Identity theft new problem in Indonesia<\/p>\n
Vishnu K. Mahmud, Contributor, vmahmud@yahoo.com<\/p>\n
There was an e-mail that circulated a while back, warning users
\nof a mobile phone scam. It tells the story of a woman called on
\nher cellular phone by the \"authorities\" who were trying to track
\ndown a drug syndicate that was using her phone number. She was
\nasked to turn off her phone for a few hours, which she did.<\/p>\n
It turns out that individual later called her parents, saying
\nthe woman was in an accident and required funds for hospital
\ntreatment. Could they transfer some money to a bank account
\nnumber? The parents were in a panic as all calls to her cell
\nphone went unanswered.<\/p>\n
A few weeks back, there was news that a group of offshore call
\ncenter employees in India had managed to pilfer funds from bank
\naccounts in the U.S. Media reports state that the perpetrators
\nhad access to confidential client information that enabled them
\nto launch financial transactions.<\/p>\n
Both cases highlight the dangers of identity theft. In the
\nU.S., victims of such crimes faced bad credit histories or
\nfinancial ruin due to the irresponsible acts of identity thieves.<\/p>\n
How can criminals get away with this? It is actually
\nrelatively simple. With your name, address, date of birth, phone
\nnumber, social security number and perhaps your mother's maiden
\nname, they would be able to access personal financial details,
\norder new credit cards, falsify other identity documents, take
\nout personal loans or launch other scams using your name.<\/p>\n
Most banks have safeguards against this kind of threat, with
\nsome even forcing customers to physically go to the bank, with an
\nID, to confirm specific transactions. Better safe than sorry.<\/p>\n
However, because of today's advancing technology, more and
\nmore information is now centralized, and occasionally, not
\nprotected. Do you put your ATM PIN code in your mobile phone
\nmemory? Or perhaps keep your banking information in your PDA?<\/p>\n
Does either digital device have a lock to keep out
\nunauthorized people from accessing this sensitive data? What
\nhappens if you lose it? Apart from replacing the hardware, can
\nyou replace the information? And what if it falls into the wrong
\nhands? Can they use your phone numbers and records?<\/p>\n
Moreover, there are still the dangers from the web. Acts of
\nphishing (pronounced like fishing) dangles incentives to try and
\nget users to bite by revealing user names and passwords. For
\nexample, you receive an e-mail that requests confirmation of your
\nlogin name or password for your online banking account, otherwise
\nit will be canceled. Or a link to a site that looks like your
\nInternet banking page, when in reality it simply captures the
\nrequired data.<\/p>\n
Banks never contact their clients via e-mail for information.
\nIf in doubt, call your bank's call center number, which is
\nusually available on the Internet site (make sure it is the
\nlegitimate one!) or on the back of your ATM card.<\/p>\n
With all these dangers, should we just cancel our Internet
\naccounts and hide in a shell? Not really. Like anything else in
\nthe world, there are benefits that must be considered that could
\nhelp our busy daily lives. E-banking and mobile banking makes
\nlife a lot easier to pay bills and transfer funds without having
\nto line up to an ATM or bank branch. However, using it requires
\nsome extra precautions, as does anything else nowadays.<\/p>\n
Keep your user name and password, along with any other
\ncorresponding information, a complete secret. If you sign up for
\na new service (Internet, phone line, credit card, etc.), it may
\nbe wise to go to the offices directly.<\/p>\n
Restrict the amount of personal information you give to third
\nparties, even though they may offer prizes or other incentives.<\/p>\n
At the very least, you may receive e-mail spam, junk mail or
\ntelemarketer calls. On the other end of the scale, it could be
\nmuch worse.<\/p>\n
If you use Internet banking, limit the amount you can access
\nonline, keeping the bulk of your funds in other accounts that are
\nnot Internet-ready. This may be inconvenient, but it does provide
\na balance. You can usually transfer funds to your Internet-abled
\naccount via ATMs.<\/p>\n
Identity theft is not something to be taken lightly. If your
\nwallet or ID card\/passport go missing, you must immediately
\nreport it to the police and cancel everything. You don't want the
\nbad guys out there to use your identity.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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