Online fraud is all over the internet. Unsuspecting surfers won’t know that just by unwittingly giving away their private information, their identity and financial information can be stolen and used by criminals. Cyber criminals would use fake websites, unsolicited email messages, message boards, chat rooms and yes, even your social media account to get access to your details.
Phishing scams and Pharming scams abound, and now is the time, more than ever to actively avoid attempts at online identity theft by arming yourself with knowledge to combat online fraud. We’ve compiled some private investigator tips to avoid identity theft online below for you. Open Attachments with Caution Senders that you don’t know can easily send you virus-laden files via email. If you received an email with an attachment (especially if the attachment is an .exe file) and the subject or sender seems off, better just ignore the email or mark it as spam. Don’t Allow File Sharing On Your Computer If your computer is open or connected to a network, it makes you vulnerable to attackers. By disabling file sharing, you have the power to grant access only to people you choose. Regularly Check Bank Statements Not all banks alert you if they find any suspicious activity in your account, so you better be checking your bank balance and statement regularly. Have a Strong Password And to be on the safe side, make sure that you use a different password for your various accounts. You won’t give a thief your house key or leave it hanging by the front door, right? Do the same for your online accounts. Never Share Your Pin Code with Anyone No matter if someone says they work with your bank or they will close your account if you don’t give them your pin. People who do that are crooks pretending to be bank employees. Don’t Keep Your Financial Info on Your Device If your device gets stolen or hacked, any cybercriminal can easily access your bank. Pay Attention to A Website’s Privacy Policy The website should not share your information or try to sell it. Better yet, simply do not enter your private details if you don’t trust the website. List Down the Vendors You Buy From If you have the company’s address and telephone number, getting your money back will be easier in case of unauthorized purchase or charge. Double Check Websites Before Entering Personal Details Fake websites that look like a legitimate site you want to visit is a common occurrence in online fraud. Open websites in a new browser and look for the security ‘lock’ icon at the URL to avoid pharming websites. Lookout for Security Seal Authenticated websites have the seal and signify that they were checked and free from malware. Keep Your Software Updated Your OS provider is most likely issuing periodic updates to help protect your device and keep in functioning well. Make sure that you install and use these security updates. Don’t Send Money for Someone Else Money launderers can try to coax you to send money in their behalf by sending you a fake cheque. This is a common money laundering and online fraud scheme. Use Encrypted Websites Or try to as much as possible. Websites that start with https and/or with a padlock icon are generally safe because it means transactions are encrypted and secure. Check Papers for Financial Data Before Throwing Away Paper copies of your bank details, log-in information, and even credit card statements should be shredded before being thrown in the trash. Double Check Email Addresses Legitimate businesses do not use free email service providers when sending official correspondence. If someone claims to be from your bank and yet uses gmail, yahoo, AOL, Hotmail, and the like, report that person. Report Online Fraud Any suspected activity of online fraud or identity theft should be reported as soon as possible. Quite a lot of organized internet crimes have been foiled because of concerned people who reported suspected cases of such.
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Most people think that private investigators are best in uncovering insurance fraud or gathering evidence for infidelity, but the fact is, hiring private investigators can be a big help for solving criminal cases.
Private Investigators and Law Enforcement Law enforcement has been working with private investigators for decades. Oftentimes, when police departments are overworked or understaffed, they tap some trusted private investigators to help uncover evidence for unsolved cases to fast track the delivery of justice. More so, having a new set of trained eyes to look over existing data can prove useful in seeing patterns that weren’t obvious to the police officers who’ve gathered them. Perhaps one of the most positive merits of hiring a private investigator for a criminal case is that unlike police officers, a private eye can choose to work on only a single case for a time. Another benefit is that private investigators are not limited by jurisdictions of duty and can pursue leads without the need to turn over investigations to someone else. There is a misconception that police officers are reluctant to work with private eyes, perhaps seeing the other professional as a competitor or not trusting the qualifications of a private investigator (for places that do not have strict requirements for someone to work in private investigations). This may be true in the past, but police departments are finding it a lot more beneficial to have a few trusted private investigators working with them especially for solving cases that are hard to crack. Note that a large percentage of current private investigators were once working in law enforcement. This may have been a huge factor as to why it is easier for police officers and private investigators to work together these days. Private Investigators and Law Offices Private eyes have long been partners of attorneys for decades. Law offices perceive private investigators as assets especially for uncovering information for serious criminal cases. Private eyes can conduct witness interviews for law offices as well as find key persons who can help with a case. Attorneys may be great at building cases and formulating defences, but they often do not have the time to perform the necessary legwork to gather the information they need for building cases and formulating defences. A private eye can do the research, investigation of some data, as well as review details to help with a criminal case. Private Investigators and the Public Individuals had been availing of private investigation services for breathing life to cold cases that have been forgotten by law enforcement. It isn’t uncommon for new information to be uncovered by a professional private investigator years or decades after a case has gone cold. In some cases, relatives or friends of a victim in a criminal case sought the help of private eyes to find a missing witness or supplement an ongoing investigation for a case. With the above said, it is undeniable that private investigators can be of great help for criminal cases. If you need private investigation services, do not hesitate to contact us today! Contact us: Haywood Hunt & Associates Mississauga Background checks come in various forms and for different reasons. Ideally, background checks are done for new hires but it can also be performed for individuals who arouse your suspicion for any number of reasons.
Background checks can also be as simple as those offered in $10 internet site, a bit more involved as the typical pre-employment ones, and as complex, thorough, and expensive as those performed by government agencies. It is entirely up to you to choose which type would suit your needs. Just keep in mind that matter what type of background check you go for, it should answer the 3 questions below. Was the person involved in any types of serious issues in the past? Not everyone is an axe murderer, but it will be a lot safer for you to deal or work with someone who has not been convicted or charged with serious crimes in the past. Background investigations can turn up records of minor run-ins with law such as indecent exposure, petty theft, drug possession, or juvenile delinquency, but it can also turn up a history of very serious offenses such as rape, homicide, assault, larceny, or grand theft. Though it is true that people can turn their lives for the better after being charged or convicted of these crimes, you will be surprised that quite a number are actually repeat offenders! It should be noted that while some low-cost background checks can provide you with some data on criminal records, their access is often limited and will often not include recent cases. Is the person saying the truth about who they are? With identity theft increasingly becoming common these days, you will surely want to make sure that the person’s name, address history, birth date, and other important details truly match the person they claim to be. This is one way you can be sure that who you are dealing with is not a con artist. Aside from the basic personal details, other details you may want to verify are education history, professional licensing, and employment history. Lies about these details red flags in any type of relationship, professional or romantic ones. Is there an issue that the person is a ticking time bomb who manifests warning signs of future problems or exhibits any other character issue? Issues like being involved in various lawsuits, history of financial troubles, a lifestyle that does not match with their means, repeated DUI offences, or getting fired again and again are all warning signs that the person could be more trouble than you are ready for. We are not saying that you can’t give someone a chance to prove themselves first, but we do believe that knowledge is power. Access to information that is not publicly available can be provided by seasoned private investigators and can save you money, time, and heartache down the road. Although background checks cannot give you the full 100% answers to the questions above, a legitimate background check can at least provide you with much-needed information to enable you to make smart critical decisions that can affect your life, family, or company in the future. Looking for a Toronto private investigator, at Haywood Hunt Toronto we're here to help you with some background checks? Take a look at our private investigation services and see which one will suit your needs. We welcome questions and inquiries. Contact Us today! |