Identity Theft Protection
Many people are familiar with protecting against identity fraud at home, but several steps can be taken at Rice to further guard against this invasion of privacy and the emotional and financial repercussions it entails.
- Do not discard unshredded credit card offers or information.
- Do not provide personal or financial information by e-mail.
Spammers are Scammers: Delete and Ignore
As annoying as e-mail spam can be, responding to unwanted e-mail messages only encourages additional messages. The majority of spammers are in fact scam artists fishing for potential customers (victims). In the case of scammers, a response actually provides a viable target for additional messages. No amount of irate or reasonable responses will result in removal from the scammer's hit list; the best course for spam e-mail is to delete and ignore.
This phony fishing for customers is one interpretation of the term "phishing". Many popular phishing schemes are debunked at snopes.com. For additional information, see the snopes.com site and search on "phish".
Protect Your Identity and Your Computer
The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) publishes their top 8 cyber security tips at http://www.staysafeonline.info/practices/index.html
Additional resources for protecting your computer and your identity can be found in government and private sector web sites including:
- http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
- Equifax's "How Identity Theft Strikes"
- Better Business Bureau page on Identity Theft
