The Good & the Bad of E-Commerce
by Colleen Dailey
I’ve been told that patience is a virtue. In fact, I’m told that quite often by family and friends, because patience is something that doesn’t come easily for me. If you want to see me at my worst, put me in a long line at the bank or DMV – with no reading material – and watch me fidget, as my mind reels with thoughts of all the things I could be getting done if I weren’t standing in line.
Given my low tolerance for waiting and love of efficiency, I was beside myself when I learned that I could stop waiting and “point and click” instead. In no time at all I was paying bills; shopping for books, clothes and household items; checking my bank account balances and transferring funds; registering my car; buying and shipping birthday gifts; and so much more, online. Besides the time savings, I was also thrilled about the money I was saving on postage, transportation, and sales tax. There was no question that e-commerce changed my life—for the better. Until one cold day last December, when with one careless point and click, I unknowingly provided an online thief (an internet “phisher”) with my social security number, a long list of personal information, and the keys to a lot more. Days later, I was faced with the rude awakening that my identity was no longer mine alone.
It was really hard for me to swallow the fact that the same, efficient technology that made it so easy for me to conduct my daily business made it equally easy for a stranger to steal my identity.
To make a long story short, the months that followed were not fun. I filed a police report, fraud alerts with the three major credit bureaus, an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and several affidavits with my bank to get stolen funds returned to my accounts. I spent countless hours on the phone explaining to creditors that my identity was stolen and I had not ordered the items that I was being billed for. I signed up for a credit monitoring service that sent text messages to my phone several times a week alerting me to the latest attack. It was a tremendous hassle, and while it seems to be under control right now, there’s no telling when the thief (or thieves) will come back to impersonate me.
I was somewhat consoled when I learned that I was in good company: according to the FTC, at least 10 million Americans fall victim to identity theft each year, and much of it occurs online. Until it happened to me, I was one of those people who thought that I was too smart to be duped by the latest phishing scheme. So I will repeat the advice that I’d heard many times before, but which, in a moment of haste, I failed to heed:
- If you get an e-mail or pop-up alert asking for personal information, don’t reply or click on the link in the message. Legitimate companies never request personal information by e-mail.
- Before you make a purchase or share personal information online, make sure the website is secure. Look for a lock icon on your web browser’s status bar or a URL that begins with “https” (the “s” means “secure.) But also know that scammers can forge these security indicators, so it’s best to stick to sites that you know and trust.
- Keep your website passwords in a secure place. Do not use obvious passwords – combinations of letters and numbers are best. Change your passwords regularly and do not use the same password for every online account.
- Protect your computer with reputable firewall, antivirus and spyware software. It is worth the expense, and some programs are free.
- Review your credit report at least every 6 months and make sure that you recognize everything. You can order a free copy annually from each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) at www.annualcreditreport.com.
To learn more about identity theft and how to deter, detect, or defend yourself if you become a victim, visit ftc.gov/idtheft or call the FTC hotline, 1-877-ID THEFT.
