WITH SO MANY BUSINESSES ONLY
ACCEPTING CREDIT CARDS AS FORMS
OF PAYMENT NOWADAYS, YOU CAN
IMAGINE, ARE OUT ON THE PROWL.
FED
FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
CONSUMER NETWORK HAS REPORTED
NEARLY 56,000 IDENTITY THEFT
CASES IN TEXAS AND CREDIT CARD
FRAUD TOPS THAT LIST.
M
MICHELLE WELLS OF WITH THE BBB
IS HERE TO TELL US HOW THE SCAMS
WORK AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO KEEP
FROM BECOMING A VICTIM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US, MICHELLE.
THANK YOU, GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING.
SO HOW EXACTLY DO THESE SCAMS
WORK?
SO WITH ENOUGH INFORMATION
AND THEY CAN GET IT FROM VARIOUS
ENTRY POINTS, THEY CAN GET IT
COMING THROUGH ONLINE SHOPPING,
JUST GETTING ON A WEBSITE AND
THEN GATHERING INFORMATION
THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, THROUGH A
PHONE CALL, THROUGH MAIL, THEY
CAN EVEN GO THROUGH YOUR
GARBAGE.
THESE IDENTITY THIEFS CAN GET
THIS INFORMATION AND COMMIT ALL
KINDS OF CRIME.
THEY CAN CREATE APPLICATIONS FOR
CREDIT CARDS.
FOR LOANS.
THEY CAN WITHDRAW MONEY.
THEY CAN OF COURSE CHARGE THINGS
AND THEN THEY CAN ALSO SELL THAT
INFORMATION TO OTHERS.
SO -- AND IT CAN TAKE A LONG
TIME TO DETECT.
BECAUSE TYPICALLY WHEN THEY DO
SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEY MAKE
SURE THAT THE BILLS AND
STATEMENTS DON'T GO TO YOUR
ADDRESS.
SO IT MAY BE A WHILE.
IF YOU'RE NOT LOOKING, IT MAY
TAKE A WHILE FOR YOU TO KNOW,
THAT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE BECOME
VICTIMIZED.
SO PREVENTION IS REALLY REALLY
KEY HERE.
SO OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN TELL IF
THIS HAS HAPPENED TO US, IF WE
START SEEING RANDOM CHARGES THAT
WE KNOW DEFINITELY WE DID NOT
MAKE.
BUT HOW ELSE CAN WE TELL IF OUR
INFORMATION HAS BEEN
COMPROMISED?
YOU REALLY HAVE TO BE
PROACTIVE IN LOOKING FOR FALSE
INFORMATION.
SO YOU DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
YOU ARE REVIEWING YOUR FINANCIAL
STATEMENTS AND YOUR BANK
ACCOUNTS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND CHECKING UP ON THOSE.
AND CALLING ABOUT THOSE.
BECAUSE IF YOU CATCH IT EARLY,
YOU CAN PREVENT FUTURE CHARGES
FROM BEING ASSOCIATED AND YOU
CAN DISPUTE CHARGES OF COURSE.
THE OTHER THING YOU CAN DO IS
MAKE SURE -- ALSO IF YOU START
GET DEBT COLLECTOR CALLS AND YOU
KNOW THAT THEY'RE FALSE, YOU
CAN -- YOU NEED TO GO AHEAD AND
CHECK YOUR STATEMENTS AND YOUR
CREDIT REPORT.
SO YOU CAN GO TO
annualCreditReport.comANDCHECK
YOUR
YOURCR
YOURCREDITREPORTFORFREE ONCE A
QUARTER ON THAT WEBSITE.
YOU CAN'T GET YOUR SCORE BUT YOU
CAN SEE IF THERE ARE FRAUDULENT
THINGS ON THERE.
WHAT OTHER THINGS CAN YOU DO
TO PROTECT FROM BEING A VICTIM?
YOU NEED TO PROTECT YOURSELF
FROM HACKERS.
ONE OF THE MAIN WAYS TO DO THAT
IS USE STRAW -- I CANNOT
EMPHASIZE THAT ENOUGH.
TOO OFTEN, PEOPLE ARE USING THE
SAME PASSWORD FOR EVERY SINGLE
WEBSITE.
IF THE HACKER GETS THAT ONE
PASSWORD THEY HAVE ACCESS TO ALL
OF YOUR ACCOUNTS.
I KNOW IT SEEMS LIKE A HARD
THING TO REMEMBER.
KEEP A BASE PASSWORD AND THEN
SOMETHING THAT WOULD IDENTIFY IT
WITH THAT PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OR
WEBSITE AND ADD THAT TO IT, BE
IT AT THE FRONT OR THE END OF
WITH THE MIDDLE OF THAT PAS
PASSWORD.
THAT MIGHT BE AN EASIER WAY TO
U
REMEMBER THAT PASSWORD.
USE THE STRONGER PASSWORD.
DON'T USE YOUR MOTHER'S MAIDEN
NAME OR 123456 OR YOUR OTHER
THINGS THAT ARE EASY.
YOU WANT TO MAKE IT HARD FOR THE
HACKERS.
SECURE YOUR PERSONAL DOCUMENTS
AT HOME.
IF YOU HAVE A ROOMMATE OR PEOPLE
COMING INTO YOUR HOME.
YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT
ANYTHING THAT HAS PERSONALLY
IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION, WATCH
THAT.
SO THEY CAN'T ACCESS IT AND SEE
IT.
AGAIN, MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR
THESE SCAMMERS.
AND THEN YOU WANT TO BE ON THE
LOOK OUT FOR SPEAKING SCAMS,
AGAIN, PROTECT THE PERSONAL
INFORMATION.
BE VERY VERY SUSPICIOUS OF UN
S
UN-SOLIS SITED LOOKING FOR
ACCESS TO YOUR PERSONAL
INFORMATION.
THEN SAFELY DISPOSE OF THE
SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS.
WE JUST HELD A SHRED AND SHRED
OVER 3,000 POUNDS OF DOCUMENTS.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE
IN JACKSONVILLE.
IF YOU MISSED THAT ONE, YOU CAN
SEE US IN AUGUST IN
JACKSONVILLE.
THAT'S GREAT, MICHELLE.
NOW, THIS IS SOMETHING I WAS
SHOCKED TO LEARN ABOUT.
YOU HAVE FUN QUIZZES ON
FACEBOOK, WHICH HARRY POTTER
CHARACTER ARE YOU?
WHEN YOU AGREE TO DO THOSE, I
WAS SO SURPRISED HOW MUCH
THEY'RE WILLING -- YOU'RE GIVING
PERMISSION TO, BECAUSE YOU CAN
USE YOUR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT AS AN
EASY LOG IN FOR SAY STARBUCKS
AND THEN YOUR CREDIT CARD IS
LINKED TO THAT.
I HAVE 90 OF THOSE -- YOU HAVE
TO READ THE TERMS AND
CONDITIONS.
THAT'S RIGHT.
READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
AND THEN ALSO, THERE ARE A LOT
OF POSTS OUT THERE, LIKE, ASKING
YOU TO POST YOUR BIRTH DATE AND
THINGS LIKE THAT.
OR THINGS THAT ARE PERSONAL
ABOUT YOU.
THIS INFORMATION IS STUFF THAT
SCAMMERS CAN USE TO HELP FIND
OUT YOUR PASSWORDS.
GREAT TIPS RIGHT THERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US.
THANK YOU.
COMING UP NEXT ON "EAST TEXAS
LIVE," THE SPINNING OUT OF