PART 2: BE WARY OF THESE SCAMS

Posted on by hvshred

Continuing with our thread from last week, we finish off our focus on the top scams to be wary of in 2011.  Last week we addressed job hunt lures, debt solutions, not-so-free trial offers, time share resellers, and work from home secrets.  This week we urge you to be wary of:

  1. Itinerant home repairers and roofers. Better Business Bureaus across the country received complaints from consumers who answered a knock from a door-to-door salesman or itinerant worker who eventually failed to deliver on promises to fix their roof or do other work to their homes.
  2. Lotteries and sweepstakes. The victim receives a letter in the mail or a phone call from someone
    pretending to be with Reader’s Digest, Publisher’s Clearing House or a phony foreign lottery. The
    catch: A winner must first wire hundreds or even thousands of dollars to cover taxes or some other
    bogus fee. The victim wires the money, but the prize never arrives.
  3. Identity theft. A person can become a victim of identity theft in both low-tech and high-tech ways,
    including theft and mail theft, e-mails, phone calls, text messages, or as the result of a corporate data breach.
  4. Advance-fee loans. Victims are told they qualify for large loans but must pay upfront fees — often
    more than $1,000. The victim wires money to the scammers but never receives the loan.
  5. Overpayments. These typically target small-business owners, landlords or individuals with rooms to rent and sellers on classifieds or sites like Craigslist. The scammers overpay the amount requested and then ask the victim to wire the extra amount back to them or to another fraudulent entity. Ultimately, the check is forged and the victim loses the money wired back.

The old cliché holds true—the best defense is a good offense.  When it comes to identity theft, best practices suggest shredding is the highest level of defense for personal information.  For more information about our on-site shredding service, check out www.hvshred.com

SCAMMERS ARE OUT IN FORCE IN 2011

Posted on by hvshred

Especially in these tough economic times, the Better Business Bureau warns Americans to be wary of these top  scams.  We’ll hit the a few this week and finish off the list next week: 

  1. Job hunt lures.  These days all the talk is about JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!  Unfortunately, further complicating the underemployment situation are scams targeting job hunters.  These include attempts to gain access to personal information such as bank account or Social Security numbers and requirements to pay a fee to even be considered for a job.
  2. Debt relief and settlement services. Again, capitalizing on those in vulnerable loan positions find themselves fending off sharks.  The council warned consumers in 2010 to scrutinize third-party assistance for getting out of debt. These companies often require upfront fees and potentially leave the consumer drowning in even more debt.
  3. Work-from-home secrets. Some promise to teach the secrets to making money online; others claim you can make money assembling items at home or get paid to be a mystery shopper. Some victims even found that their opportunity to work from home was a job to fence stolen goods. The end result is that instead of getting paid, you can end up losing hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars.
  4. Timeshare resellers. Complaints about the timeshare industry — including deceptive resellers — increased by more than 40 percent, according to 2010 estimates. Timeshare owners who are desperate to get rid of vacation property that requires monthly fees are being targeted by companies that claim they have an eager buyer. The company tells the seller they must pay up to several  thousand dollars up front. After paying the fees, the seller never hears from the company again.
  5. Not-so-free trial offers. Misleading free trial offers online for diet supplements, penny auctions and money-making opportunities blanket the Internet. The free trials seem no risk but complainants state they were billed monthly and found it extremely difficult to cancel.
  6. Identity theft. A person can become a victim of identity theft in both low-tech and high-tech ways,
    including theft and mail theft, e-mails, phone calls, text messages, or as the result of a corporate data breach.

 The old cliché holds true—the best defense is a good offense.  When it comes to identity theft, best practices suggest shredding is the highest level of defense for personal information.  For more information about our on-site shredding service, check out www.hvshred.com

Here comes the Red Flags Rule

Posted on by hvshred

Effective December 31, 2010, the Red Flags Rule requires organizations extending payment terms to customers and that have personal information on file to:

1-Create written “Program” that identifies where personal customer information is vulnerable to unauthorized access ro where the organization is vulnerable to ID Theft.

2-Institute precautions that address those ID Theft vulnerabilities and train employees to comply with those precautions.

3-Intervene, alert the authorities, or warn the potential victims when there is a threat of ID Theft.

4-Have the “Program” controlling ID Theft vulnerabilities signed by the Board of Directors or the company owners annually.

5-Require audits of data-related vendors with access to personal information of customers.

The Federal Trade Commission is in charge of enforcing the law and estimates that nearly 11 million organizations are legally required to comply.  That is close to 40% of all US Businesses.

Shredding is among the most secure ways to ensure confidential paperwork is kept confidential.  Businesses should strongly consider including regularly scheduled on-site shredding service in their Red Flags “Program”.

At HV Shred, we know our community of businesses has long been aware of following through on their fiduciary duties to properly dispose of confidential information and would like to help make that program even easier with on-site shredding.  Check out www.hvshred.com for more information.

Tap into the energy and therapy of on-site shredding!

Posted on by hvshred

One of the best surprises we have experienced since starting HV Shred just over 3 years ago has been the enthusiastic thank you’s we have received from clients ecstatic to have had our help to clean out their paperwork in a simple, secure and quick way.  Because we needed the service for ourselves, we knew our service was all about helping people, but  somehow there is a bit more energy and drama than we had imagined.  In many cases, we have helped our clients dig out from decades of paperwork.  Until you’ve experienced on-site shredding, you may not be able to imagine the therapeutic nature of the process. 

I myself did some year-end cleaning out this past week to tap into that well of invigoration and liberation that comes along with getting rid of unnecessary files and reclaiming my desk, floor, and closet space. 

Our mission is to help all our commercial and residential neighbors in the Hudson Valley experience the energizing feeling of cleaning out with the peace of mind that the most sensitive information is both disposed of securely and in an environmentally friendly way–we recycle all shredded paper!

Happy New Year to all and please contact us at judith@hvshred.com if we can be of service as 2010 comes to a close or as we welcome in 2011.

5 days until Christmas: Safe shopping tips

Posted on by hvshred

Here are some quick tips that are good all year long for protecting your identity while shopping.

ONLINE SHOPPING

  1. Make sure you have a secure connection before sending private information (https not http on the address bar)
  2. Use a credit card instead of a debit card for better protection.
  3. Print out receipts so you have a back up copy in case of computer problems.

OFFLINE SHOPPING

  1. Only keep essential information in your wallet/purse.
  2. Never leave your purse hanging over the back of a chair.
  3. Make sure the ATM has not be tampered with before using it. 
  4. Use a credit card instead of a debit card for better protection.
  5. Keep your receipts.

Now matter how you shop be wary of unknown charges on your cards, notices for credit you didn’t apply for, packages arrive that you did not order, or change of address notices. These are all signs of identity theft.

Please visit www.hvshred.com for more information.

Best wishes from your friends at HV Shred for a happy, healthy holiday!

THE COMMUNITY GETS STRONGER-THINKING LOCAL FIRST!

Posted on by hvshred

It was with great pleasure this past Wednesday that we read the news about the consolidation of the Dutchess Regional and Greater Southern Dutchess Chambers of Commerce.  As a member of both since the inception of HV Shred over 3 years ago, we are thrilled to see the two chambers join forces to create an even more solid  regional Chamber to serve local businesses.

We look forward to seeing our colleagues from both chambers at the first joint meeting this upcoming Wednesday, December 15th.  It’s as good a holiday gift as they could give to reduce the monthly membership meeting from two to one each month. 

Our goal remains the same–to be THE shredding service for the Hudson Valley!  Here’s to working together and, of course, thinking local first!

We love feedback so please visit https://www.hvshred.com/testimonials/send-testimonial

MORE TIPS TO STEER CLEAR OF ID THEFT

Posted on by hvshred

A recent article by Paul Coleman, vice president of compliance at International Banking Group, is a good refresher of how to steer clear of identity theft—particularly in a bad economy that brings out the criminal in otherwise honest people.  Coleman has more than 40 years experience in the banking industry. He is a professionally qualified expert in Operational and Business Risk, Internal Audit, Anti Money Laundering and Regulatory Compliance.

Starting with the basics, identity theft is a form of fraud, in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person’s identity.

To identity thieves, everyone is reduced to information, such as national insurance numbers, credit card details, bank account details, addresses and dates of birth. The more information identity thieves can get about an individual, the more there is the opportunity to impersonate that individual.

Such impersonation ranges from highly organized crime rings to individuals who see the benefits of impersonating someone else, perhaps of a person who lives their life very close to them.

Don’t just assume that identity theft is all about the high-tech world of computer hackers. Old fashioned pick-pocketing and street theft recently saw such a high profile person as Ben Bernanke, the U.S. Federal Reserve Board chairman, become one of hundreds of victims of an elaborate identity fraud ring that stole more than $1.2 million from unsuspecting consumers.

So what can we do as individuals do to protect ourselves?

  • Make sure that you shred all personal information rather than throw it in the trash.
  • Ensure that redundant information technology (IT) equipment you may throw onto a dump site is sanitized by removing all personal information from personal computers, servers, mobile phones, USB memory sticks, hard drives and other similar items.
  • Ensure that you have the most up-to-date anti-virus software and firewalls on your personal computers to prevent malware such as key logging software being loaded onto your computer without your knowledge.
  • Only respond to e-mails, SMS text messages, phone calls or other forms of communication from trusted organizations. Without such caution, you may be duped into disclosing personal information or login credentials.
  • Take extreme care with social network sites, such as Facebook, not to disclose sufficient about yourself that your personal information could be guessed.
  • Take care not to be overlooked when using IT equipment located in public places, allowing observers to see you typing in login credentials, credit or calling card numbers, etc.

If you have a business, then ensure that you screen your employees, particularly if in the normal course of their business they have access to the personal information of your customers.

For more information on steering clear of id theft visit www.hvshred.com

Be prudent with on-line holiday shopping!

Posted on by hvshred

With the holiday season fast upon us, we felt it timely to review on-line safety measures:

  • Install a firewall to protect your information.    A firewall can be thought of as a traffic cop: it blocks traffic or permits traffic.    A firewall, when used properly, can prevent access by unauthorized external attempts to connect to your computer.  Install a firewall and keep it ENABLED.
  • Install reputable anti-spam and anti-virus software.    Most reputable anti-spam software programs today are also programmed to identify known spyware, possible malware threats and viruses, which could contain Trojan horses as well.    Many threats are delivered by email, specifically spam.    A good anti-spam program will help reduce your risk of inadvertently opening an email that contains a threat.

 

  • Keep your anti-virus, firewall and operating systems updated.   Set your computer to update the Windows system automatically for critical updates.   

 

  • Be certain of BOTH the source AND content of each file you download! Don’t download an executable program just to “check it out.”   
  • Be cautious of dealing with pop-ups.   This is a perfect place to plant a virus or Trojan program.    You never know who wrote the program, or that person’s intent.    If you don’t know the supplier, do not allow it to run or install!
  • Backup your system!    One of the best ways to protect yourself in the result of a virus attack is to have a clean set of backup disks/tapes/CDs that will fully restore your system (without the virus) and the applications you are using
  • Turn off your computer when not in use.    If you are not connected to the Internet, because your computer is off, you cannot be infected, hacked or hijacked.
  • Use common sense.    When in doubt, assume the unknown attachment is a virus.    Pay attention to virus alerts.    Don’t even consider trying to outsmart those who have created these malicious programs.    Reconsider storing personal information in your computer.   Instead, transfer it to a CD and use the CD when you need the information.    This is especially true of passwords, Social Security Numbers, tax and financial records.

Identity thieves are on the prowl this holiday season.  For more information on how to protect your identity, please visit www.hvshred.com

Court Rules Garbage is Public Domain

Posted on by HV Shred
Summary:

In 1988, the US Supreme Court ruled in the California v. Greenwood case that garbage is public domain. The case involved the police departments search of a drug dealers trash. They found enough drug paraphernalia to issue a warrant for his arrest and eventual conviction. Although Greenwoods attorney appealed that the search violated his 4th Amendment rights which limit search and seizure, the Court ruled 6 to 2 that the search was legal.
The Courts decision overturned the 1974 Privacy Act and stated that garbage is subject to inspection to seizure by anyone, including criminals and corporate competitors. Dumpster Diving has since become the number one source of corporate espionage and consumer fraud in this country.

Detail:

California vs Greenwood
No. 86-684
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
486 U.S. 35
January 11, 1988
May 16, 1988

CERTIORARI TO THE COURT OF APPEAL OF CALIFORNIA, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

Syllabus
Acting on information indicating that respondent Greenwood might be engaged in narcotics trafficking, police twice obtained from his regular trash collector garbage bags left on the curb in front of his house. On the basis of items in the bags which were indicative of narcotics use, the police obtained warrants to search the house, discovered controlled substances during the searches, and arrested respondents on felony narcotics charges. Finding that probable cause to search the house would not have existed without the evidence obtained from the trash searches, the State Superior Court dismissed the charges under People v. Krivda, 5 Cal.3d 357, 486 P.2d 1262, which held that warrantless trash searches violate the Fourth Amendment and the California Constitution. Although noting a post-Krivda state constitutional amendment eliminating the exclusionary rule for evidence seized in violation of state, but not federal, law, the State Court of Appeal affirmed on the ground that Krivda was based on federal, as well as state, law.

Held:

1. The Fourth Amendment does not prohibit the warrantless search and seizure of garbage left for collection outside the curtilage of a home. Pp. 39-44 .

(a) Since respondents voluntarily left their trash for collection in an area particularly suited for public inspection, their claimed expectation of privacy in the inculpatory items they discarded was not objectively reasonable. It is common knowledge that plastic garbage bags left along a public street are readily accessible to animals, children, scavengers, snoops, and other members of the public. Moreover, respondents placed their refuse at the curb for the express purpose of conveying it to a third party, the trash collector, who might himself have sorted through it or permitted others, such as the police, to do so. The police cannot reasonably be expected to avert their eyes from evidence of criminal activity that could have been observed by any member of the public. Pp. 43-44 .

(b) Greenwood’s alternative argument that his expectation of privacy in his garbage should be deemed reasonable as a matter of federal constitutional law because the warrantless search and seizure of his garbage was impermissible as a matter of California law under Krivda, [p*36] which he contends survived the state constitutional amendment, is without merit. The reasonableness of a search for Fourth Amendment purposes does not depend upon privacy concepts embodied in the law of the particular State in which the search occurred; rather, it turns upon the understanding of society as a whole that certain areas deserve the most scrupulous protection from government invasion. There is no such understanding with respect to garbage left for collection at the side of a public street. Pp. 43-44 .

2. Also without merit is Greenwood’s contention that the California constitutional amendment violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Just as this Court’s Fourth Amendment exclusionary rule decisions have not required suppression where the benefits of deterring minor police misconduct were overbalanced by the societal costs of exclusion, California was not foreclosed by the Due Process Clause from concluding that the benefits of excluding relevant evidence of criminal activity do not outweigh the costs when the police conduct at issue does not violate federal law. Pp. 44-45 .

182 Cal.App.3d 729, 227 Cal.Rptr. 539, reversed and remanded.

WHITE, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which REHNQUIST, C.J., and BLACKMUN, STEVENS, O’CONNOR, and SCALIA, JJ., joined. BRENNAN, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which MARSHALL, J., joined, post, p. 45 . KENNEDY, J., took no part in the consideration or decision of the case. [p*37]

Opinions
WHITE, J., Opinion of the Court

JUSTICE WHITE delivered the opinion of the Court.

Source:

http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/shred_supreme_court.html

ID THEFT TRENDS FOR 2010

Posted on by HV Shred
The ID Theft Resource center recently released its overview of trends in identity theft for 2010.  The following are areas to be wary as ID thieves get more and more creative:

  • Increasing unemployment makes jobless vulnerable to job listing scams
  • Otherwise honest people with maxed credit cards will turn criminal for quick cash–maybe using phony ads in on-line auctions, dumpster diving, and phone calls to get personally identifying information
  • In-family cases will increase–those closest to us (friends, family, roommates, co-workers) have always been a significant source of id thieves
  • ID theft of children’s SSN will increase
  • Medical ID theft will increase as more people become unemployed and lose benefits
  • Computer hackers will continue to wreak havoc–use strong passwords and on-line security software
  • Those applying for government assistance may find benefits temporarily denied with id thieves capitlizing on weaknesses in the system
  • As above, criminals capitalize on weaknesses in the system to avoid being tied to their own criminal record
  • Social media remains low hanging fruit for identity thieves–be cautious and take advantage of security systems