Identity theft scammers are, above all, opportunistic. With Halloween on the horizon, a Halloween scam was sure to be close by. Believe it or not, Halloween is the second most consumer driven holiday, nipping on the heels of Christmas in terms of how much money is spent each year. Experts say real nightmare scams can occur if shoppers aren’t careful.

The focus of these scams are the pop-up Halloween online stores, the here today, gone tomorrow costumers that show up on the Internet each October.

Local authorities receive countless complaints each year regarding these fly-by-night operations, committing to sending you your costume overnight. The majority of the complaints center on websites not delivering merchandise in a timely manner, if at all. The storefront operations most cited complaints were of the poor quality of merchandise and the difficulty of obtaining refunds.

The best defense is to keep your guard up. If it seems too good to be true, it likely is.

Not to mention, at HV Shred we are big proponents of “Think Local First”; please consider doing your shopping up close and personal with local mom and pops in your neighborhood. You’ll have much safer experience and likely feel good about the purchase as well since it will be supporting your local economy.

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

It’s good to review the basics every now and again. This week’s blog focuses on the elements of the Disposal Rule as defined by the FTC–the government agency charged with overseeing identity theft protection.

The Disposal Rule requires disposal practices that are reasonable and appropriate to prevent the unauthorized access to – or use of – information in a consumer report. For example, reasonable measures for disposing of consumer report information could include establishing and complying with policies to:

(1) Burn, pulverize, or shred papers containing consumer report information so that the information cannot be read or reconstructed;
(2) Destroy or erase electronic files or media containing consumer report information so that the information cannot be read or reconstructed;
(3) Conduct due diligence and hire a document destruction contractor to dispose of material specifically identified as consumer report information consistent with the Rule. Due diligence could include:
a. Reviewing an independent audit of a disposal company’s operations and/or its compliance with the Rule;
b. Obtaining information about the disposal company from several references;
c. Requiring that the disposal company be certified by a recognized trade association;
d. Reviewing and evaluating the disposal company’s information security policies or procedures.

The FTC says that financial institutions that are subject to both the Disposal Rule and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLB) Safeguards Rule should incorporate practices dealing with the proper disposal of consumer information into the information security program that the Safeguards Rule requires (ftc.gov/privacy/privacyinitiatives/safeguards.html).

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, which was enacted in 2003, directed the FTC, the Federal Reserve Board, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of Thrift Supervision, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Securities and Exchange Commission to adopt comparable and consistent rules regarding the disposal of sensitive consumer report information. The FTC’s Disposal Rule became effective June 1, 2005. It was published in the Federal Register on November 24, 2004 [69 Fed. Reg. 68,690], and is available at ftc.gov/os/2004/11/041118disposalfrn.pdf.

On site shredding service is a powerful way to comply. For more information, please visit www.hvshred.com

This week we provide a brief overview of a few items to be sure you are securely disposing. Of course, we recommend shredding as the most secure and environmentally friendly (we recycle!) method.

1. Financial Records

Any form of financial records or documents need to be shredded. This is not limited to your clients, but also business financials should be cut finely. If portions of banking information appear on forms, these items also need to be disposed of with care.

2. Social Security Numbers

Paperwork that has an employee’s or customer’s social security number listed needs to be put through a shredder. Make a note of all documents that ask for that information so you can be sure none are missed when it is time to dispose of them.

3. Photo ID’s

If your business has to make copies of photo ID’s, then those copies should be destroyed when they are no longer needed. The vital information on an ID does not need to fall in the wrong hands. This is a good rule of thumb for employee’s files as well.

4. Voided Checks

Even though a check has the words VOID written across, does not mean they are safe to throw in the garbage. Important bank information is listed on the check as well as names, addresses, phone numbers, and sometimes social security numbers.

5. Offers For Credit Cards

Businesses are not exempt from piles of junk mail. Credit card companies mail out those pesky forms without your consent. These offers should always be placed through a shredder to keep yourself from falling victim to fraud.

6. Insurance Policy Information

All insurance policy information should be disposed of in the proper manner. If you have sections on forms that ask for insurance information, those documents need to be handled properly.

7. Contracts

Contracts hold a wealth of information that you don’t want the wrong person to get ahold of. They typically have social security numbers, financials, addresses, and plenty of other personal information.

Any document that has private information listed should be put in the pile to go to the shredder. It is always a good idea to shred paperwork if you are unsure if it is necessary. You are better off destroying information that could have been thrown in the trash, than to breach confidentiality agreements.

If you have any questions about this article please contact us today! hvshred.com

Once again tapping into a favorite resource this week’s blog shares a recent article posted on the Onguardonline.gov website. The article by Carol Kando-Pineda, Counsel, Division of Consumer and Business Education, focuses on mobile technologies.

Kando-Pineda asks: “Have you ever snagged a great deal right from your tablet? Or maybe you’ve donated to a charity from your phone?” She goes on to point out adopters of these opportunities will know first-hand that mobile technologies give us unprecedented efficiency and convenience. The FTC is addressing the issues that affect consumers as new mobile technologies come on the scene. The Commission has sued companies that have broken the law, held workshops about mobile commerce, and issued several reports documenting the state of mobile privacy, security, and consumer protection.
The FTC and its sister government agency, The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, put out a call to learn more about financial services and mobile technology, especially as used by undeserved consumers. Among the highlights about the challenges consumers face when using mobile financial services:

Liability. Mobile transactions involving prepaid or stored value accounts might not give consumers the same liability protections they expect from other transactions. The FTC’s mobile payments workshop and its follow-up reports stressed the importance of giving consumers clear information about resolving disputes and their liability for unauthorized charges. The reports noted that people who don’t use traditional banks are heavy users of mobile financial products.

Cramming. Mobile billing – being able to charge a payment directly to your mobile phone account – can be very helpful for consumers, especially those who don’t use credit cards. But fraud has become a problem. Unauthorized charges can be crammed onto bills.

Privacy and security. Mobile technology can make a financial transaction more secure, but not all companies take advantage of that enhanced security. Mobile technologies also can raise unique privacy concerns because many companies are involved in the mobile payment ecosystem and they collect a lot of data. The FTC has surveyed the practices of data brokers that buy and sell consumer data and has taken legal actions against mobile apps for misstating how they collected and used consumer data.

As always, the best advice is to be vigilant.
For more resources on identity theft protection, please visit www.hvshred.com

Less than 3 weeks until we celebrate our 2nd Annual Poughkeepsie Arlington Rotary Community Shred Event hosted by LaGrange Pharmacy and Bridgeway Federal Credit at the new plaza at the junction of Routes 82 and 55 in LaGrangeville, NY. Please gather your confidential paperwork to take advantage of this great opportunity to securely dispose of your paperwork as well as support a great cause.

On-site shredding service will be provided by HV Shred, Inc from 9am-noon. 100% of the suggested $10 per box/bag donation will go to the community improvement projects run by the Poughkeepsie Arlington Rotary.

No need to worry about staples, paperclips, spiral notebooks, or even bank books. HV Shred’s high tech shredding knives can easily shred through all that. In addition, all the shredded paper is recycled helping to preserve and protect our local and global environment.

For more information, please contact Judith a (845) 705-7279

We’re looking forward to a big crowd so we can fully fund all the Poughkeepsie Arlington Rotary programs in the upcoming year.

Help us make it a success–and protect your identity and the earth as well!

See you Saturday, September 27th 9am-2pm at 1520 Route 55 in LaGrangeville NY 12540

We liked our source for last week’s blog so much we revisited Fraud.org again. As a review, Fraud.org is operated by the National Consumers League, America’s oldest nonprofit consumer organization with the aim of protecting consumers in all matters.

Every day, millions of consumers turn to marketplaces like eBay, Craigslist, and other websites to sell products online. In the vast majority of transactions on such sites, the buying and selling of products happens without a hitch. However, Fraud.org has recently received a significant number of complaints from consumers reporting that they are being scammed when attempting to sell their products online.

The complaints indicate that after the seller and buyer contact each other to arrange payment via PayPal, the seller receives an email, allegedly from PayPal, confirming the payment. Once the confirmation email is received, the seller ships the items to the buyer — who is actually the perpetrator of the scam.

Although it appears to be a normal transaction in the world of online shopping, the twist is that the PayPal confirmation email is a fake. Eventually, the seller realizes the money they should have received through PayPal is not in their account. By the time the victim realizes they have been scammed, the con artist buyer has already walked away with the product.

Victims of this type of fraud have reported losing iPads, iPhones, Nike Air Jordan shoes, cameras, jewelry, wedding dresses, and even cars. These scammers are incredibly deceptive, and consumers should be on the look out for any signs of this type of scam. Here are some tips on how to spot the scam and avoid becoming a victim:

(1) When you receive the confirmation email from PayPal, log in to PayPal directly (not through the link in the confirmation email) to check the account and ensure that the funds arrived. Only ship the item when you have confirmed that the funds are in your PayPal account.
(2) Make sure you review the buyer’s profile on eBay. If there are negative or no comments, that may be cause for concern. Think twice before doing business with them.
(3) When applicable, finish the deal in the marketplace where you started it. When shopping or selling on eBay, for example, never finish the sale “offline” with a buyer or seller. Many such sites have protections built into them that no longer apply if users complete the transaction elsewhere.
(4) If a buyer is requesting that you wire them money for shipping, insurance, or courier fees, it is most likely a scam. DO NOT wire them money.
(5) Do not let the buyer pressure you into shipping your item directly after you receive the PayPal confirmation email. They are most likely trying to get you ship the item before checking PayPal for further confirmation.

If you suspect that the buyer is attempting to scam you, report them to the eBay Security Center, your local authorities, and Fraud.org.

For more information on identity theft best practices please visit www.hvshred.com

We use this blog to connect our community to valuable resources in the realm of identity theft protection. A recent find of ours is Fraud.org operated by the oldest not for profit consumer protection agency. A recent post on the website focused on making sure your charitable giving is legitimate.

We all want to help our favorite causes, but we also want to be sure our charitable donation isn’t simply going into a crook’s pocket. Here are some suggestions:

(1) If approached by an unfamiliar charity, check it out. Most states require charities to register with them and file annual reports showing how they use donations. Ask your state or local consumer protection agency how to get this information. The Better Business Bureau Wise (BBB) Giving Alliance also offers information about national charities. Call 703-276-0100 or go to Give.org.

(2) Ask for written information. Legitimate charities will be happy to provide details about what they do and will never insist that you act immediately.

(3) Be wary of sound-alikes. Some crooks try to fool people by using names that are very similar to those of legitimate, well-known charities. Ask about the caller’s relation to the charity. The caller may be a professional fundraiser, not an employee or a volunteer. Ask what percentage of donations goes to the charity and how much the fundraiser gets.

(4) Be wary of requests to support police or firefighters. Some fraudulent fundraisers claim that donations will benefit police or firefighters, when in fact little or no money goes to them. Contact your local police or fire department to find out if the claims are true and what percentage of donations, if any, they will receive.

(5) Be especially cautious after natural or other disasters. Fraudulent charities take advantage of those situations to trick people who want to aid the victims. If you’re not sure whether a charity is legitimate, check it out with your state charities regulator and the BBB before you donate.

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

Going back again to one of our favorite sources for identity theft news, today we reference the OnGuardOnLine blog inked by Lisa Weintraub Schifferle. We ourselves have been exposed to this latest scam so we want to make sure our community is aware. The target is E-Z Pass clients.

Here’s how it works: You get an email that appears to be from E-Z Pass. It has the E-Z Pass logo, and says you owe money for driving on a toll road. It also provides a link to click for your invoice.

The problem is the email isn’t from E-Z Pass. If you click on the link, the scammers running may put malware on your machine. And if you respond to the email with your personal information, they’re likely to steal your identity.

This E-Z Pass email is the latest in a long line of phishing scams, where fraudsters pretend to be legitimate businesses as a way to get access to people’s personal information. But adopting a few online security habits can help you avoid phishing scams:
Never click on links in emails unless you’re sure who sent you the message.
Don’t respond to any emails that ask for personal or financial information. Email isn’t a secure way to send that information.
Type an organization’s URL yourself, and don’t send personal or financial information unless the URL begins with https (the “s” stands for secure).
If an email looks like it is from E-Z Pass, contact E-Z Pass customer service to confirm that it is really from them.
Keep your computer security software current.
If you might have been tricked by a phishing email:
Forward it to spam@uce.gov and to the company impersonated in the email.
File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint.

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

This week we take a moment to go over the basics of how and why on-site shredding makes sense.

Regardless of the kind of business you run, shredding important documents is vital in preventing ID theft. As a business owner, it should be a number one priority to keep the personal information of your clients and customers safe. Not only do you need to safeguard your clients’ documents, but your corporation also needs to be protected from fraud. So, how do you go about making certain that everyone’s private information is protected? PROPER PAPER SHREDDING. Here are some ways to make certain you are complying with the law and keeping yourself, your employees and customers safe from fraud.

First, paper shredding cannot be taken lightly, as there are legal ramifications to you as a business owner if you do not have a paper shredding policy in place. It is recommended that you use a professional shredding company for disposing of vital information.  Still, it is key to establish a paper shredding policy or system.

As vital component of the system is to train employees what types of paperwork need to be shredded rather than disposed of casually in the garbage.  Encourage staff to err on the conservative.  Clearly labeling where the papers need to be place, giving specific guidelines of what must be shredded, and implementing expectations of your employees is very important in the success of complying with paper shredding mandates.

A quick and not nearly comprehensive list of what needs to be shredded includes:

-Cancelled checks of any form

-Receipts from ATM and Credit Cards

-Bank Statements That Are Old

-Bills That Have Been Paid

-Tax Records and Receipts That Are Older Than 7 Years

-Credit Cards That Are Expired

-Any Document With a Social Security Number on it

-Any Form That Has Private Information Listed

-Documents With Contact Information for Employees and Clients

Summing it up:  we encourage you to implement a records management system that includes training employees thoroughly on proper document handling procedures.  The most secure and efficient method of disposing confidential papework is engaging an on-site shredding service.

When in doubt—shred!  Using an on-site shredding service has the added benefit of recycling, since most on-site shredding services will also recycled the shredded paper.

Protect yourself, your business, and your clients from FRAUD and FINES!

Let us help keep you compliant and lessen the burden when handling consumers’ sensitive information. Contact HV Shred Inc. today!