June was one of our busiest months ever, and it was a win/win for everyone.  When we shred and recycle more paper, we help secure our community from identity theft and the expense of breaches plus we reduce the pressure on local landfills.  In the month of June our clients helped the Hudson Valley save over 1000 trees and over 150 cubic yards of landfill.

Summertime is an active time to throw on old clothes and do some cleaning out. If that process includes the disposal of confidential paperwork, please check out the resources available at hvshred.com.  Our service not only adds security to the project but also includes the labor of bringing the boxes/bags up from basements and down from attics.

Please let us know if we can be of service.  Visit www.hvshred.com

It’s the tail end of June and in case you didn’t know, June is celebrated as the official month to raise awareness for Internet Safety.  Safety is a theme for this blog, and borrowing from the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) we want to use our last June blog to reinforce internet safety best practices.

As the members of our community transition through graduations from high school and college and couples start new lives together, let’s also pause to remind ourselves about Internet Safety. It goes a long way to identity theft prevention.

It’s all about a safer and more secure summer online. The NCSA encourages everyone to STOP. THINK. CONNECT.

Take security precautions, understand the consequences of your actions and behaviors and have a great summer connecting and enjoying the Internet.

Here are some easy ways to stay safer and more secure online. You should know them and share them with your family and friends:

• Keep a Clean Machine: Keep all Internet connected devices free from infection and malware by keeping all critical software—security software, web browsers, apps and operating systems—up to date.
• Protect Your Personal Information: Secure your accounts by making passwords long, strong and unique.
• Connect with Care: Limit the type of business you conduct using unsecure Wi-Fi hotspots.
• Own Your Online Presence: Set security and privacy settings to your comfort level of sharing.
• When in Doubt, Throw it Out: If an email, social network post or text message looks suspicious, even if you know the source, delete it.
• Be Web Wise: Be wary of communications that implore you to act immediately, offer something that sounds too good to be true, or ask for personal information.
• Be a Good Online Citizen: Post only about others what you would have them post about you.

Visit hvshred.com for more information on identity theft prevention.

Since we have found it a valuable resource, we are once drawing our blog from the Internet Crime Complain Center (IC3).  According to IC3, the FBI has seen an increase in cyber criminals who use online photo-sharing programs to perpetrate scams and harm victims’ computers. These criminals advertise vehicles online but will not provide pictures in the advertisement. They will send photos on request. Sometimes the photo is a single file sent as an e-mail attachment, and sometimes the victim receives a link to an online photo gallery.

The photos can/often contain malicious software that infects the victims” computer, directing them to fake websites that look nearly identical to the real site where they originally saw the advertisement. The cyber criminals run all aspects of these fake websites, including “tech support” or “live chat support,” and any “recommended” escrow services. After the victim agrees to purchase the item and makes the payment, the criminals stop responding to correspondence. The victims never receive any merchandise.

The FBI urges consumers to protect themselves when shopping online. Here are a few tips for staying safe:

• Be cautious if you are on an auction site and lose an auction and the seller contacts you later saying the original bidder fell through.
• Make sure websites are secure and authenticated before you purchase an item online. Use only well-known escrow services.
• Research to determine if a car dealership is real and how long it has been in business.
• Be wary if the price for the item you’d like to buy is severely undervalued; if it is, the item is likely fraudulent.
• Scan files before downloading them to your computer.
• Keep your computer software, including the operating system, updated with the latest patches.
• Ensure your anti-virus software and firewalls are current – they can help prevent malware infections.

For more information on how to stay safe from identity theft please visit www.hvshred.com

Those familiar with this blog know we like to share relevant information from credible organizations focused on fighting identity theft.  One such Organization is the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).  As a review of past posts, IC3 is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). Since its start in 2000, IC3 has become a mainstay for victims reporting Internet crime and a way for law enforcement to be notified of such crimes. IC3’s service to the law enforcement community includes federal, state, tribal, local, and international agencies that are combating Internet crime.

In a recent release, IC3 publicized that it had received numerous reports of phishing attacks targeting various telecommunication companies’ customers. Individuals receive automated telephone calls that claim to be from the victim’s telecommunication carrier. Victims are directed to a phishing site to receive a credit, discount, or prize ranging from $300 to $500.

The phishing site is a replica of one of the telecommunication carrier’s sites and requests the victims’ log-in credentials and the last four digits of their Social Security numbers. Once victims enter their information, they are redirected to the telecommunication carrier’s actual website. The subject then makes changes to the customer’s account.

The IC3 urged the public to be cautious of unsolicited telephone calls, e-mails and text messages, especially those promising some type of compensation for supplying account information. If you receive such an offer, verify it with the business associated with your account before supplying any information. Use the information supplied on your account statement to contact the business

For more on identity theft protection, please visit www.hvshred.com

In this holiday week, we’ll do a little lighter post than usual and focus on some fun facts about paper. Even with the push to make all things digital, between 1997 and 2011 the world consumption of paper grew by 400% (according to Ecology Global Network).  Seems like the paper industry need not worry about going out of business.

In the USA, the first paper merchant was our beloved founding father Benjamin Franklin.  He was a printer as well as the country’s first Postmaster.  He helped start 18 paper mills in Virginia and surrounding areas.

In 1883, Charles Stillwell of Philadelphia invented a machine to make brown paper bags for grocery shoppers.  Today more than 10 million paper bags are used annually in the US.

Arbor Day was last month but it’s always a good time to celebrate our trees.  To take steps to preserve our 700+ million acres of forestland in the United States, a goal should be not just to recycle all the paper we can, but also to reduce the amount of paper we use in the first place.

Rates of recycling paper are on the rise as well as the recycled content of paper for sale.  On-site shredding services recycle hundreds of thousands of tons of confidential paperwork every year.

For more on shredding and recycling paper, please visit www.hvshred.com

With Florida topping all states in identity theft complains (361 complaints for every 100,000 residents according to a recent report by Equifax), it’s no surprise that a major target for ID theft transgressors is senior citizens.

Seniors are attractive to criminals because they have built up very good credit records over the years and are less likely to use online banking so they take longer to detect problems with their accounts. In addition, they might not be required to file a tax return. Since they don’t file a return they are unaware that a fraudulent one has been filed in their name.

We should all make it our duty to check in with our aging parents and loved ones to remind them to check their credit regularly and to keep track of their accounts online. If they don’t know how then give them a hand. The problems of identity theft affect all of us.

For more information on identity theft protection, please visit www.hvshred.com

We like to use this blog to keep our community informed of the latest information regarding identity theft.  Along those line, The Internet Crime Complaint Center has received numerous reports of phishing attacks targeting various telecommunication companies’ customers. Individuals receive automated telephone calls that claim to be from the victim’s telecommunication carrier. Victims are directed to a phishing site to receive a credit, discount, or prize ranging from $300 to $500.

The phishing site is a replica of one of the telecommunication carrier’s sites and requests the victims’ log-in credentials and the last four digits of their Social Security numbers. Once victims enter their information, they are redirected to the telecommunication carrier’s actual website. The subject then makes changes to the customer’s account.

The IC3 urges the public to be cautious of unsolicited telephone calls, e-mails and text messages, especially those promising some type of compensation for supplying account information. If you receive such an offer, verify it with the business associated with your account before supplying any information. Use the information supplied on your account statement to contact the business.

One of the best resources we have is to be vigilant and on our toes.  For more information about identity theft protection, please visit www.hvshred.com

In a recent press release, the IRS published its Dirty Dozen tax scams.  Topping the list this year is Identity Theft.

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such as your name, Social Security number (SSN) or other identifying information, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. In many cases, an identity thief uses a legitimate taxpayer’s identity to fraudulently file a tax return and claim a refund.

Combating identity theft and refund fraud is a top priority for the IRS. For the 2013 tax season, the IRS put in place a number of additional steps to prevent identity theft and detect refund fraud before it occurs.

The IRS has a comprehensive and aggressive identity theft strategy employing a three-pronged effort focusing on fraud prevention, early detection and victim assistance. According to the press release, during 2012, the IRS prevented the issuance of $20 billion of fraudulent refunds, including those related to identity theft, compared with $14 billion in 2011.

In January, 2013 the IRS also conducted a coordinated and highly successful identity theft enforcement sweep. The coast-to-coast effort against identity theft suspects led to 734 enforcement actions in January, including 298 indictments, informations, complaints and arrests. The effort comes on top of a growing identity theft effort that led to 2,400 other enforcement actions against identity thieves during fiscal year 2012. The Criminal Investigation unit has devoted more than 500,000 staff-hours to fighting this issue.

The IRS acknowledges that identity theft is a frustrating and complex process for victims and has assigned 3,000 people to work on identity theft related cases – more than double the number in late 2011. In addition, the IRS has trained 35,000 employees who work with taxpayers to help with identity theft situations.
The IRS has a special section on IRS.gov dedicated to identity theft issues, including YouTube videos, tips for taxpayers and an assistance guide. For victims, the information includes how to contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit. For other taxpayers, there are tips on how taxpayers can protect themselves against identity theft.

The IRS urges taxpayers who believe they are at risk of identity theft due to lost or stolen personal information to contact them immediately so the agency can take action to secure their tax account. Taxpayers can call the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490. More information can be found on the special identity protection page as well as at www.hvshred.com

According to a recent report from Reuters, stock brokerages, mutual funds and investment advisers will be required to establish programs to help detect identity theft under new rules adopted by U.S. securities regulators.

The vote by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at a public meeting marked the first official action by its new chairman, Mary Jo White, who was sworn in early this month.

The new rules stem from a requirement in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law, and are not considered to be controversial.

The law amended the Fair Credit Reporting Act to give the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission authority to establish identity theft rules for the firms they regulate and to enforce them.

Previously, authority had been delegated to the Federal Trade Commission.

The SEC and CFTC first jointly proposed the rules in February 2012.

They require firms to create programs to set up red flags to spot potential identity theft, respond to cases of ID theft and periodically update their programs.

The joint rules become final after both the SEC and CFTC sign off. The CFTC’s rules would apply to such firms as futures brokerages and commodity trading advisers.

“These rules are a common sense response to the growing threat of identity theft to all Americans,” White said.

Many financial firms already have programs in place. However, under the final rule, some investment advisers, such as those who advise hedge funds, will be covered for the first time.

HV Shred has customized plans to help businesses keep up with the secured disposal of confidential paperwork.  For more information visit www.hvshred.com