| Q: I recently received an email that | | | | most business men and women never think about |
| supposedly came from eBay that said someone | | | | it happening to them, at least on a |
| had attempted to log into my eBay business | | | | professional level. Consider this: if a |
| account without authorization (whatever that | | | | criminal can learn your business checking |
| means). The email instructed me to click a | | | | account number or the number of your company |
| link to re-enter and confirm my account | | | | credit card, they can steal far more from |
| information to make sure that my account had | | | | your business than if they had simply knocked |
| not been hacked. Being naturally paranoid I | | | | down the door and carted off your desk.Here |
| contacted eBay directly and found that my | | | | are a few ways to protect you from business |
| account had not been hacked and that this | | | | and personal identity theft.· Never give |
| email was actually from someone trying to | | | | out your first name, last name, business |
| steal my eBay account information. Is there | | | | name, email address, account passwords, |
| nothing that can be done about this kind of | | | | credit card numbers, bank account |
| thing? | | | | information, PIN number, social security |
| | | | number, or driver's license number.· |
| -- Wesley C.A: The only thing you can do, | | | | Change your online account passwords every 30 |
| Wesley, is be thankful that your paranoia | | | | days. Believe it or not, a hacker who steals |
| kicked in because you were about to fall | | | | your personal information can often guess |
| victim to just one of the latest attempts by | | | | your online account passwords in about two |
| thieves to steal your personal and credit | | | | minutes. If your Charles Schwab online |
| card information.As you discovered, the email | | | | account password is your birthday or the name |
| you received was not from eBay, but from | | | | of your first born or family pet, count on a |
| someone using a forged email address that | | | | hacker cracking that code faster than you can |
| gave the impression that the email was really | | | | say "Open Sesame."· Never provide personal |
| from eBay. If you had clicked the link to | | | | information in response to an email or |
| "re-enter and confirm" your personal and | | | | telephone call. Just because someone calls |
| credit card information, you would have been | | | | and says they are from Dunn & Bradstreet and |
| taken to a website that probably looked a lot | | | | need to confirm your business information |
| like eBay, but was really a fake site created | | | | does not mean they are really from Dunn & |
| for the sole purpose of stealing your | | | | Bradstreet.· Never give your business |
| information. You would have been instructed | | | | credit card number over the phone to place an |
| to enter your eBay account information and | | | | order with someone who has called you |
| other personal information, including your | | | | unsolicited. If you are interested in what |
| social security number, checking and savings | | | | they are selling get their number, check out |
| account information, driver's license number, | | | | their company, then call them back to place |
| and credit card number. In the end you would | | | | the order.If you think that you have become |
| have supplied the thieves with everything | | | | the victim of identity theft or think someone |
| they need to steal your identity.The eBay | | | | is trying to steal your identity or personal |
| scam is just the latest in a long line of | | | | information you should report them |
| sophisticated attempts to steal personal | | | | immediately to the Federal Trade Commission. |
| information through online means. Customers | | | | You will find more information on their |
| of PayPal, Amazon, Dell Computer, eTrade, | | | | website at more information on what to do if |
| Bank One, and many other online merchants | | | | identity theft happens to you visit should |
| have been the target of such scams in recent | | | | also remember that no reputable online |
| years.The shear number of eBay customers is | | | | company will ever ask you to log in and |
| the main reason that eBay has become the most | | | | completely re-enter your account information. |
| popular target of scam artists trying to | | | | Think about it. They already have this |
| steal personal information from individuals | | | | information. Why would they ask you to |
| and businesses alike.As we talked about way | | | | provide it again? The answer is: they |
| back in 2003, thanks to the Internet, | | | | wouldn't.Be careful out there.Here's to your |
| stealing someone's identity has never been | | | | success.Tim Knox |
| easier. At any given moment, there are | | | | |
| thousands of Internet thieves using all | | | | Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker |
| manner of high tech wizardry in an attempt to | | | | |
| steal personal and business information from | | | | Tim Knox is a nationally-known small |
| unsuspecting souls, and many times they can | | | | business expert who writes and speaks |
| gain access to this information simply by | | | | frequently on the topic. |
| asking the person to provide it through | | | | |
| fraudulent means, like a fake email.While | | | | For more information or to contact Tim |
| most people are familiar with identity theft, | | | | please visit one of his sites below. |