Hello my friends,
With so many scams going on its hard for the new people to know what is real and not real. Everything sounds so conviencing now adays that if you are not a techno guy then you could be leaving your self open for a scam.
heres a article for the new people.
Corporate Press Releases
ONLINE SHOPPING RISING SHARPLY – ALONG WITH ONLINE SCAMS
Cims publishes advice to online and high street shoppers to protect themselves against card fraud and theft
11-20-2006 —
Online shopping is expected to account for £7 billion of spending in
the run-up to Christmas - a 40% increase over last year, according to
new research*. However, 'phishing' attacks are also rising steeply – by
more than 55% over the past six months** – highlighting the need for
internet shoppers to protect themselves against online fraudsters.
Cims
– which provides peace-of-mind protection against loss and theft of
plastic cards (Sentinel Card Protection), identity fraud
(PrivacyGuard), and online scams through PC Protection Plus – is
warning shoppers to be extra vigilant this Christmas when shopping both
on the internet and in the high street.
The following
advice has been compiled by the team at PC Protection Plus to help
protect those people internet shopping from home this Christmas:
- Make
sure the website begins https:// as the "s" signifies that it is a
secure site. Always check before you make the purchase that you can see
a padlock symbol in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. This
indicates you are viewing a secure web page and it is extremely
unlikely that the information can be intercepted by anyone else.
- Only enter personal information and credit card details on secure websites belonging to organisations that you know and trust.
- Remember
to log out when you have finished your online shopping – research shows
that around 1 in 8 people forget to do so**, potentially exposing their
financial details to others.
- Avoid using computer passwords that are easy to guess, such as your
mother's maiden name. Instead use a mix of letters and numbers for a more secure password – and change it on a regular basis. - Never
click on an email to unsubscribe unless it is from a trusted source. In
doing so you are confirming your address to spammers and are
encouraging junk mail.
- Avoid opening emails from
unknown sources and never respond to requests to disclose bank or other
personal details by email. If you are unsure if an approach is genuine,
call the organisation concerned on a publicly available telephone
number to make sure.
- Check your online bank accounts
regularly to ensure that all the transactions were made by you. If you
identify anything irregular, notify your bank immediately.
- Consider subscribing to a computer and internet security service such as
PCProtectionPlus
– a home computer protection suite that helps protect your PC from
viruses, information hackers and identity thieves, as well as providing
repairs for damage caused accidentally or by viruses. For more
information visit www.pcprotectionplus.co.uk
For
shoppers opting to venture onto the high street to make sure they get
their hands on this year's must-have presents, Sentinel Card Protection
and PrivacyGuard have compiled the following advice:
- Be
on guard against attempts to clone your card, known as skimming. This
can happen at an ATM, where a fraudster has fitted a card reader. If
anything looks out of place, walk away and inform the bank
immediately.
- When purchasing an item in a store using
a plastic card, shield the keypad when typing in your PIN and make sure
no one is looking over your shoulder.
- Keep a close eye on your purse or wallet at all times – keep them safely out of sight from pickpockets.
- Never keep a record of your PIN numbers in your purse or wallet or mobile phone – memorise these important numbers instead.
- Never let a credit or debit card out of your sight in a store or restaurant; cards can be quickly skimmed without you knowing.
- Take
all credit card receipts away with you and when they are no longer
required, shred them rather than throwing them into the bin.
- If
someone approaches you in the street undertaking market research, think
very carefully about the information you are being asked to divulge.
- Consider subscribing to a card protection service such as Sentinel (www.sentinelcardprotection.com) and an identity fraud protection service such as PrivacyGuard (www.privacyguard.co.uk).
David
Palmer, UK Managing Director of Cims said: "It is important to remember
that thieves – from opportunist pickpockets to identity fraudsters see
Christmas as their season of opportunity. It is vital that we protect
ourselves when shopping online and in the high street, to ensure that
we do not finance a criminal's Christmas with our hard-earned cash."
Continued
Mr Palmer: "Identity fraud has become our fastest growing crime and is
costing the UK economy an estimated £1.7 billion a year***. However,
there is much more that we can all do to protect ourselves from falling
victim to this invasive crime, both in the run-up to Christmas and
all-year-round.
"In particular, we need to monitor and
protect our credit score and should check our credit records regularly,
as banks use these to decide whether to approve our applications for
mortgages, credit cards and other financial products. Irregular
activity on our credit records is often the first sign that someone is
trying to steal our identities – and PrivacyGuard customers are
automatically informed if anything unusual is taking place, giving them
an invaluable early warning."
Notes to Editors:
* Source: IMRG (Interactive Media in Retail Group), November 2006
** Source: APACS (The Association of Payment Clearing Services) November 2006
*** Home Office, February 2006
About Cims
Cims
provides peace of mind protection services which help to safeguard
individuals against the ever-changing risks encountered in everyday
life. It also provides a number of innovative lifestyle services, which
help members get the most out of their valuable travel and leisure
time.
Cims' products are made available to individuals via
a number of major high street banks, credit card providers and other
large organisations, as well as being available direct via the
internet. All the services are supported by nearly 400 members of staff
at Cims' UK contact centre in Portsmouth, providing round-the-clock
advice and assistance to members, 365 days a year. Part of Affinion
Group – a leader in the membership, insurance and loyalty marketing
businesses with nearly 80 million customers worldwide – Cims' services
include:
- Sentinel® Card Protection: Trusted by
some five million people in the UK, Sentinel® is currently celebrating
its 25th year of protecting individuals' credit and debit cards against
loss or theft. Available direct from www.sentinelcardprotection.com
- PrivacyGuard®:
Proactively protects individuals against identity theft by enabling
them to monitor their credit record, as well as providing insurance
cover of up to £10,000. Available direct from www.privacyguard.co.uk
- PCProtectionPlus™:
Launched in 2006, PCProtectionPlus™ provides extensive computer and
internet security, providing peace-of-mind protection against computer
and internet related risks, from online fraud to accidental damage.
Available direct from www.pcprotectionplus.co.uk
- TravellersAdvantage™:
Provides a set of benefits for travellers of all kinds, including a
full travel agency service, guaranteed savings on high street prices
and the offering of a European Flight.
- LeisureTime™: A
new service offering members a set of leisure benefits and savings
including 25% off food and drink at an exclusive network of up to
10,000 restaurants across the UK and discounted concert tickets through
Ticketmaster UK.
In addition, Cims has pioneered
relationship banking in the UK, designing a range of bespoke packages
for its banking partners, enabling them to offer their retail customers
current accounts with a wide range of additional services and benefits
ranging from travel insurance to concierge services.
PrivacyGuard®,
PCProtectionPlus™ , Sentinel® Card Protection, LeisureTime™ and
Travellers Advantage™ are trading names and trademarks of Cims Limited.
Registered in England No. 1008797. Registered address: Charter Court,
50 Windsor Road, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 2EJ. Cims limited is authorised
and regulated by the Financial Services Authority in respect of
insurance mediation activities only. Our FSA registered number is
311584. Cims Limited acts as an intermediary for arranging and advising
on the insurance and provides the administration of the associated
services.
The insurance element of PrivacyGuard® is provided
by AIG Europe (UK) Limited and underwritten by Landmark Insurance
Company Limited. AIG Europe (UK) Limited is an appointed representative
of Landmark Insurance Company Limited, which is authorised and
regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered in England
and Wales Company No. 1486260. Registered Office: The AIG Building, 58
Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 4AB, United Kingdom.
The
insurance element of PCProtectionPlus™ Is underwritten by London
General Insurance Company Limited registered company number 1865673,
whose registered office is at Combined House, 15 Wheatfield Way,
Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, KT1 2PQ. LGI is
authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. FSA
registered no.202689.
This insurance element of Sentinel®
Card Protection is underwritten by Allianz Cornhill Insurance plc
("ACI"): Registered in England No. 84638. Registered Office: 57
Ladymead, Guilford, Surrey GU1 1DB United Kingdom. Allianz Cornhill
Insurance plc is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services
Authority (FSA). Our authorisation can be confirmed by the FSA by
calling 0845 6061234 or at www.fsa.gov.uk. Our FSA Registration Number is 121849.
You may be entitled to compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if we are unable to meet our obligations.
Aaron and Kathy