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Advice from www.paypal.com

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What is Identity Theft?

Identity theft is when your personal information is stolen and used illegally to open accounts in your name. Recent reports indicate that identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in Europe and America.

Techniques used to steal information.

• Phishing and spoof. Impersonating a well-known organisation through fraudulent (phishing) emails and spoof websites. Find out more with our Spoof (Phishing) Guide.
• Examining litter. Scavenging through rubbish bins to find old bank statements or other documents with personal information.
• In person. Eavesdropping or spying on people during financial transactions.
• Hacking. Breaking into computer databases and retrieving information.

PayPal protection against identity theft.

PayPal works 24/7 to help safeguard your privacy and protect your identity by using advanced technology and vigilant monitoring.

• If you get an email that may be fraudulent, alert us by forwarding it to spoof@paypal.com.
• PayPal lets you shop without sharing your bank or credit card account numbers with the merchant.
• PayPal provides free Equifax Credit Alerts to all US customers, giving you peace of mind with early warnings of potential identity theft. To find out more, go to the Equifax Credit Alerts Guide.
• We deploy fraud prevention technology that monitors transactions for suspicious activity.
• We work with law enforcement to assist in apprehending and prosecuting fraudsters and to identity thieves. Read how PayPal’s fraud investigators helped stop cybercrime incidents.

Preventing Identity Theft

Five Ways to Thwart Identity Thieves

1. Guard your information, online and offline.While news headlines make identity theft seem like it’s mainly an online issue, you should recognise that there are also very real offline dangers.
   • Litter doesn’t always end up in the dump. You are in greater danger from identity thieves rummaging for important papers in your litter or breaking into your mailbox than from online theft.
   • Stolen wallets can become stolen identities. Much identity theft is a result of stolen wallets, chequebooks and credit cards.
   • Offline precautions. To protect yourself, consider shredding documents containing your personal information, such as account statements, keep your post safe and empty your wallet of anything you don’t absolutely have to carry.
2. Don’t respond to email or phone calls asking for your account information.
   • Phishing emails. Phishing (fake) emails are made to look like they’re from legitimate companies but are actually from identity thieves. These emails warn you of account problems or other urgent issues to trick you into clicking through to a spoof website or calling a fake customer service number.
   • Spoof websites. A fake website is meant to mimic a website from a well-known company. It will ask you to enter your user name and password or other account information. Once you do this, you’ve given your information to someone who might use it to do you harm.
   • Genuine PayPal email. We will never ask for your password or financial information in an email. You should only share information about your account once you’ve logged in to https://www.paypal.com directly from your browser.
   • Phone Calls. Beware of unsolicited phone calls claiming to be from customer service centres and requesting that you provide sensitive personal information. You should hang up and call the number on the company’s website.
3. Pay safely.People have become smarter about sharing their National Insurance numbers – but often don’t think twice about sharing other sorts of sensitive information during transactions.
   • Cheques. When paying with a cheque, you’re handing a piece of paper with your bank name, account number, address and signature to a stranger. Industry analysts report that cheque fraud is a significant problem.
   • Online payment systems. When using online payment systems like PayPal, you get a secure way to complete a transaction. With PayPal, you can pay without the merchant ever seeing your credit card or bank account number. This significantly limits the information that you share in a financial transaction.
4. Protect your computer.
   • Software protection. The key to securing your own computer is to use protective software and keep it up to date. Make sure that you install all security patches available from the developer of your operating system. Run antivirus software to check incoming emails and update virus definitions frequently. Set up a firewall to prevent intruders from getting into your network or computer.
   • Password protection. Always choose strong passwords to protect accounts. Mix upper and lowercase letters. Use symbol characters. Create unique passwords for each one of your accounts.For more information, read PayPal’s Keeping Your Passwords Safe.
5. Stay alert.
   • Act Quickly. The longer a breach goes undiscovered, the more costly it becomes. Your chances of suffering significant financial damage from identity theft are significantly lower if you discover the breach within six months of its occurrence. After six months, you are more likely to lose money or spend hours untangling a truly difficult situation.
   • Monitor your accounts frequently. Log in to your PayPal account and also check credit card activity and balances often to look for suspicious activity.

Fighting Identity Theft

• For PayPal Accounts. If you suspect your PayPal account has been compromised, we’re here to help any time, day or night. Go to Contact Us - Protections/Privacy/Security - Report Fake Site/Spoof.
• For banks and credit card companies. Contact the fraud departments, explain that you suspect you’re a victim of fraud, and ask the company about their procedure for handling identity theft cases.

Report it to law enforcement.

• For all identity thefts. Contact your local law enforcement agency and file a report.
• For more serious thefts.It is especially important to have a crime-report to back up your story with your bank and credit card companies. In some cases, you may be directed to file a report in the jurisdiction where the crime occurred.

Contact your bank or credit card issuer to find the appropriate anti-fraud agency or department to work with.

Be vigilant.

• Striking twice. While everyone should be alert, identity theft victims have to be even more careful for six months to a year following an identity theft incident.
• Extra caution. Following an identity theft, it’s vital that you check your account activity and balances often. It is also advisable to order a credit report periodically.

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