Category Archives: Data Security News

Protection from Text Message Spam

Posted on by Judith

Today, we credit the FTC consumer information blog as the source for our weekly effort to educate our community.  The blog addresses the growing problem of text message spam.

Scammers often use the promise of free gifts, like computers or gift cards, or product offers, like cheap mortgages, credit cards, or debt relief services to get you to reveal personal information.  To claim your gift or pursue an offer, you may need to share personal information including how much money you make, how much you owe, or your bank account information, credit card number, or Social Security number. Clicking on a link in the message can install malware that collects information from your phone. Once the spammer has your information, it is sold to marketers or, worst case scenario—identity thieves.

These spam texts can also lead to unwanted charges on your cell phone  bill as well as slow down the performance of your phone by taking up space on your phone’s memory.

With few exceptions (of course political campaigns can text), for the most part, no one can send you a text without your permission.

To stop the spam texting:

  • Delete text messages that ask you to confirm or provide personal information: Legitimate companies don’t ask for information like your account numbers or passwords by email or text.
  • Don’t reply, and don’t click on links provided in the message
  • Treat your personal information like cash: Your Social Security number, credit card numbers, and bank and utility account numbers can be used to steal your money or open new accounts in your name. Don’t give them out in response to a text.
  • Place your cell phone number on the National Do No Call Registry
  • If you are an AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint or Bell subscriber, you can report spam texts to your carrier by copying the original message and forwarding it to the number 7726 (SPAM), free of charge.
  • Review your cell phone bill for unauthorized charges, and report them to your carrier.

For more on best practices in identity theft protection, please visit www.legalshred.com

Keeping on top of the latest scams

Posted on by Judith

In a recent post by Andrew Johnson from the Federal Trade Commission’s Division of Consumer and Business Information, we get explanation of one of the latest scams.

It’s really just a new wrinkle in the old tech-support scam-the one where the scammers gain access to your computer by promising to “fix” a computer problem that doesn’t actually exist. According to Johnson, the FTC is hearing reports that people are getting calls from someone claiming to be from the Global Privacy Enforcement Network. They claim that your email account has been hacked and is sending fraudulent messages. They say they’ll have to take legal action against you, unless you let them fix the problem right away.

If you raise questions, the scammers turn up the pressure – but they’ve also given out phone numbers of actual Federal Trade Commission staff (who have been surprised to get calls). The scammers also have sent people to the actual website for the Global Privacy Enforcement Network. (It’s a real thing: it’s an organization that helps governments work together on cross-border privacy cooperation.)

Here are few things to remember if you get any kind of tech-support call, no matter who they say they are:

  • Don’t give control of your computer to anyone who calls you offering to “fix” your computer.
  • Never give out or confirm your financial or sensitive information to anyone who contacts you.
  • Getting pressure to act immediately? That’s a sure sign of a scam. Hang up.
  • If you have concerns, contact your security software company directly. Use contact information you know is right, not what the caller gives you.

For more on identity theft protection and best practices, please visit www.legalshred.com

Spring Cleaning for Confidential Records

Posted on by Judith

April 22nd is Earth Day and we like to celebrate April as “Earth Month”.  Along those lines, it’s a good thing that
April pairs tax time with the urge to spring clean. It feels good to throw out some of the financial records stuffing your filing cabinets. But before you head for the dumpster, make sure you’re not tossing records you may need. You don’t want to be caught empty-handed if an IRS auditor contacts you.

In general, you must keep records that support items shown on your individual tax return until the statute of limitations runs out — generally, three years from the due date of the return or the date you filed, whichever is later. That means that now you can generally throw out records for the 2012 tax year, for which you filed a return in 2013.

In most cases, the IRS can audit your return for three years. You can also file an amended return on Form 1040X during this time period if you missed a deduction, overlooked a credit or misreported income.

So, does that mean you’re safe from an audit after three years? Not necessarily. There are exceptions. For example:

  • If the IRS has reason to believe your income was understated by 25 percent or more, the statute of limitations for an audit increases to six years.
  • If there is suspicion of fraud or you don’t file a tax return at all, there is no time limit for the IRS.

Like most issues involving the IRS or other government agencies, there’s no easy answer to that question. The IRS does not require you to keep records in any particular way. But here are some “rules of thumb”:

Completed tax returns. Many tax advisers recommend that you hold onto copies of your finished tax returns forever. Why? So you can prove to the IRS that you actually filed. Even if you don’t keep the returns indefinitely, you should hang onto them for at least six years after they are due or filed, whichever is later.

Backup records. Any written evidence that supports figures on your tax return, such as receipts, expense logs, bank notices and sales records, should generally be kept for at least the three-year period.

Exceptions. There are some cases when taxpayers get more than the usual three years to file an amended return. You have up to seven years to take deductions for bad debts or worthless securities, so don’t toss out records that could result in refund claims for those items.

Real estate records. Keep these for as long as you own the property, plus three years after you dispose of it and report the transaction on your tax return. Throughout ownership, keep records of the purchase, as well as receipts for home improvements, relevant insurance claims, and documents relating to refinancing. These help prove your adjusted basis in the home, which is needed to figure the taxable gain at the time of sale, or to support calculations for rental property or home office deductions.

Securities. To accurately report taxable events involving stocks and bonds, you must maintain detailed records of purchases and sales. These records should include dates, quantities, prices, dividend reinvestment, and investment expenses, such as broker fees. Keep these records for as long as you own the investments, plus the statute of limitations on the relevant tax returns.

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).The IRS requires you to keep copies of Forms 8606, 5498 and 1099-R until all the money is withdrawn from your IRA accounts. With the introduction of Roth IRAs, it’s more important than ever to hold onto all IRA records pertaining to contributions and withdrawals in case you’re ever questioned.

If an account is closed, treat IRA records with the same rules as securities. Don’t dispose of any ownership documentation until the statute of limitations expires.

Issues affecting more than one year. Records that support figures affecting multiple years, such as carryovers of charitable deductions, net operating loss carrybacks or carryforwards or casualty losses, need to be saved until the deductions no longer have effect, plus seven years, according to IRS instructions.

These general recordkeeping guidelines are for individual tax purposes. Insurance companies and creditors may have other requirements. Businesses have different requirements. Contact your advisers for more information

Remember, the most secure and environmentally friendly way to dispose confidential records is to shred and recycle.  For more information please visit www.legalshredinc.com

Debt Collector Scam

Posted on by Judith
Our Legal Shred blog often taps into the Federal Trade Commission blog to keep our readers informed.  The FTC is the government agency charged with Consumer Protection.  As an identity theft protection/security company, we see education as a key piece of our service to the community.
The recent blog posted by FTC Consumer Education Specialist Bridget Small focused on debt collector scams.

Sham debt collectors play into peoples’ fears to scam them out of money and worsen their debt problems.

At the request of the FTC and the Illinois Attorney General, a federal court has shut down a network of businesses and operators that falsely claimed to be debt collectors collecting real payday loan debts. The FTC said that the operations — called Stark Law, Stark Recovery, Capital Harris Miller & Associates and other names — had no authority to collect the debts they called about. And yet, says the FTC, they relentlessly threatened and harassed people, and got millions of dollars in un-deserved payments.

According to the FTC, the companies called people who had applied for payday or other short-term loans, and then claimed their loans were delinquent. The companies intimidated people with threats of lawsuits, or having them charged with “defrauding a financial institution” for passing bad checks. For a time, the defendants even posed as a law firm, claiming they could sue people and get judgments against them. The companies called people repeatedly, and called their friends, relatives and employers, told lies — and generally made peoples’ lives miserable. Many people paid because they were worried about the consequences of not paying or just wanted the harassment to stop.

Even people deeply in debt have rights.  Debt collectors aren’t allowed to harass, make false statements, or use other unfair practices. Be wary about anyone who threatens to have you arrested for an old debt-there’s a good chance he’s a fake.

The FTC exists to protect Americans from scams.  In addition to information at www.legaslshredinc.com the ftc.gov is a good resource.

Spring Cleaning Is In the Air

Posted on by Judith

By Friday we will be welcoming April and Spring cleaning is in full force. What better way to celebrate than with Spring cleaning! There are few tasks as cathartic as file purging.

A thorough cleanup of your office and home is a great opportunity to find out what records you no longer need to keep and the best way to dispose of them.  As you file your taxes, take stock of what files are ready to be discarded and what files should be maintained.  Be methodical.

Here are some quick rules of thumb and advice from the IRS about what you need to keep:

What tax records do I need to keep? Here is what the IRS has to say…

Keep copies of your tax returns forever.  They aid in preparing future tax returns and making computations if you need to file an amended return.  The IRS recommends that you keep supporting documents for as long as you can be audited or held responsible for the filings.

The IRS says it generally audits taxes back 3 years, so keep records supporting deductions at least 3 years after a return was due or filed. However, the IRS also says that if a substantial error is identified, the IRS will not go back more than the last 6 years. So, you may want to hold onto records for 6 years to be sure you’re covered.

Keep payroll tax records for six years.

If you filed a fraudulent tax return, you’re liable into perpetuity, so make sure to hold onto supporting documents.

Legal Shred is eager to help securely purge the obsolete records–and we recycle all shredded paper–an appealing sidebar with Earth Day on the horizon.

For more information of best practices regarding identity theft protection please visit www.legalshredinc.com

Identity Theft Scams That Target Women

Posted on by Judith

In Jessica Rich’s recent blog in her role as Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection, FTC she honors Women’s History Month, by focusing on identity theft scams targeting women.

Women make up slightly more than half of the US population, according to the US Census Bureau. Which means that about half of the people affected by the big cases the FTC brings – against the likes of AT&T for “unlimited” data, ASUSTek for security flaws in their routers, or Lumosity for exaggerating the science behind their brain training games – are women.

Except that sometimes, offers – and scams – are targeted. Maybe to Spanish-speakers. Or older adults. Or people looking for work. Or women. Here’s a look at the work the FTC has done to shut down scammers who targeted women during the past few years:

  • All that glitters: Oro Marketing was a telemarketer that targeted Spanish-speaking women with the “opportunity” to sell brand-name products for a profit. The goods delivered (cash on delivery) were unusable junk, and when people tried to refuse shipment or return the goods, the company harassed and threatened them. The good news? The company and its owner are now forever banned from doing business in the telemarketing industry.
  • Magic underwear: Two companies ran ads claiming that their caffeine-infused shapewear would take inches off hips and thighs, and reduce the appearance of cellulite. And sometimes, according to the FTC, they didn’t have the science to back those claims. The companies had to make partial refunds and promise not to make unsubstantiated claims again.
  • “Revolutionary formula”: Lunada Biomedical’s ads told women over 40 that Amberen would relieve symptoms of menopause and perimenopause – including weight gain and hot flashes. Except, according to the FTC, they didn’t have the scientific evidence to support those claims. This case is ongoing.

Those are just a few of the cases the FTC has brought where women were the targets.

Whether male or female, we all need to vigilant about protecting ourselves from identity theft.

For more on best practices in regards to identity theft, please visit www.legalshredinc.com

Risk Management for Identity Theft

Posted on by Judith

We use this blog space to identify and help manage the risks associated with identity theft.  A top risk area is non-secured documents.  A major area of risk presents itself when employees prepare the necessary information to complete a tax filing or similar confidential documents.  The data is often pulled from various locations and digital copies are frequently printed to be used as backup material. This can result in loose paperwork being stored on desktops or left at printing stations leaving the sensitive data vulnerable to snooping and data theft, and available to outside staff such as cleaners and building maintenance.

To manage the risk, implement a clear desk policy and having lockable storage units for employees can help protect confidential information not only during tax season, but throughout the year. Requiring employees to use a security code to complete a print job also ensures that confidential documents are not forgotten at printing stations.

Another area to consider is the increasing numbers of employees working from home offices or even just out on the road.  While the introduction of laptops, tablets, smart phones and external hard drives allow employees to work off-site, it also means an immense amount of confidential information is leaving the office with them. A single lost or stolen laptop has the potential to seriously damage any business.

To manage the risk, thoughtful and thorough training is a must to ensure employees understand and take appropriate precautions when removing any data from their workplace. They must not leave hardware or materials in vehicles, and should encrypt phones and hard drives, and activate passwords on electronic devices. Once out of use, devices should be securely destroyed.

Remember, we are all in this together.

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

Tax Time Vigilance Part 3

Posted on by Judith

This week we wrap up our tips for tax time vigilance.

We are now deep into tax season 2016, an especially vulnerable time of year when we need to remind ourselves of best practices regarding identity theft protection particularly as they relate to filing taxes.

Identity theft still tops the list of taxpayer concerns. According to the most recent Javelin Strategy & Research, identity thieves stole $16 billion from 12.7 million US consumers in 2014.

  1. Protect your social security number: Because it one a unique way to identity individuals, many companies ask for your Social Security Number to use it as a way to build their database. That may be easier for them, but it could spell disaster for you.  Before you give out your Social Security Number, determine whether the company really needs the information – and why. If there’s not a legitimate purpose, don’t provide your Social Security Number when asked and don’t submit it online.
  2. Just like eating your vegetables–it’s important to monitor your credit report.By law, you’re entitled to one free copy of your credit report each year from each of the major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion): that’s a total of three reports every year (you may be entitled to additional copies if you’re the victim of identity theft). Review your credit report like you do your credit card or banking statements: check to make sure that the transactions and credit requests are those that you’ve approved.
  3. Finally, keep your eyes and ears open for fraud alerts.  Institutions will alert you whenever there’s a suspicious transaction on your account. It can be a little inconvenient if the transaction is legitimate but it’s loads better than having your card actually compromised and not knowing about it. Ask if your bank or lender has fraud alerts – and use them.

For more helpful tips and suggestions for best practices in the world of identity theft protection, please visit legalshredinc.com

Hudson Valley Pharmacy Compromises Patients’ Information

Posted on by Judith

Not that we needed any more reasons to monitor our credit cards and the like, but right here in our Hudson Valley a Rite Aid Pharmacy is the scene of identity theft to an unknown level.

Anyone who shopped at Rite Aid’s 238 Hooker Ave. store in the past year should keep an eye on their bank and credit card statements, according to the Rite Aid Corporation.

A Rite Aid associate at the Poughkeepsie location “may have obtained limited customer information” including customer names, addresses and payment card information in order to make “unauthorized payment card transactions,” according to a press release from the corporation.

The Rite Aid associate accused of the thefts is no longer employed at the store, according to Rite Aid. City of Poughkeepsie Police charged Kevin Thomas, 26, of the Town of Poughkeepsie, on Nov. 24 with second-degree identify theft, a class E felony.

The exact number of victims of the alleged thefts is unknown, police said. Rite Aid and the City of Poughkeepsie police are still investigating the incident and are asking customers to report any unaccounted for transactions.

More charges may be filed against Thomas if additional victims come forward, according to city police.

There is no indication that customer health information or Social Security numbers, or any customer information from other Rite Aid stores, was compromised.

Rite Aid is encouraging all customers at the 238 Hooker Ave. location to monitor and review payment card account statements.

Those who believe they have been affected should contact their bank or payment card company, according to the release. Customers with questions about the incident can call 1-800-877-2611 or email privacyoffice@riteaid.com.

 

For more information on best practices for identity theft protection, please visit www.legalshredinc.com

More on Tax Time Vigilance

Posted on by Judith

Picking up where we left off last week, tax time is a time to step up our vigilance regarding identity theft.

Once again, identity theft still tops the list of taxpayer concerns. According to the most recent Javelin Strategy & Research, identity thieves stole $16 billion from 12.7 million US consumers in 2014.

More tips for best practices in identity theft protection:

  1. Be mindful of the information you are sharing on-line.  Data-mining is the practice where companies gather information people are sharing about themselves on line.  When making purchases or signing up for newsletters, only provide the information that the company needs: you don’t have to give out all of your information. When you do opt in to offer personal information, check the site’s privacy policy to find out how that information might be shared with other companies.
  2. It’s an old chorus but that because it’s critical: use smart passwords.  Use a password keeper to help you keep track but do not cut corners on passwords!
  3. Games and memes are fun—but also frequently ask for personal information like your mother’s maiden name or the street you grew up on. Definitely DO NOT post such information on your social media—that’s like opening your wallet and giving it away!
  4. Be wary of phishing schemes. Phishing often comes in the form of an unsolicited email or a fake website that poses as a legitimate site such as the IRS or your bank in order  to get you to disclose your personal or financial information. Don’t follow any links from these e-mails to any websites where you might be asked for your personal information. Verify that you’re on a legitimate site before sharing your data; if you must access a particular site, log out from any links that you’re not sure about and navigate directly to the site instead. And remember: the IRS will not initiate contact with you by email (or phone) to discuss your account.

We’ll finish with one more round of tips next week.

We always invite you to view more on identity theft protection at www.legalshredinc.com