Beware of Online ID Theft

Online identity theft crimes are on the rise.
Coffee County Sheriff Steve Graves reminds everyone that many consumers fall victim to online identity crimes due to the increase of shopping during the holiday season. “It is important to be aware of certain emails that request personal information as a means of gaining access to the site. “Be careful when purchasing items on line that your personal information and payment will be requested at the end of the purchase, not at the beginning.”
The sheriff said that online identity theft crime has become increasingly easy because most consumers are not as savvy on technology as the criminals are.
The sheriff says to use different password combinations for different accounts and avoid writing them down. Make the passwords more complicated by combining letters, numbers and special characters and be sure to change them on a regular basis.
The sheriff suggests that people activate their firewall and use anti-virus/malware software.
“People need to be careful when they give out personal information such as their name, address, phone or financial information on the Internet,” Graves explained.
The sheriff says that if you are victim or suspect that you are report it to the local police.