Tips on keeping your identity, property, & money safe

Don't provide your credit card or bank information to a web site or over the phone unless you are actually buying something.
Your social security number should never be given out unless you are applying for a credit card or bank account.
Be wary of social engineering attempts.
Be
careful entering contests with unfamiliar companies. Companies you
already do business with may be generally safe, however, some marketers
may only ask for your information in a contest entry form just to find
easy victims. If they don't already have have your contact details,
check them out before giving out any personal information.
Stay
away for the easy/free money scams. You can generally count on being
scammed if a web site or email claims you can earn cash with little or
no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make
money on a high yield investment with little/no risk.
- Get a credit card or loan from a reputable source such as Bank of America's credit card listings.
- If
  you have bad credit from debt and can't get a loan or credit card then
  look into repairing your debt and getting out of it. The site Debt-Proof Living is a good place to start.
- High yield investment programs are almost always guaranteed to be either scams or extremely risky. Stick with putting your efforts into investing and get rich the way most millionaires do...the slow but certain way.
Make a visit to the site PC Hell for spyware and adware removal help.
Before
paying for high dollar items, your time (and money) might be well
served by checking with your state or local consumer protection agency,
such as the Better Business Bureau, to ensure the company in question doesn't have a bad track record. You can find our listing with the Better Business Bureau here.
Protect yourself from online scams involving the use of the Better Business Bureau's name such as is found in this press release.
Avoid
downloading programs from unfamiliar Web sites. Illicit sites contain
viruses that destroy computer files or connect your modem to a foreign
telephone number, resulting in expensive phone charges.
Find even more tips at the National Consumers League's Internet Fraud Watch

Sharing is good. If you have a comment about this entry, please feel free to share. The comments might be reviewed by our staff, and may require approval before being posted. Questions posted will not be answered. Please submit a Ticket for support requests.

Image Verification Required

Please enter the characters that appear to the right in the space provided. This is just to verify that you are a human.

Full Name:

E-mail Address: (Optional)

Comment: