First of all, our best wishes to all for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Now, our annual public service reminder to shop safely over the holidays:

Many people will be using their credit cards more during the holiday season. This creates increased risk for identity theft. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you do your shopping:

* Empty your wallet. Only carry what you really need. Get rid of extra cards and absolutely any Social Security Cards.
* Keep a close eye on your mail. Statements and invoices you don’t recognize are a red flag for fraud.
* Check you credit card statements closely. It is easy to do frequently online.
* Shred all of the credit card offers that come in the mail.
* If you shop online make sure the site is secure (has an https at the start of the address bar).

Once again, at HV Shred, we thank you for your continued support and hope the season brings you good times with friends and family.

For more information on how HV Shred can help ease the worries and hassle of identity theft, visit www.hvshred.com

The time has come to pick up the pieces after the storm once again.  Last year it was Irene, this year it is Sandy.  Hurricane, tropical storm, or Frankenstorm–whatever you call it the weather phenomenon that swept through the Northeast the last week of October, Hudson Valley businesses are wading through a lot of water damaged paper.  

The answer to the most asked question this week is, “YES! We can shred water damaged paper”. In addition to being the most secure and environmentally friendly method of disposing of obsolete confidential paperwork, outsourcing to an on-site shredding service is all about making the disposal process as easy as possible. We can not only shred your wet paper, we will also do the labor of carrying the extra heavy paperwork up from your basement. As with all our service, there is never a need to sort out staples, paperclips, folders, envelopes, bank books, checkbooks, or message pads. Our 5/8 inch knives easily turn it all into bits!

Among the other highlights of using an on-site shredding service is that we provide a certificate of destruction which substantiates each client’s due diligence with the alphabet soup of Federal Regulations–all the more important as State Attorneys General are now empowered to levy fines for breaches.

Interestingly, your shredded paper could end up recycled into the very product used to rebuild–much of the recycled office paper is now going into sheetrocking products.
For more information about how we can help you securely dispose of confidential paperwork–water damaged or not–call (845) 705-7279 or email judith@hvshred.com

We hope you didn’t suffer any damage due to Sandy–if you did, please let us help.

Like it or not, the holiday commercials have already started running.  Since the holiday season also brings higher rates of travel and package delivery, please be wary of another identity theft scam.   These scams are typically through email with an alert notifying you about airline reservations or a package.  If you follow the instructions, you may end up downloading malware designed to take control of your computer and turn it into a spamming robot, harm it with a virus, or mine your files for financial information.  Following the link will take you to a site that looks real but is fake.  When you log in, it captures your user name a password so criminals can get into your real accounts.

Historically, those threats were limited to your PC, which should be protected with security software.  Today, so much is done via smart phones a door has been opened to “smishing” (a word play on “phishing”-short message service (aka texting) )  The best plan is to not open these emails and definitely do not open the links.

The Better Business Bureau named phishing as its top scam of 2011 and fake sigtes are more believable than ever.

Protect yourself by never clicking on a link to your on-line accounts through email or calling an account related phone number in a text message someone sends you.  Instead, type in addresses you know are trustworthy to track your travel plans and packages.

Travelling and receiving packages is a great thrill especially this time of year–let’s keep it safe!

For more tips on id theft protection, visit www.hvshred.com

Checking one of our favored alert sites, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) indicated we should all be wary of dating extortion scams.  The IC3 recently received reports regarding a scam that baits individuals into intimate online conversations and then extorting them for financial gain. The scam was initiated after the victims met someone online, such as on a dating site, and were asked to connect via a specific online social network. Shortly after, the conversations became sexual in nature. Later, victims received text messages, either containing their names, asking if it was them or containing a statement that indicated their names were posted on a particular website. The victims were provided a link to a page on the website that claimed they were a “cheater.” Photos of the victims and their telephone numbers were also posted. There was an option to view and buy the posted conversations for $9. Victims were also given the option to have their names and conversations removed for $99. Some were even told that once the payment was made, the information would be removed within an hour and the website would not allow anyone to post anything pertaining to the victims’ names again. However, reports do not indicate that the information was ever removed.

Our goal to is to keep all from falling victim to this or any id theft scam!

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

Following up on another successful event this past June, as Chair of the Dutchess County Regional Chamber’s Green Life Committee, I am happy to share that our Fall recycling day will be this Friday, October 26th 10am-4pm at the Hudson Valley Marketplace (130 Salt Point Turnpike Poughkeepsie).

Flyer for October 26th Electronics Recycling

In June, thanks to the support of the local community, we safely and securely disposed of another 22 tons of unwanted monitors, printers, keyboards, VCR’s, batteries, cell phones, terminals, cables, fax machines, radios, modems, CRT’s, telephones, TV’s, CPU’s, copiers, typewriters and stereo equipment. We filled several more tractor trailers and box trucks and raised another $1600 for the Chamber Education Foundation. That brings us up to nearly 50 tons and over $3000 since we started doing this last October.

Businesses need to pre-register by calling Whitney Haddard at the Dutchess Chamber (845) 454-1700 ext 1000

Any questions, please also contact Whitney at the Chamber.

Looking forward to another great event!

For more information on electronics recycling as well as secure disposal of confidential paperwork, visit www.hvshred.com

In a recent press release, the FTC (the government agency charged with consumer protection) announced a major international crack down on tech support scams in which telemarketers masquerade as major computer companies, con consumers into believing that their computers are riddled with viruses, spyware and other malware, and then charge hundreds of dollars to remotely access and “fix” the consumers’ computers. 

According to the press release, at the request of the FTC, a U.S. District Court Judge has ordered a halt to six alleged tech support scams pending further hearings, and has frozen their assets.

The FTC charged that the operations – mostly based in India – target English-speaking consumers in the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the U.K.  According to the FTC, five of the six used telemarketing boiler rooms to call consumers.  The sixth lured consumers by placing ads with Google which appeared when consumers searched for their computer company’s tech support telephone number. 

According to the FTC, after getting the consumers on the phone, the telemarketers allegedly claimed they were affiliated with legitimate companies, including Dell, Microsoft, McAfee, and Norton, and told consumers they had detected malware that posed an imminent threat to their computers.  To demonstrate the need for immediate help, the scammers directed consumers to a utility area of their computer and falsely claimed that it demonstrated that the computer was infected.  The scammers then offered to rid the computer of malware for fees ranging from $49 to $450.  When consumers agreed to pay the fee for fixing the “problems,” the telemarketers directed them to a website to enter a code or download a software program that allowed the scammers remote access to the consumers’ computers.  Once the telemarketers took control of the consumers’ computers, they “removed” the non-existent malware and downloaded otherwise free programs.

Before sharing any personal information with a company, make sure you have confidence the company is on the up and up.

For more id theft protection tips, visit www.hvshred.com

We keep our eyes open for opportunities to help our community gain awareness of all the situations their identity may be compromised. In this week’s blog, we thank the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) for bringing another such situation into focus. In an automobile accident, the first concern is safety and the second is your vehicle. Likely, the last thing on your mind is protecting your identity. A recent survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) suggests that, after an accident, many Americans do not really know what information they should share with the other driver. State laws vary, but in most cases you need only provide your name and vehicle insurance information, which should include the name and phone number of your insurance provider. Sharing personal information such as your address and phone number may put your privacy and identity at risk. However, if another driver is unable to provide vehicle ownership and/or insurance information it is appropriate to ask for their phone number, address and driver’s license number.

According to the July 2012 survey:
• Thirty-eight percent of consumers believed they should share their driver’s license number with the other driver.
• So what’s the risk? Many retailers accept driver’s license information to verify your identity over the phone. In fact, your license number is the most common way to confirm your identity after Social Security number and date of birth.
• Twenty-five percent of consumers surveyed said they would share their home address.
• Actually, your home address gives identity thieves the physical location of your mail or garbage, the first place criminals often look for personal financial information. And, now a stranger knows where you live, possibly putting your personal safety at risk.
• Twenty-nine percent of survey respondents believed they are required to share personal phone numbers. In fact, sharing your phone number is rarely necessary.

Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission estimates nearly nine million consumers have their identities stolen each year, disrupting finances and damaging credit histories and reputation. Knowing what to share helps keep property and identities safe.

For more identity theft resources, please visit www.hvshred.com

Always a wealth of useful information, the latest issue of Consumer Reports highlighted the latest in fraud scams. Especially with the rise in unemployment, fraudsters have found a vulnerable population in job seekers. Last May, job hunters using computers at a public library in Columbus, Ohio, to search the want ads were approached by a “recruiter” looking to fill positions at a new store nearby. The sneak used the library to conduct job interviews, and candidates filled out applications with their name, date of birth, Social Security number, and more.

When the applicants later went to the store for training, they learned that the recruiter wasn’t associated with it at all. Rather, face-to-face job interviews are a new and brazen way to extract information for ID theft.
Job scams rank seventh on the BBB’s top 10 scams list, and such come-ons also involve work-at-home schemes including stuffing envelopes, assembling merchandise, medical billing and claims processing, and reshipping what the victim may not know are stolen goods.

ID theft was the biggest category on the FTC’s 2011 complaint list. Thieves use a wide variety of tactics to get you to give up key information that lets them steal from your existing bank and credit accounts or use your Social Security number to open phony financial accounts and commit other crimes in your name.

Protect yourself: Never give your personal information to anyone who telephones, e-mails, texts, or otherwise initiates contact with you. Monitor your financial accounts weekly or even daily, place a security freeze on your credit reports at all three credit bureaus, and file an ID-theft report with the local police if you get swindled.
If someone approaches you with a job, contact the prospective employer to verify that the recruiter and the job opening are legitimate. There should be no need for checking-account and other financial information on your application.

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

Continued from last week, this post provides part two of our two part series on red flags to help detect ID theft. Review the following to see if you may be a victim and not know it yet; if so, swift action will limit the damage:

Your mail is missing. If you don’t receive your bank statement, there could be a problem. The perpetrator may have changed your address with the financial institution. If other pieces of mail are missing, it may mean the perpetrator is collecting information about you to develop a profile. Similarly, if you don’t receive your email statement, someone may have conquered your online account and altered the settings to lock you out.
You receive unexpected mail. You might get a notice from the post office that your mail is being forwarded to another address, without having requested the address change. Or you receive a letter with respect to an account that you never opened. Other mailings that could be a sign of identity theft: You receive a credit card in the mail that you never applied for, or the IRS notifies you about unreported wage income that you didn’t earn.
You find errors in your Social Security statement. If you receive your statement and see that the earnings reported are greater than your actual earnings in a given year, someone might have stolen your Social Security number and be using it for wage reporting services, Stephens says.
You’re denied an application based on your credit. If you have good credit but are denied an application for, say, a new credit card or a loan, that may be an indication that your identity has been stolen.
You can’t access your email. You attempt to access your email but find that your username and password have been changed without your knowledge, or a similar scenario happens for another online account. That can be a sign that someone is covering their tracks for an identity-theft operation.

If you’re a victim of financial identity theft, the first thing to do is contact your bank or financial institution. You should then conduct a full audit of your personal finances and identify any questionable transactions. This information will be useful when it comes time to dispute the charges.

No matter what, the earlier you catch identity theft, the better—so stay vigilant.

For more ID theft resources, please visit www.hvshred.com