Identity fraud theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the UK. Internet business scams and Nigerian scams fall into the category of business fraud, new scams perpetrated by organised criminals.

They are set up specifically to target theft of identity. A security expert warns business owners to be vigilant to business cheats & business scams & suggests purchasing business & personal identity fraud insurance to prevent fraud

How does a perpetrator begin to steal your identity?

There are way too many variants to cover in this article, but a typical method is to play on your greed and your desire to help someone out who appears to be in grave trouble.

As a working security expert I receive many enquiries from individuals and business owners who have been contacted by business cheats promoting their version of internet business scams and/or Nigerian scams.

In all my dealings with these clients I believe the very best way to avoid your theft of identity and prevent fraud is to simply report all business scams as spam to your Internet provider and delete all business fraud, new scams immediately.

Never save them for future reading, because these organised criminals know its a percentage game. If a hundred people save one of these e-mails offering you a large sum of money then at least one or two innocent people will be tempted enough to respond.

If a hundred people eventually respond, then one or two will actually be taken in by this business fraud, new scams. When you consider that these criminal gangs are highly organised and technically savvy enough to send out millions of these e-mails every week then the number of victims can be staggering.

This means that despite world-wide condemnation of these internet business scams, individuals, and more recently business owners are falling victim of identity fraud theft.

Never forward one of these business fraud, new scams to friends and business associates because no matter how intelligent your think your friends and associates may be; you will be surprised to learn that you are in fact acting as an unpaid sales and marketing executive for organised crime gangs running business scams and/or Nigerian scams.

You also may not realise how vulnerable your friends are and they may be one of the one percent who respond to these business cheats.

If this happens then one of the following things may happen to your friend or business associate.

1: They will fall victim to theft of identity.

2: They will fall victim to identity fraud.

3: Any money in their bank account will be stolen.

4: Their identity will be utilised for other illegal and fraudulent activities.

5: They may be kidnapped for ransom.

6: They may be executed by organised criminals or terrorists.

To understand the sheer ferocity with which business owners are being targeted by internet business scams structured around theft of identity I have included the following two examples of many business scams received this week at the security expert office.

These are written verbatim.

Theft Of Identity Business Scams # 1 Paraguay – November 24 2009.

Hello,

I am very happy to inform you about my success in getting the fund transferred under the co-operation of a new partner from Paraguay. Presently I am in Paraguay for investment projects with my own share of the total sum.

Now you will need to contact the Rev Father whom used to be a God-father to me when i was in Dakar, his name is Rev john and his EAIL ADDRESS is as follows: ( revjohn.adams@hotmail.com )

Ask him to send you a certified bank draft of ($100.000.00) which I prepared and kept for your compensation for all the past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter. I appreciated your efforts at that time very much.

so feel free and get in touched with Rev john-Adams and instruct him where to send you the draft cheque. Please do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share our joy and happiness after all the sufferings at that time.

In the moment, I am very busy here because of the investment projects which me and the new partner are having at hand, finally, remember that I had forwarded instruction to Rev john on your behalf to receive that money.

Yours Truly, Tacko

Theft Of Identity Business Scams # 2 Burkina Tunisia & Faso West Africa – November 24 2009.

From Mrs. Christabel Brown

Dear God’s elect,

I am writing this mail to you with heavy tears In my eyes and great sorrow in my heart, My Name is Mrs Christabel Brown,, and I am contacting you from my country Tunisia I want to tell you this because I don’t have any other option than to tell you as I was touched to open up to you.

I married to Mr. Brown Smith who worked with Tunisia embassy in Burkina Faso for nine years before he died in the year 2005. We were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only five days.

Since his death I decided not to remarry, When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of US$ 8.5m (Eight Million Five hundred Thousand Dollars) in a bank in Ouagadougou the capital city of Burkina Faso in west Africa Presently this money is still in bank.

Recently, My Doctor told me that I would not last for the period of seven months due to cancer problem. The one that disturbs me most is my stroke sickness.

Having known my condition I decided to hand you over this money to take care of the less-privileged people, you will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct herein.

I want you to take 30 Percent of the total money for your personal use While 70% of the money will go to charity,people in the street and helping the orphanage. I grew up as an Orphan and I don’t have anybody as my family member, just to endeavour that the house of God is maintained.

Am doing this so that God will forgive my sins and accept my soul because these sicknesses have suffered me so much.

When I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the bank in Burkina Faso and I’ll instruct my lawyer to issue you authority letter that will prove you the present beneficiary of the money in the bank that is if you assure me that you will act accordingly as I Stated herein.

Hoping to receive your reply:

From Mrs. Christabel Brown

Identity Fraud Theft 5 Prevention Secrets From A Security Expert # 1 Home-Office Shredder

Shredding your personal documents and installing internet security on your computer can substantially reduce your likelihood of becoming a victim of identity fraud. Burn everything you have shredded in a small garden incinerator.

Identity Fraud Theft 5 Prevention Secrets From A Security Expert # 2 Internet Security

Never use a debit card to purchase online. Always use a credit card as credit card companies offer claw back protection in some events of fraudulent trading. Devote one credit card to online purchases and only buy from recognised online companies who have proven expertise in encrypting your security data.

Identity Fraud Theft 5 Prevention Secrets From A Security Expert # 3Home Security

Access control is the foundation stone of all security countermeasures. Your home security measures should be specifically designed to minimise intruder access. The same access control countermeasures should be applied to any personal or business documentation. Never discard them into your trash can.

Identity Fraud Theft 5 Prevention Secrets From A Security Expert # 4 Computer Passwords

One of the easiest ways to access your security information is by hacking into your computer IT systems. Always utilise the best security passwords you can. i.e. use a mixture of random letters and numbers that have no correlation to you or your family members.

Never use date of birth, telephone or social security numbers as organised crime gangs employ professional hackers who will access these types of passwords easily. Installing a professional Internet security programme on your computer can substantially reduce your likelihood of becoming a victim of identity fraud.

Identity Fraud Theft 5 Prevention Secrets From A Security Expert # 5 Office Security

For some strange reason most business owners pay less attention to detail to their office security systems than they do to their home security systems. In fact this should be the opposite.

Your office is wide open to employee and visitor theft and fraud on a daily basis. If you have no idea of how to produce an all encompassing office security plan then consider hiring a security expert or security consultant to draft one for you.

The good news is, if you do find yourself the victim of identity theft your homeowners insurance could be standing by waiting to help you pick up the pieces.

No, your homeowners insurance isn’t going to be able to do a whole lot to help you work things out with your creditors if you owe money as a result of someone ripping off your identity. You’re on your own there. The good news is, most creditors are already knowledgeable in the ins and outs of identity theft and are standing by waiting to help you reclaim your identity-usually with very minimal damage to your checkbook. (The average victim of identity theft usually pays only $50 or less per creditor to settle false identity claims.)

The catch is, how many government agencies and credit companies do you know that regularly do business on weekends and evenings? Few to none? Yep, unfortunately, most of the agencies you’re going to have to work with to reclaim your identity keep banker’s hours, which is great news for the people they’ve got working for them but doesn’t work out so well for you! Studies show that while you may only pay $50 to settle your claims, you’re going to miss an average of 172 hours of work going to offices, filling out paperwork and making phone calls to do it.

That’s almost an entire month’s paycheck. Can you afford to live with no income for an entire month? Even if your vacation time covers it, don’t you have something better to do with that? If not, we can give you a few suggestions!

Your homeowners insurance company can step in and help you reclaim your lost wages under your identity theft protection insurance (which may or may not be a standard part of your coverage policy-you may find you have to pay a little extra each year, although it’s still far less than you’ll lose in wages). They’ll also help you pay for any long distance phone calls and postage, since those can get fairly pricey, fairly quickly.

Then there’s the lawyer.

There’s no limits to the amount of damage a person can do if they steal your identity. You may find yourself in need of legal assistance to help you straighten things out-and a good lawyer doesn’t come cheap! Your homeowners insurance will help cover the cost of your legal expenses so you can get your life back-as soon as possible.

The Social Security Administration is not making a conscience effort to confirm consumer identification numbers. You need to be aware that identity thief’s are however and they use a number of tactics to steal your identity. Spoofing is generally used by thieves as a means to convince individuals to provide personal or financial information that enables the perpetrators to commit credit card/bank fraud or other forms of identity theft. An attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive financial or personal information, such as credit card information or a Social Security number, by impersonating a business representative or trustworthy person is also known as a Phishing attempt and is usually initiated through e-mail, phone calls or Instant Messaging.

Thieves do not just collect Social Security Numbers. They are also after your telephone records, date of birth and your bank and credit card account numbers. This information is a personal asset as well and people who illegally solicit this information are also known as pretexters.

It is yet another name for identity theft and Pretexting is (like the other practices mentioned) a means of getting your personal information under false pretenses.

Pretexters sell your information to people who may use it to get credit in your name, steal your assets, or to investigate or sue you. Pretexting is against the law. Whether it is by means of Spoofing, Phishing or Pretexting the tactics are all designed to get your personal information.

According the Federal Trade Commission For example, a pretexter may call, claim he’s from a survey firm, and ask you a few questions. When the pretexter (let’s just call it a thief) has the information they want, it is used to call your financial institution.

The thief pretends to be you or someone with authorized access to your account. They might claim that they have forgotten their checkbook and need information about their account. In this way, the criminal may be able to obtain personal information about you such as your SSN, bank and credit card account numbers, information in your credit report, and the existence and size of your savings and investment portfolios.

Keep in mind that some information about you may be a matter of public record, such as whether you own a home, pay your real estate taxes, or have ever filed for bankruptcy.

It is not pretexting for another person to collect this kind of information. Identity thieves don’t just use the schemes we’ve just talked about to get your personal information they also procure your identity by:

* Stealing wallets, purses and your mail (bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, new checks and tax information);

* Stealing personal information you provide to an unsecured site on the Internet, from business or personnel records at work and personal information in your home;

* Rummaging through your trash, the trash of businesses and public trash dumps for personal data;

* Buying personal information from “inside” sources. For example, an identity thief may pay an employee for information about you that appears on an application for goods, services or credit.

Even though the laws are on your side, it’s wise to take an active role in protecting your information. The Federal Trade Commission recommends the following actions;

1. Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you’ve initiated the contact or know who you’re dealing with. Pretexters may pose as representatives of survey firms, banks, Internet service providers and even government agencies to get you to reveal your SSN, mother’s maiden name, financial account numbers and other identifying information. Legitimate organizations with which you do business have the information they need and will not ask you for it.

2. Be informed. Ask your financial institutions for their policies about sharing your information. Ask them specifically about their policies to prevent pretexting.

3. Pay attention to your statement cycles. Follow up with your financial institutions if your statements don’t arrive on time.

4. Review your statements carefully and promptly. Report any discrepancies to your institution immediately.

5. Alert family members to the dangers of pretexting. Explain that only you, or someone you authorize, should provide personal information to others.

6. Keep items with personal information in a safe place. Tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, bank checks and other financial statements that you’re discarding, expired charge cards and credit offers you get in the mail.

7. Add passwords to your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information like your mother’s maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your SSN or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers.

8. Be mindful about where you leave personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates or are having work done in your home by others.

9. Find out who has access to your personal information at work and verify that the records are kept in a secure location. Checking your credit report annually can help you catch mistakes and fraud before they wreak havoc on your personal finances.

Order a copy of your credit report from the three nationwide consumer reporting companies every year. To order your free annual report from one or all the nationwide consumer reporting companies, call toll-free 1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form avail at their Website annualcreditreport.com, and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

If you do not have the time or expertise to put measures in place to protect you and your family’s identity consider visiting a credit protection service that can put the appropriate measures in place to preserve your good name, credit and assets.