MyCRA Specialist Credit Repair Lawyers

Tag: social networking

  • Cyber-safety and financial identity: 5 reasons why parents need to be cyber-savvy.

    Media Release

    child internet useCyber-safety and financial identity: 5 reasons why parents need to be cyber-savvy.

    8 August 2013

    A credit expert is urging parents to focus on maintaining a dialogue with their children and get themselves up to speed with technology, in order to best prevent families from falling prey to the internet’s financial predators.

    CEO of MyCRA Credit Rating Repair, Graham Doessel says no parent should be complacent when it comes to their child’s internet use, particularly when they’re engaging in social networking.

    “At any age, we can be at risk of sharing too much information, adding suspect friends, downloading malware and falling for scams – all of which can threaten the integrity of not only our finances as parents – but for children, potentially their financial future as well,” he says.

    Mr Doessel says his company helps Australians clear adverse listings from their credit file which they believe should not be there. He says no one is immune to financial predators – and when a client experiences identity theft which leads to credit being taken out in their name, they are left financially crippled.

    “Basically the victim ends up with defaults on their credit file which unfortunately means they are black listed from credit for 5 years. These victims can’t borrow for anything – they can’t even take out a mobile phone plan,” he says.

    His warning comes following the release of the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) special report last Friday, on the way young Australians use the internet and social media.

    The report ‘Like, post, share’ explored emerging trends such as the rise of mobile access to the internet.

    “Whether it’s for study, playing games or connecting to friends and family, young Australians are placing more and more importance on the online aspects of their lives,” said ACMA Deputy Chairman Richard Bean.

    Mr Doessel says there are many reasons for parents to understand their child’s vulnerability to fraud from internet use – but he has identified 5 key reasons:

    1. Our kids are actually targets for fraudsters.

    Just because children are not 18, doesn’t mean they are not financially at risk. There have been warnings from Police about crooks scrolling through thousands of social networking pages purposely looking for young people, because they usually have the most open privacy settings.
    ”
    That information is not used right away, but is stored or ‘warehoused’ until the young people turn 18. They can then go on a ‘spending spree’ with the young person’s fake identity and credit.

    Mr Doessel says kids can also put their parents’ credit file at risk.

    “Downloading viruses can also mean the family computer is put at risk – which can threaten the financial identity of anyone using that computer for banking or other sensitive activities, and sharing too much information about parents can also be dangerous,” Mr Doessel says.

    2. Kids are on the net at increasing rates.

    According to the ACMA’s report, the percentage of Australian eight to nine year olds who rate the internet as ‘very important’ in their lives has doubled since 2009.

    Up to 35 per cent of eight to 11-year-olds have their own mobile phone, rising to 94 per cent of 16 to 17-year-olds.

    As children and young people get older their understanding of the internet and their use of it increases.

    “Older children and young people come to view the internet as a primary activity in and of itself and a source of entertainment, information and education,” the report says.

    One emergent area of avid use has been identified as social networking services, with the ACMA stating that it has become a “primary means of building, negotiating and presenting their social identities.”

    3. Social networking is incredibly risky.

    Mr Doessel says social networking offers fraudsters a whole host of personal information which can be misused.

    “Personal information can be extracted from social network sites, and fraudsters can build a profile on the victim – which can lead to identity theft and subsequent fraud,” he says.

    Social networking risks can include predatory friend requests, extraction of ‘public’ information for fraudulent use, viruses which include malware to extract passwords and other personal information from computers, and scam emails.

    Despite the risks, the ACMA report shows privacy is not always practiced by children.

    “Compared to their theoretical knowledge, perception and awareness of risks, their actual behaviour demonstrates that this knowledge is often not put into practice,” the report states.

    4. Pre-teens are vulnerable.

    The ACMA reports that parents need to think about starting conversations about cyber-safety with their kids earlier, with fewer eight to 11 year olds reporting having discussed issues of cyber-safety with their parents than 12 to 17 year olds.

    Younger teens are also slightly less likely to have private profiles or take other steps to manage their privacy.

    “From the research it seems that there is an age threshold of around 14 onwards where the relevance of a [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][digital] footprint can be grasped,” the report states.

    5. Our kids think they know more than us (and often they’re right!).

    Parents are the main source of advice and support for young people who are experiencing difficulties online, and ideally should be perceived as the authority on technology matters.

    “If parents don’t know their way around the web, they owe it to themselves and their family to get to know,” Mr Doessel says.

    “Whilst we can offer more freedom as they age, children still require our parenting in the virtual world as they would in the real one,” he says.

    The ACMA report shows when messages were delivered by individuals who children and young people perceive as being authorities in the area as well as having active knowledge of the activities they pursue, then such messages of cyber-safety can really get through.

    For more advice on protecting your financial identity, or for recovering from identity theft, people can go to MyCRA’s website  http://www.mycra.com.au/identity-theft/.

    /ENDS.

    MEDIA ENQUIRIES

    For Interviews – Graham Doessel – Founder and CEO MyCRA    Ph 3124 7133

    For all media enquiries – Lisa Brewster – Media Relations media@mycra.com.au

    media@mycra.com.au http://www.mycra.com.au/       www.mycra.com.au.blog

    246 Stafford Road, STAFFORD QLD. Ph: 07 3124 7133

    MyCRA Credit Rating Repair is Australia’s number one in credit rating repairs. We permanently remove defaults from credit files.

    http://www.acma.gov.au/theacma/newsroom/newsroom/media-releases/we-like-we-post-we-share-the-online-lives-of-young-australians
    http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/police-warn-of-sophisticated-plan-to-steal-identities-20111108-1n5l8.html#ixzz1dB4ctHcT

    Image: stockimages/ www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

  • Social Networking And Your Credit File: 5 Protection Tips

    Media Release

    5 Things You Need To Know About Social Networking to Protect Your Credit File

    27 April 2012

    A consumer advocate for accurate credit reporting is warning consumers ahead of Privacy Awareness Week (PAW) about the dangers for their credit file if they fell victim to identity theft through lax social networking settings.

    Graham Doessel, Founder and CEO of MyCRA Credit Rating Repairs and Partner for PAW says identity theft threats from people posting too much personal information on sites like Facebook and Twitter are rampant.

    “Fraudsters are out there looking for your personal information. They are building a profile, and one day if they have enough information you may be unfortunate enough to have credit taken out in your name. If this happens you could not only lose a lot of money, but your credit file is likely to be riddled with negative listings you have no knowledge of,” he says.

    Privacy Awareness Week runs from 29th April to 5th May. The theme of the week is “How to Protect Personal Information While Engaging with Social Media”. MyCRA Credit Rating Repairs is proud to be a Partner to this event. (1)

    Mr Doessel explains 5 important things to know about Social Networking to protect your good credit rating:

    1. Fraudsters are looking for your personal information.

    Identity theft victims are not always ‘gullible’. Identity theft attempts occur every day. Many experts say it is not a matter of if you experience an identity theft attempt, but when. It is estimated one in six Australians may have been a victim or know someone who is a victim of identity theft. (2)

    Increasingly the crime originates from professional fraudsters whose main occupation is to steal personal information and financial details in order to commit fraud. The internet is a big source of personal information and it means identity crime can have very long arms – often it originates from overseas crime syndicates who are scouting for information on sites like Facebook.

    Identity theft is increasing because the pay-offs are huge for criminals. It is estimated identity crime costs Australians $1 billion a year. (3)

    2. They are looking for information that they can build an identity on.

    Much of the information people post on Facebook or other Social Networking sites can be very good building blocks for identity thieves. They are taking snippets here and there and building a profile on people.

    They may know your name and they may also know where you live, where you went to school, your pet’s names, your birthday, even your other family name which could be identified as your mother’s maiden name. With features like ‘check-in’s’, they also know where you are most of the time, which could also come in handy for criminals – especially if they already know where you live.

    All this information crooks extract from Social Network sites may be used in passwords or used as identifying information. After a little while, they could have enough information to go about asking for replacement copies of driver’s licences, photo identification – whatever type of identification they have suitable information for.

    Then fraudsters can attempt to apply for credit in your name. Some people have even had houses purchased in their name. Often the fraud can go undetected until you apply for credit in your own right and you are refused because a credit check reveals a long list of strange default listings.

    3. Criminals don’t care how old the user is.

    Even teenagers are not immune to having their personal information stolen. Data on young people may be ‘warehoused’ until the victim turns 18. There are reports of crooks scrolling through thousands of social networking pages purposely looking for young people for this reason, because they usually have the most open privacy settings. That information is not used right away, but is stored until the young people turn 18. They can then go on a ‘spending spree’ with the young person’s fake identity and credit.

    Superintendant Brian Hay from the Queensland Fraud Squad told Channel 7’s Sunrise Program in October last year, that criminals were targeting the personal information of our young Facebook users. (4)

    “We know that the crooks have been data warehousing identity information, we know that they’ve been building search engines to profile and build identities,” he told Sunrise.

    “We need to tell our children if you surrender your soul, if you surrender your identity to the internet it could come back to bite you in a very savage way years down the track,” he says.
    4. If criminals take out credit in your name, they won’t be so kind as to make repayments for you.

    When credit goes unpaid past 60 days, the creditor issues a ‘default’ or ‘clearout’ listing on your credit file. This listing will remain on your credit file as record for 5 years for a default and 7 years for a clearout.

    Any negative listing can mean people are refused a home loan, a car loan or any type of credit and it doesn’t have to big amounts to make a big impact. Even listings with amounts of $300 can stop someone from getting a loan. So even if there was only one instance of identity theft, your credit rating is ruined for up to seven years.

    Unfortunately there is a hard road in recovering your good name. If the listing shouldn’t be there – it is still up to you as the consumer to prove you didn’t initiate the credit and this can be difficult – often people have no idea how someone got their personal information in the first place.

    5. Bump up your privacy NOW on Social Networking sites to make sure no one obtains your personal information.

    One important change you can make right now, is to change the way you use the internet. Keep your passwords and social networking settings as strong as possible. Here is some information that the Government has issued via their Stay Smart Online website to help people take steps to use social networking safely (5) :

    Top tips

    ·         Always type your social networking website address into your browser.

    ·         Never use the same password that you use for your bank or email accounts. Have a different password for each social networking site so that if one password is stolen, not all of your accounts will be at risk.

    ·         Don’t automatically click on links in ‘friend request’ emails you receive. Genuine friend requests will appear on your home page on your social networking site.

    ·         Be careful about how much personal information you post online. Use privacy settings to control who has access to your information.

    ·         Be careful about the amount of information that you reveal to people you don’t know. It is easy to create a fake profile online and people are not always who they say they are.

    ·         Stop and think before you write a message or post pictures. Ask yourself if the information you are sharing is something you want your future employers, friends or family to see. Even items you delete can remain on the Internet for years.

    If people find out their credit rating has been damaged through identity theft, Mr Doessel says the first step is to contact Police, and the second step is to ask Police if they are eligible for a Victims of Commonwealth Identity Crime Certificate – which is available from their local Magistrate’s Court. (6)

    “Identity theft recovery can be a lot of work – but if people have their credit rating damaged it’s a point worth fighting for. If people have neither the time nor the skill to prepare their own case for listing removal, they can always contact a reputable credit rating repairer to help,” he says.

    /ENDS.

    Please contact:

    Graham Doessel – Founder and CEO MyCRA       (07) 3124 7133

    Lisa Brewster – Media Relations  MyCRA    Mob: 0450 554 007 media@mycra.com.au
    http://www.mycra.com.au/ www.mycra.com.au.blog

    MyCRA Credit Rating Repairs is Australia’s leader in credit rating repairs. We permanently remove defaults from credit files.

    (1) http://www.privacyawarenessweek.org/oaic/2012_partners.html
    (2) http://www.attorneygeneral.gov.au/www/ministers/mcclelland.nsf/Page/MediaReleases_2011_ThirdQuarter_3July2011-Newresearchshowsidentitytheftaffectsoneinsixpeople
    (3) OECD Committee on Consumer Policy, Online Identity Theft, February 2009, p. 37
    (4) http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/-/watch/26825601/child-identity-theft/
    (5) http://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/home_internet_users/protect_yourself2/safe_social_networking (6) http://www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/Crimeprevention_CertificatesforVictimsofCommonwealthIdentityCrime?open&query=victims

  • Is your smartphone use increasing your risk of identity theft?

    A recent survey found that over half of all mobile phone users own a smartphone.  The survey conducted by TNS Mobile Life found 52% of mobile users own a smartphone device, which is an increase of 24 per cent from 2010.

    But unfortunately fraudsters are also aware of this. People should be wary about the possible risks to the security of their personal information when they are using their smartphone.

    The fact that people are using these devices to log in to social networking, use email, download applications and access bank accounts means they also need to be careful they are not opening the door to identity theft. This could leave them hugely out of pocket, and potentially ruin their credit rating.

    Security firm Earthwave Managed Services guest blogged on CSO this week, and warned readers about emerging identity theft risks with smartphones.

    “The smartphones of today don’t just make calls and take pictures. They serve as handheld PC’s and can potentially provide a thief with enough information about your online presence so that further theft of finances and identity can occur,” the firm says.

    Earthwave says the same types of malicious malware and viruses that are present on home computers are being directed to smart phones, but there is a gap in adequate security in this area. Here’s how they say people’s personal information can be compromised:

    “The malware could be injected using a PDF document, an image on a website, an e-mail or even embedded in webpage code. While the PC and notebook fall victim to the same attacks, the smartphone is even more vulnerable due to sluggish software development and user naivety…

    “The hype surrounding the app-race gives attackers another means of entry – App Stores. Cyber criminals can code apps which include malware with the aim of gaining anonymous and complete access to the data residing on the phone,” the firm says.

    Earthwave says people should adhere to the same security practices as those applied to their notebook to prevent smartphone identity theft. They suggest four security measures to take:

    1. Install firmware updates that resolve security issues.
    2. Always use strong passwords and stay vigilant with your email and web browsing.
    3. Always be extremely careful what information you provide on social networking sites
    4. Configure websites containing personal or financial information to be encrypted for the entire session, if the site provides this functionality.

    Identity theft can be devastating for the victim, and many times they face an uphill battle with their credit rating following it. If the crime is sophisticated – as could be the case with malware-generated identity theft, the virtual stealing of someone’s good name can go undetected for a significant time.

    Often it is not until the victim applies for credit somewhere and is refused that they realise their personal information has been stolen and identity fraud has been committed against them. People may have credit applications as a minimum and possibly defaults, mortgages and mobile phones attributed to them incorrectly.

    Once any account remains unpaid past 60 days, the debt may be listed by the creditor as a default on a person’s credit file. Under current Australian legislation, defaults remain listed on the victim’s credit file for a 5 year period.

    What is not widely known is how difficult recovery from identity theft can be. Unfortunately there is no guarantee defaults can be removed from a person’s credit file. The onus is on the identity theft victim to prove to creditors they didn’t initiate the debts. But for the victim who is virtually robbed of their financial freedom, it is a point worth fighting for.

    For more information on identity theft, or for help with credit repair following identity theft, visit the MyCRA Credit Repairs website.

    Image: Salvator Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net