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