Page 73 - Winning The Credit Game Bundle (CK Patrick)

DISPUTING ERRORS 61

Some organizations which are impersonated by scammers hoping
to extract money or information that can be used to steal your identity
include:

The IRS. (Generally, the IRS will never call you and demand
money or your Social Security number. They communicate
almost exclusively through postal mail.)
Credit card companies. (Generally these will not make
unsolicited phone calls; you will be the one calling them if
you are applying, and they will usually communicate any
problems with your account via postal mail or through an
online account portal with a secure, verified website you
have signed up with.)
Other government agencies. Some scammers have even
called immigrants falsely posing as the government of their
home country in an effort to extract money and identity
information from them. Talk about underhanded!

The Internet is another important frontier for safety. Most legiti-
mate companies have online portals which may ask for some of the
above information to verify it’s really you. This is done in order to
prevent identity theft. But be wary of any website which asks for the
information above which you are not already doing business with.
The same rules about phone calls apply to unsolicited emails you
receive. Legitimate companies generally will not request information
such as your Social Security number via email. Some scammers and
identity thieves may also send emails posing as an organization you do
business with, containing a link to a website that asks you for this
information.
If you are not completely positive that an email came from the
company you do business with, it’s a good idea to call the company
and check. Any information a company is asking you to enter into a
web form or email, it can usually collect more securely over the phone.
You can ask to give them your information via phone instead of
through the Internet by calling the business’s trusted phone number.