E-mail Theft Protection
Identity theft is rampant in e-mails. Do you know how to protect yourself from illegal messages?
The Problem: Your inbox is filled with messages from banks, online accounts and credit card companies. How do you know which ones are legit?
Don’t trust any e-mail that asks you to click on a link or provide personal information—even if it looks authentic. Many e-mails are programmed to unleash a virus simply by being opened. If you are curious about the status of your personal account, visit the Website by typing in the address yourself.
Millions of Americans become victims of identity theft each year by falling for e-mail scams. Don’t be fooled by subject lines that read: “Your account will be closed,” “Click this link” or “Verify your account.”
The Solution: Make sure you don’t become a victim of identity theft by protecting yourself from unauthorized e-mails. Never open an e-mail from an unknown sender or click on a link inside an e-mail either.
Action Step I: Reduce your spam by concealing your e-mail address. Displaying your e-mail address on Internet postings, Websites or directories gives criminals easy access to your information.
Action Step II: Create and use two e-mail addresses. Use one for personal communication and one for Internet use.
Action Step III: Filter your e-mail. Some e-mail accounts have a way for spam to be filtered out of your inbox and into a junk mail folder. This is a valuable option that should be considered when searching for a new e-mail provider.
Action Step IV: Log in to your accounts often. This way, if you receive an e-mail telling you there is a problem with one of them, you’ll know if it is genuine.
