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IDENTITY THEFT


Longview Hill residents have the opportunity to attend a workshop on February 6th, 1:30 PM at the clubhouse, to hear a speaker from the Justice Department State of Oregon on how to avoid identity theft.

Normally the state requires a guaranteed attendance and larger groups, before they will send out a speaker. However, we were able to tie this date to another obligations already scheduled by the state with the Chamber of Newport. I encourage all residents to attend. You will receive advise, handouts, and solutions, to prohibit someone from stealing your identity. If you are unfortunate enough to have your identity stolen, you will be offered solutions to assist you in the process of regaining.

Since identity theft is the fastest growing scam in America and seniors are oftentimes the targets: we must be armed with all the available defenses. Don’t miss this one time opportunity to hear the facts and get the answers to your questions.

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SCAMS

GP Information Technology has seen a significant increase recently in e-mail scams that lead to fraudulent Web sites, which then steal personal or financial information.

If you receive an e-mail from a financial organization like Citibank or PayPal, do not click on the link or provide any information. Although it may appear as though the e-mail address and Web site are valid, this is a scam that, in addition to stealing your personal information, could also infect your computer with a virus.

If you receive an e-mail from a bank or financial organization asking you to verify your information, do not click on the link or fill in any personal or confidential information. Instead, call their customer service number to confirm and validate any needed information.

Here are some clues that an e-mail may be fraudulent:
· The e-mail requests personal or financial information. Legitimate organizations do not obtain sensitive information through e-mail.
· The Web site it references is not secure. A Web site that begins with “http://” is not secure. The address must begin with “https://”, or the site must have a lock in the bottom right corner of the screen.
· The e-mail has inappropriate text, characters or misspelled words in the subject or body.
· Most fraudulent e-mails seen at GP include the words “verify” or “verification” in the subject.

If you receive an e-mail that appears to be a scam, delete the e-mail immediately.

THIS MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED FROM GEORGIA PACIFIC HEADQUARTERS IN ATLANTA. THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ALL COMPUTER USERS.