Latest Internet Privacy Scam

Posted by Joyce on September 6, 2008 under Internet Scams | Comments are off for this article

Here’s the latest scam out there I want you to be aware of so you can keep yourself and your children safer online.

It has to do with the “Forgot Your Password?” link you can click on your favorite membership sites. Hackers have found a way to lift your private information via this link.

These “Forgot your password?” features are as old as the Internet. It’s a simple way to let you reset a forgotten password. It’s also an easy way for the eBusiness to manage its users. Most, if not all of them put you through a series of verification measures before they let you reset your password.
Is it secure? Not anymore. Your information may have been private years ago. But now, with blogs, online resumes, and social networks, personal information is now widely available for public consumption.

People can even buy black market directories of personal information “like dog’s names,” for about $15 per batch. It’s a lot easier than guessing passwords like EG53NP.

Skeptical?

There aren’t any statistics available but these hacks are widely suspected in a myriad of cases where accounts have been compromised. If you need more proof, check out this artilcle: Getting Your Information from one writer at Scientific American.

How can you keep your information private today? Consider using passwords that have no relevance whatsoever to anything about you. For example, forget the standard “Mother’s Maiden Name” and Favorite Pet.” If your name is Smith, use a password like HDIOE956 and write it down and keep it to yourself at all times.