Identity theft - How to protect yourself from identity theft. What to do if you think your identity has been stolen. |
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posted 5-8-2013 @ 01:51 AM
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Identity theft - How to protect yourself from identity theft. What to do if you think your identity has been stolen.
Identity theft is indeed serious.
If you think that your identity has been stolen, please refer to the following information and use it as a guide. As information may change over time,
please ensure that you refer to the websites listed below & speak to the authorities for the most up to date information.
Please do not hesitate to telephone someone to ask for advice if you think you have experienced identity theft. Phone numbers can be found on the
websites and also in this post (see below).
This information is also useful to people who wish to protect themselves from identity theft.
Here is a link to documents produced by the Attorney General's Department.
http://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/IdentitySecurity/P...
Please download & read the documents 'Protecting Your Identity booklet – What Everyone Needs to Know [DOC 197KB]'
& Protecting Your Identity booklet – What Everyone Needs to Know [PDF 754KB] (2nd edition)
__________________
Here is a link to information about Identity theft on the SCAMWatch page.
http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/tag/identity...
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Here is the name and number of the office that is mentioned in the text below. If they can't help you with advice, they may be able to refer you to
someone who can help.
(from the text below)
Contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner if you feel your privacy has been breached.
You can contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner if you feel your privacy has been breached (listed on page 17). Their Enquiries
Line is available to help you work out if a privacy breach may have occurred. Before lodging a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner, try to resolve matters with the agency or organisation concerned.
Office of The Australian Information Commissioner
PH: 1300 363 992
http://www.oaic.gov.au
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Here is the information that appears in the booklet 'Protecting Your Identity booklet – What Everyone Needs to Know' 2nd edition (see link above)
What should I do if I'm a victim of identity theft?
If you suspect you are a victim of identity theft you should
take the following steps to minimise any financial or
other damages. The quicker you act, the more likely you
are to avoid problems. However, even if you do follow all
these steps you may not be able to prevent unauthorised
or fraudulent use of your identity.
1.Immediately inform the police All incidents of identity theft should be reported to your local police (listed on page 14). Ask for a copy of the
police report or a crime reference number because banks, financial institutions and government agencies may ask for it.
2. Report the loss or theft of identity credentials to the
issuing organisation Contact the government or private sector agency who issued the identity credential if you have lost it or if it has been stolen
(key agencies listed on pages 14 - 17).
3. Alert your bank or financial institution Contact your bank or financial institution immediately and cancel all cards and accounts that may have
been breached.
4.Get a copy of your credit report Contact a credit reporting agency (listed on page 16) to check for unauthorised transactions. It is advisable to
check your credit report at least once per year. Make sure you can verify all ‘inquiries’ made into your credit history.
Contact all companies and organisations that have made
inquiries under your name that you did not authorise
Inform the credit reporting agencies that you are a victim
of identity theft. Consider asking for an alert to be placed
on your file so you are notified of requests for finance that
haven’t come from you.
5. Close all unauthorised accounts Contact the credit providers and businesses with whom any unauthorised accounts have been opened in your name. This
may include phone and utility providers, department stores and financial institutions. Inform them you have been a victim of identity theft and ask
them to close the fraudulent accounts.
6. Close any fraudulent or breached online accounts
Most online sites, such as social networking or email
providers have a help section. These sections generally
contain specific advice about what to do if your account
has been hacked or a fake account has been set up.
7. Check that your mail hasn’t been redirected or
address changed Contact Australia Post to check a redirect hasn’t been placed on you check with businesses and government agencies you deal with that
your address hasn’t been changed.
8.Contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner if you feel your privacy has been breached
You can contact the Office of the Australian Information
Commissioner if you feel your privacy has been breached
(listed on page 17). Their Enquiries Line is available
to help you work out if a privacy breach may have
occurred. Before lodging a complaint with the Office of
the Australian Information Commissioner, try to resolve
matters with the agency or organisation concerned.
9.Investigate whether a Commonwealth Victims’
Certificate may help you restore your identity.If you are a victim of a Commonwealth identity crime and the theft is causing you problems in your
business or personal affairs you may find a Victims’ Certificate helpful.Examples of Commonwealth identity crimes include use of your personal
information to falsely claim a benefit from Centrelink, submit a false tax return or purchase and import illegal substances. The Victims’ Certificate
is provided by a State or Territory magistrate. You can present it to government agencies or businesses, such as credit reporting agencies, to help
support your claim that you have been a victim of a Commonwealth identity crime.
To find out if you are eligible and how to apply please visit
http://www.ag.gov.au/identitysecurity or contact
CriminalLaw@ag.gov.au
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USEFUL LINKS
Here is a list of other websites you might like to check out. I found them all on the same doc that I referred to previously (see my message above).
Where can I go for more information?
Identity security
http://www.ag.gov.au/identitysecurity
for individuals and businesses
Financial identity security
http://www.moneysmart.gov.au
for individuals and businesses
http://www.protectfinancialid.org.au
for individuals and businesses
Cyber security
http://www.staysmartonline.gov.au
for individuals and small business
http://www.cert.gov.au
for large businesses
http://www.cybersmart.gov.au
for children, parents and teachers
I found this on the cybersmart page. This is a good page to show teenagers.
http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/Teens/How%20do%20I%20deal%20wit...
http://www.ag.gov.au/cybersecurity
for information on government policy
http://www.icode.net.au
Internet Industry Association’s voluntary code of practice on cyber security
Privacy
http://www.oaic.gov.au
for individuals and businesses
Scams and fraud
http://www.scamwatch.gov.au
for individuals and businesses |
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posted 5-3-2015 @ 01:15 PM
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It's not a free book, but I thought I'd let people know about this. Hoax Slayer is run by an Aussie guy, even though the cost of the e-book is quoted
in USD. You can probably glean most of the info for free via the links in my original post, but if you prefer an e-book, this might be an option for
you. Hoax Slayer posts regular updates about dodgy spam, phishing, links on facebook, emails and websites.
http://www.hoax-slayer.com
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/protecting-yourself-from-identity... |
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posted 11-3-2016 @ 11:17 AM
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Just came across this via the recently updated SBS privacy policy. SBS provided a link to the YourOnlineChoices website. YourOnlineChoices contains
info about online behavioural advertising and privacy. It appears to be an industry run, self regulated thing.
Here it is…
http://www.youronlinechoices.com.au/about-adaa/
http://www.youronlinechoices.com.au |
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posted 11-3-2016 @ 12:07 PM
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Quote: | Originally posted by onecanonlyhope
It's not a free book, but I thought I'd let people know about this. Hoax Slayer is run by an Aussie guy, even though the cost of the e-book is quoted
in USD. You can probably glean most of the info for free via the links in my original post, but if you prefer an e-book, this might be an option for
you. Hoax Slayer posts regular updates about dodgy spam, phishing, links on facebook, emails and websites.
http://www.hoax-slayer.com
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/protecting-yourself-from-identity... |
Hoaxslayer is a great site, and really helpful regarding spam, facebook, etc |
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posted 14-1-2017 @ 12:05 PM
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I found this link about online privacy and thought I'd share it.
It contains some practical and helpful suggestions.
Read through the transcript or watch the video at the bottom of the page.
http://ideas.ted.com/why-online-privacy-matters-and-how-to-p... |
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posted 30-4-2017 @ 12:44 PM
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After seeing a recent message on lottos about identity theft, I decided to look at the ACCC website again. I thought I'd let everyone know that 'The
Little Black Book of Scams' was updated in December 2016.
https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/the-little-black-book-o...
Here is some information about the little black book......
The best way to protect yourself is through awareness and education.
The Little Black Book of Scams is recognised internationally as an important tool for consumers and small businesses to learn about scams including:
the most common scams to watch out for
the different ways scammers can contact you
the tools scammers use to trick you
the warning signs
how to protect yourself, and
where you can find help.
(the following info was taken from an ACCC media article on their website))
Ms Rickard, ACCC Deputy Chair, also urged consumers to read the ACCC’s Little Black Book of Scams publication.
“A person’s best protection against scams is awareness and education. The Little Black Book of Scams contains important information about how to spot
and avoid scams, to help keep you one step ahead of scammers,” Ms Rickard said.
“The ACCC recently updated this publication to include important new trends we’re seeing from scammers, including in regards to remote access scams.” |
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posted 30-4-2017 @ 01:07 PM
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Here is some information about obtaining a free credit report. The Australian Government ASIC Money Smart website suggests that credit reports are
checked every year.
TIP:
https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/borrowing-and-credit/borrowing...
https://www.moneysmart.gov.au/tools-and-resources/publicatio...
BEWARE OF CREDIT REPORT SCAMS
Don't search for credit reporting agencies over the internet, as you may find fake sites offering 'free credit reports' that are really out to scam
you. If you want to contact a credit reporting agency online, type its URL into the address bar of your web browser.
If a business offers you a free credit report, they shouldn't need your credit card details. So don't provide these unless you understand why the
agency is asking for them.
Never follow an email link offering a free credit report, or respond to an unsolicited email offering a free credit report - delete it. It is likely
to be a scam, trying to trick you into giving out your personal information. For more information see banking and credit card scams.
Stay on top of your credit health by checking your credit report every year. Wrong listings not only affect your ability to obtain credit, but can
alert you to things like identity theft.
Smart tip
If there are loans or credit in your report that you know nothing about, it could mean someone has stolen your identity and taken out loans in your
name. See identity fraud for what to do.
Important!
You could have a report with more than one reporting agency.
If you live in Tasmania you may need to check with the Tasmanian Collection Service and Equifax. If you live in other states you may need to check
with Equifax, CheckYourCredit.com.au (Dun and Bradstreet) and Experian. |
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posted 30-4-2017 @ 03:52 PM
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I found a link to ID CARE in the ACCC Little Black Book of Scams.
Here is the blurb about ID CARE from the Little Black Book.
http://www.idcare.org
Recover your stolen identity
If you suspect you are a victim of identity theft, it is important that you act quickly to reduce your risk of financial loss or other damages.
Contact IDCARE—a free, government-funded service that provides support to victims of identity crime. IDCARE can help you to develop a response plan to
take the appropriate steps for repairing damage to your reputation, credit history and identity. Visit the IDCARE website at www.idcare.org or call 1300 432 273.
Apply for a Commonwealth Victims’ Certificate—a certificate helps support your claim that you’ve been the victim of identity crime and can be used to
help re-establish your credentials with government or financial institutions. Visit the Attorney-General’s Department
at www.ag.gov.au (or call 02 6141 6666) to learn more about protecting and recovering your identity. |
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