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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
(NUI) - A serious new e-mail scam is emerging called "phishing" or "carding." Internet scammers are using increasingly sophisticated lures as they "fish" for users' financial information and password data.
In one common ploy, criminals pretending to be from legitimate businesses tell recipients that they need to confirm or validate their information to keep their accounts active and direct them to look-alike Web sites - tricking consumers into submitting sensitive personal data.
Scams like these can have a serious impact on the growing crime of identity theft. According to the Federal Trade Commission, reports of stolen identities rose 88 percent last year, growing from 86,000 in 2001 to 162,000 in 2003.
"We recommend that consumers not reply or click on the link in the e-mail unless they are certain they are linking to a secure Web site," said Diana Don, Capital One's financial education director. "The FTC recommends you contact the company requesting the data by phone to verify that the request came from them and that they need this information."
Capital One also suggests reviewing bank and credit card records on a regular basis and reporting suspicious activity to the police.
Most importantly, experts agree that consumers must act quickly in order to save themselves from fraudulent expenses charged on credit cards. Prompt action can also save the government valuable time in their efforts to curb online crime and catch "phishing" criminals.
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