send button.  The “S” on the end of “http” means that the site is secure and it is safe to send your personal and financial information.
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Any type of malware is not good but there are some that are more damaging than others causing your to lose files, total loss of security, and even identity theft.  Here are some of the most damaging malware that you do not want to find on your computer.

Overwriting Viruses

There are some viruses that can cause certain file to be deleted and even the whole drive contents.  If a user acts fast enough the deleted files may be able to be recovered.  What an overwriting virus does is to use malicious code and over write the original file using the code.  When this happens, the file cannot be recovered because it was replaced or modified.

Ramsomware Trojans

This type of malicious malware will encrypt files on your infected computer and then ask for money in exchange for the decryption key.  The victim is affected in two different ways.  They cannot access their important files and they are a victim of extortion.

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Almost every company now has the option for its customers to switch to electronic statements or billing. From banking to credit card accounts all the way to utilities, online bill paying is becoming a more popular choice. There are many benefits to avoiding paper statements and bills for these types of accounts.

One of the biggest reasons this is the first choice for some is that it reduces the amount of paper that is being used every day. Going green is a great reason. When you add up all of the different accounts you have and then multiply that by how many sheets of paper each saves by doing business electronically, the number is amazing.

If you are one of the many people who find that online banking is the best choice for you, then you may already know what measures the financial institutions are taking to ensure that you are safely using their websites. One thing that these sites have in common with other sites is that they require you to log into their system to access your information. This is just the first step in a sometimes long process.

Remember when you are answering the security questions to gain access to your account that there is good reason for such drastic measures. A site that does not require you to answer questions, at least on your first visit, is not doing all they can to keep you safe. You should also remember that you need to take some steps you keep your personal information safe as well.

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