Tag Archives: Phishing

Combating Identity Theft

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Identity theft is a particular concern for seniors. The invasion of privacy can be devastating and the steps needed to eliminate the problems caused by the identity theft can be long and onerous.

It is not just a problem for seniors. That is why the Wall Street Journal reports that Security Experts React to Obama’s Cybersecurity Report with enthusiasm. These cybersecurity concerns apply both at the national level and also for all individuals.

Several executives were encouraged by Mr. Obama’s personal remarks on what is often seen as an obscure issue. “I know how it feels to have privacy violated because it has happened to me,” he said, noting that his campaign’s emails and files were hacked last year.

“Identity theft is something that lives off in virtual land, and I think has people appropriately nervous, so I thought the president did an excellent job touching on issues people identify with,” said Ed Amoroso, AT&T’s chief security officer.

The appointment by President Obama of a cybersecurity czar will bring heightened emphasis on these issues. Nevertheless whatever improvements are made at the national and corporate level against such activities as phishing to steal personal data, the ultimate responsibility is always with the individual. Precautions must always be taken to guard against any security breaches.

If the unfortunate happens and an individual is the victim of identity theft, then it is worth ensuring that you already have in place an Identity Theft Recovery Kit. This should set out a detailed plan of what needs to be done including important phone numbers, websites, and addresses. You should also keep a good recovery log of what is done on every account in case problems arise. Such precautions when dealing with identity theft are never a waste of effort.

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Canada Revenue Agency E-mail Scam

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Given the difficult economic conditions, everyone is eager to get any income tax refund they may be due from the Canada Revenue Agency as quickly as possible.  Knowing that, the scam artists try to phish, or in other words get unwary people to give personal information that will allow them to be defrauded.  That is why last August, the Canada Revenue Agency warned Canadians of a mail scam.


The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is warning taxpayers to beware of a recent scam where some Canadians are receiving a letter fraudulently identified as coming from the CRA and asking for personal information. The letter is not from the CRA. A PDF version of the letter is available on the CRA Web site at www.cra.gc.ca/alert.

The letter claims that there is “insufficient information” for the individual’s tax return and that in order to receive any “claims,” they will have to update their records. The letter attaches a form specifically requesting the individual’s personal information in writing, via fax or email, including information on bank accounts and passports. This letter is not from the CRA and Canadians should not provide their personal information to the sender.

All taxpayers should be vigilant when divulging any confidential information to third parties. The CRA has well established practices to protect the confidentiality of taxpayers’ information.

It appears that the scammers have moved online according to a former CRA employee, who warns all to beware of online tax scams.

Robert Day says taxpayers should be wary of the information they’re willing to give up online during tax season. Even though he worked for the Canada Revenue Agency for 30 years, he fell for the scam.

When Day clicked on a link inside an official looking email that appeared to be from the Canada Revenue Agency, it took him to an official looking website that asked for some personal information.  “I don’t know whether I had a short circuit between the earlobes or something,” said Day. “But, I went into this darn site and it had you type in your social insurance number to get into the site.”

If someone with such experience can fall for it, everyone should be doubly cautious when they receive e-mail messages that appear to come from the Canada Revenue Agency.

Today I received the following e-mail message, that purports to come from the Canada Revenue Agency.  However unless some staff members at the CRA have inferior spelling skills, this should not fool too many people.

Canada Revenue Agency scam

Worm Regards, indeed.  It is so ludicrous that one wonders if it is a deliberate spoof.  Nevertheless it can serve to warn all that more insidious e-mail scam messages from the Canada Revenue Agency are making the rounds.  Remember the CRA will not be contacting you this way and nor will the security departments of your bank or your credit card company.

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Data Privacy To Protect Against Bank Fraud

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Today is Data Privacy Day 2009.  On January 28, the United States, Canada, and 27 European countries celebrate Data Privacy Day together for only the second time. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner to show its support for Data Privacy Day offers The Top 10 Ways Your Privacy is Threatened.

The Fraud Prevention Tips e-mail newsletter for January from the Canadian Bankers Association came out this week.  Data Privacy is a big part of that message too. The Newsletter provides a useful reminder of the constant vigilance we all need to exercise in our financial affairs.  If you do not receive the Newsletter, you might wish to sign on.

It’s not difficult to find information on what you need to do to avoid such bank fraud attempts.   For example, the State of Illinois has a short and useful checklist on how to Protect yourself against bank fraud.

The website for the Canadian Bankers Association is another useful resource with a wealth of information on how you can protect yourself against bank fraud.  The website covers many of the issues you need to be concerned about:

  • Credit Card Fraud
  • Debit Card Fraud
  • Identity Theft
  • E-mail Fraud/Phishing
  • Vishing
  • Staying Safe at the ABM
  • Real Estate Fraud
  • Avoiding Counterfeit Bills
  • Protecting Your Personal Information
  • Stay Safe Online

Did you recognize all of those?  What about vishing?  Apparently it is a word that has been around some time since an FBI webpage on vishing dates back to the early 2007. 

Here is a short description of Vishing.

Vishing stands for “voice phishing” and is a new twist on the phishing e-mails that you may have received, but now the criminals are using the phone as well to trick consumers into revealing personal information.

Vishers will send out an e-mail to thousands of people which looks like it is from a reputable organization, such as a credit card company, online retailer, bank or government agency. The e-mail may warn of a security alert and ask you to call a local or toll-free number where an automated attendant will ask you to punch in personal information, such as your credit card number, social insurance number or online banking password. After you do that you may be disconnected without speaking to anyone, but the criminals will have your information.

Perhaps you would not fall for a vishing telephone call, but you should make sure that you have checked out all the other ways someone might be trying to catch you out with some type of bank fraud.  Given the current state of the economy, such schemes are even more prevalent.  So watch your Data Privacy not only today but throughout the year.

Footnote: If you are interested in books on Banking, then why not visit the Banks section of the Money Bookstore.

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