Protect your identity online by following these steps
Guard your Social Security number. Never use it on medical forms – if asked, write “available upon request” – for a job interview, when applying for a grocery store reward card or when booking travel. If you believe the number has been compromised, contact the Social Security Administration to get a new one.
Use only one credit card for online shopping, and never use a debit card.
If the IRS rejects your attempt to file your tax return, or if you receive any unusual mail from the agency such as a tax transcript you didn’t request, or it notifies you of suspicious activity, contact the agency at the number listed here to report possible identity theft.
To prevent losses through business email compromise scams
Learn and teach employees basic email safety techniques.
Confirm urgent emails from supervisors or vendors demanding immediate wire transfers. In fact, urgent requests are the most suspicious.
Assure employees that double-checking whether these purportedly urgent emails came from the listed sender will not result in criticism or punishment.
Never purchase a gift card requested by a supervisor through email or text.
Human resources officials should never change bank accounts for direct deposit if employees ask by email or text. Always call to double-check that the request is real.
This article accompanies Heists Worth Billions, an investigation from The Conversation that found criminal gangs using sham bank accounts and secret online marketplaces to steal from almost anyone – and uncovered just how little being done to combat the fraud.