Sure-Fire Way To Eliminate Internet Identity Theft

Are you worried about protecting your online identity?

You should be.

According to the Wall Street Journal identity theft affects as many as 10 million Americans and costs individuals and businesses $55 billion annually. That means with a 34% increase in broadband users for last year and 45% increase in DSL subscribers, online attacks continue to rise.

What can you do to make sure your identity doesn't get stolen? Learn to recognize the most common dangers the thieves exploit to steal millions of dollars from you, and then take steps to protect yourself.

When most people think of online attacks they assume the attacks are initiated from outside of their computers, far across the internet. That is not always true.

When I was on the high school wrestling team I had a Japanese buddy who studied judo. He showed me that instead of wasting all my energy, the most effective method for taking down an opponent was to use the opponents own momentum and body against him.

The same is true with internet identity theft. Thieves use your inexperience against you. Instead of burning all their energy trying to attack you from the outside, they trick you into doing things that leave you vulnerable.

You may think most people know not to give away their banking information, social security number, credit card numbers, and other identity online. But the thieves are very clever.

They first setup fake web pages that look exactly like real eBay, PayPal, Wells Fargo Bank, or other financial institution.

Then they email you claiming they need you to login to verify your personal information or to protect your account because someone supposedly is using your identity or account in some foreign nation.

They urge you to login ASAP so they can stop further theft from your account. So you click the link, the site looks legit, you login with a legitimate account information, and then mistakenly give away your social security number and bank accounts and other contact information. They then rob you blind and steal your identity.

NEVER click a link in email and then give away your personal information or login information. ALWAYS use your browser to go directly to the official site of eBay, PayPal, or wherever and then login with your information. That way no matter how `legit' an email may sound, you will never become a victim of such email scams.

Another scam is to claim it is from a member of some international government or company seeking to launder money into your country. They tell you you've been selected to help smuggle millions of dollars into your country in exchange for a portion of the funds if you will just keep quiet.

What they are really doing is trying to get you to give up your identity and `bait' you into giving up your cash.

Think it doesn't work?

One such scam has bilked Americans out of 10 million dollars all by itself. And to think, there are thousands of such scams being used worldwide.