Knowing the Market

There are folks out there who use their powers for evil, not
good. Let’s not give them the opportunity to sneak into our
lives and wreak havoc. Submitted for your reading pleasure are
some of my tips to protect yourself and your identity.

Gone Phishin’ When I was a wee lass, my Grandpa George would
take me to the pond on a warm Saturday afternoon and we’d fish
for hours. Unfortunately, this type of Phishing has nothing to
do with warm fuzzy memories of my Grandfather.

Phishing (sounds just like fishing) usually arrives in your
inbox in the form of a spoofed e-mail message. It sure looks
legit, huh? Well, it’s not. Phishers blast e-mail messages in
the hopes you’ll take the bait and click the links, which will
redirect you to a fake website. What do they want? Your account
numbers, PIN numbers, SSNs: anything they can use to gain entry
to bank and brokerage accounts and other financial information.

Remember, your brokerage, bank, credit union and credit card
provider will never ask for this information via e-mail. They
will never ask you to login to your account to confirm
information.

If you feel you’ve been phished, do not access the links
included in the e-mail. Also, reporting the phishing to your ISP
and the Anti-Phishing Working Group
(http://www.antiphishing.org/).

The Paper Trail - Snatch that Receipt I bet you’re the type to
leave the receipt at the gas pump and at the ATM when you make
that late night deposit. Smack on the hand and shame on you -
stop doing that! Take ALL receipts when you make a purchase or a
deposit, when you return items, etc. When you go to the clothing
store, take the receipt out of the bag and place it in your
wallet.

Save all receipts until you receive your end-of-month statements
(see Two Dollars below). Also, don’t throw away your receipts;
see my notes on shredding

It’s … Like … Magic! Pet Peeve: Folks who use cheesy passwords
to protect their online accounts - you people make me crazy! I
recently hired a client and I’m managing several e-mail accounts
for him. Guess what password he used for ALL of them? You
guessed it: magic. I immediately changed the passwords on all of
the accounts and then we had a chat.

You should never use a word you can find in a dictionary as your
password. You should never use your birthday, the names of your
wife or children or dog as passwords. Use a combination of
letters and numbers and where possible, add special characters
such as a bang (!) to your password. Also, change your passwords
frequently, such as once a quarter or every six months.

What’s the “S” for, Anyway? Ever notice certain website changes
when you’re making online purchases? There’s an “s” which
appears after HTTP, for starters. This let’s you know you’re on
a secure server. Also, check the status bar on the window you’re
using to make the purchase. You should see a yellow padlock –
mouse over the lock and you’ll see the encryption level for the
site.

If you don’t see both of these items, do not make the purchase
right now and notify the vendor. Go back and make the purchase
at a later time.

I Didn’t Charge Two Dollars Every month, without fail, I want to
you check your statements from your credit union, bank,
brokerage, credit card companies — any institution from which
you receive a paper statement or an online statement. If the bad
guys have access to your account, they may try and slip in a
small charge before coming with the big guns. Take a look at
each and every line item and verify you’ve made the purchase. If
something is amiss, call that institution immediately.

The Joy of Shredding I have a special “shred” basket near my
desk and shred all of the basket’s contents at the end of the
work day. My personal receipts, which I no longer need and have
reconciled against my online statements, get shredded. All
working documents I’ve printed or proofed, especially for my
attorney clients, are blitzed at the end of day as well.
Anything which may personally identify me or one of my clients
gets the treatment.

You have no logical excuse for not owning a shredder. Price?
Hardly an issue. You don’t have a car to get to the office
supply store? If you’re reading this article that means you’ve
got internet access. Start a new browser window NOW and access
your favorite online office supply vendor. You’ll have your new
shredder in a matter of days and you too can become a Shredder
Queen (or King).

We live in a different world from just a generation ago. Be
smart, be aware and remember that if something seems too good to
be true, it is.