9 Ways to Protect Yourself from Online Fraud

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As a professional organizer I frequently work with people who have been the victims of Internet fraud and I bet you probably know someone or have heard of someone who has also been a victim. Become proactive and protect your identify so you wont become a statistic of Internet fraud.

We live in a wonderful world where technology is always at our finger tips but we need to use it wisely and make sure our personal identity is protected. In getting rid of clutter on our computers we also need to be conscious of online fraud and ID theft.

One way to protect yourself from online fraud and ID theft is to use free state-of-the-art Rapport security software from Trusteer. Trusteer.com works with leading banks to prevent criminals from taking money from your accounts. Their service has been specifically designed to combat online banking and shopping threats and represents an essential part of your banks security systems.

Other things to do to protect yourself online:

* Don't click pop-ups and don't download files from websites you don't trust.
When making online transactions, be sure web addresses begin with https (not http) and look for a key or padlock icon in your browser window.
Don't surf to other sites while you are visiting a secure banking site; finish banking, always log out and close your browser before you move on.
Don't click links or open attachments in suspicious emails.
Never send personal or sensitive information by email.
Choose passwords that are difficult to guess and change them on a regular basis. An internet technology expert told me to use complex passwords. A complex password has a capitol letter, a symbol, a number and lower case letters. These dont need to be in any particular order nor do they need to be long. The people looking for personal information have programs that search by all words that are in the dictionary. By creating a complex password it thwarts their efforts to get your personal ID. An example of a complex password: P@ssw0rd
Back up your important computer files at least once a month.
Dont let spyware sneak onto your computer to give others a peek at information you enter online.
Phishers are looking to lure you with bogus emails and pop-ups that seem safe. Dont take the bait. If you think someone is phishing for your personal information, forward the email to spam@uce.gov and also to the company, bank or organization that was being impersonated.

Onguardonline.gov provides practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information.

This site offers topics on computer security, games to test your Cyber Smarts with Interactive quizzes and videos about online safety.

There is also a section with information talking about parents having the right to control what information websites collect from their kids under 13.

When we are getting rid of clutter in our homes or offices we are careful to take measures so people wont get our personal information, but we also need to be just as careful with our information on line.