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May 10, 2006
Requests for info look legit, but the motives are not
The BBB urges consumers to play it safe on the Internet
VANCOUVER – Sometimes the subject lines hint at great wealth - “Triple your income”. Other times, they imply that a business is offering you a great deal - “We have four lenders competing to refinance your home”. Frequently, the e-mail is disguised to appear to be from a legitimate financial institution - “Please update your online banking records” or a government agency - “Get tax refund on your Visa or MasterCard”.
While these and other unsolicited e-mails may appear to be legitimate, the Better Business Bureau knows otherwise. “Con artists use emotional triggers when targeting unsuspecting consumers and employ the latest technology tools to expand their pool of victims,” said Sheila Charneski, President of the Better Business Bureau of Mainland BC.
The BBB reminds consumers to “play it safe” on the Internet and protect their personal information when shopping, banking or investing online. The Internet offers a convenient, easy and safe means to shop for products and services when consumers use common sense and select reputable merchants.
When shopping on the Web, look for trust marks from reputable third-party organizations, such as the BBB Reliability Seal. When this seal is displayed on a website, it demonstrates that a company is in compliance with credible online privacy principles that ensure consumer confidence while shopping on the Internet.
“Don’t get hooked by phishing scams,” said Ms. Charneski. She explained that phishing is a technique used by fraudsters in an attempt to convince consumers to reveal personal information, such as their credit or debit account numbers, chequing account information, Social Insurance Number, and bank account passwords through official-looking but fake websites and reply emails. Businesses and consumers should know how these scams work and be suspicious of any unsolicited communication that requests personal or account information.
“If you don’t know the sender of an e-mail and you provide any personal information, it’s like handing over your wallet to a stranger on the street,” Ms. Charneski said. “You run the same risk when you submit information on a website that does not reveal its physical location, doesn’t provide a customer contact, and gives no indication that it will protect your privacy.”
The BBB notes that there are hundreds of thousands of trustworthy merchants offering products and services through the Internet. To ensure a satisfactory online shopping experience, consumers are advised to:
• Keep personal information private. Never disclose your Social Insurance Number, mother’s maiden name, bank account number or other personal information; such information should not be relevant to a purchase transaction. Never give your password to anyone, including your Internet Service Provider.
• Always check a website’s privacy policy. Do not disclose your physical address, phone number or e-mail address, unless you know who is collecting the information, why they are collecting it, and how they will use it. Click on the link to the site’s privacy policy and read it thoroughly. When it comes to giving personal information, you should only do so on a secure server where your information is encrypted as it is being transmitted; that way, others can't read it if they should intercept it.
• Learn how to recognize spam. Indicators that an e-mail is spam include senders whose names you don’t recognize, typos and misspellings in the subject line, and prices that seem “too good to be true.”
• Make certain the website is owned by a reliable business. If the vendor is unfamiliar, conduct Web searches to check its legitimacy and obtain a BBB report at www.bbb.org.
• Pay the safest way. It's best to use a credit card because you have dispute rights if there are unauthorized charges. Before transmitting your card number, check to make sure the Internet connection you will be using is secure.
• Never enter your personal information in a pop-up screen. Legitimate companies don't ask for personal information via pop-up screens; that’s a popular tactic of identity thieves. Install pop-up blocking software to avoid this scam.
• Keep your computer secure. Use spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and a firewall, and keep them up to date.
• Review your credit card and bank account statements promptly. Check your monthly statements carefully or go online regularly to check your banking activities and verify all transactions. Notify your bank immediately of any erroneous or suspicious transactions.
For more information regarding phishing and other on-line scams, go to the BBB website at www.bbbvan.org and click on the ‘No Phishing’ icon.