Recently, there has been an increase in fraudulent emails that appear to come from a familiar company or service provider, and ask you to provide sensitive personal information-- such as your password, credit card number, or Social Security number-- with the intent to steal that information from you.

Typically, these scams, or "Phisher" emails, ask you to click on a link which redirects you to a fake Web site. These sites are usually very good imitations of the real thing, and include logos and fonts of the company they are mimicking.

Fraudulent emails may also ask you to submit your personal information on a form in the actual email, by fax, or by replying to the email.

The information below will help you protect yourself from phishers and other forms of Internet fraud:

What is ID theft?
Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information to take over your credit accounts, open new ones, take out a loan, rent an apartment, access bank accounts, or commit many other crimes using your identity. When it strikes, the effects can be devastating. What's more, because it frequently involves no physical theft, identity theft may not be noticed by its victims until significant damage has been done -- often, several months and thousands of dollars later.

What to do if you've been scammed
If you think you've submitted sensitive personal information in response to a fraudulent email, contact your bank or credit card provider immediately.

If you think you've submitted your PeoplePC Online password in response to a scam, please contact PeoplePC immediately to reset your password.

Unless you check your credit report frequently, there's often no way to tell if identity thieves have used your personal information to obtain credit accounts or other services in your name. You can contact each of the credit reporting agencies to check your credit report:

• Experian http://www.experian.com 1-888-397-3742
• Equifax http://www.equifax.com 1-800-685-1111
• TransUnion http://www.transunion.com 1-800-916-8800

If you find that your personal information has been used fraudulently, contact local law enforcement immediately.

Tips for avoiding scams

• NEVER email your password, credit card number, checking account information, or password hint question and answer, as email is not encrypted and should not be considered 100% secure.
• Choose your passwords carefully and keep them safe. A Web site only confirms that a password is correct, not the identity of the person using it.
• DO NOT provide personal information on a Web site unless you're sure it's legitimately managed by the company with which you're interacting.
• NEVER click on a link in an email that requests personal information, because criminals can redirect a link to an address other than the one shown. To visit a Web site, always type the address directly into your Web browser.
• The safest way to update your account information is to go directly to the company's account maintenance Web site. Typically you can visit the company's home page and link it from there.
• Use PeoplePC Online's spaminator, which eliminates virtually all junk mail before it reaches your Inbox. To find out more about spaminator visit: https://webmail.peoplepc.com/wam/spamblocker.jsp

Recognizing legitimate PeoplePC Online requests

PeoplePC Online will NEVER request that you submit your credit card number, password, secret word, PIN, or last four digits of your Social Security number in an email.

Most PeoplePC Online requests will direct you to update your personal information on your "My Account" Web page: http://home.peoplepc.com/account/default.asp

However, there are a few exceptions:

• PeoplePC Online may ask you to email us contact information (name, email address, mailing address, phone number, etc.).
• Our phone system, call center representatives, or technical support representatives may ask for your password, secret word, PIN, last four digits of your credit card number or last four digits of your Social Security number in order to verify your identity as the account owner, update your account, or troubleshoot a problem. These channels are secure and you are safe complying with the request.

If you receive a request that appears to come from PeoplePC Online, and are not sure if it's legitimate, do not simply ignore it, as doing so may put your account at risk.

Reporting fraud and getting help

If you receive a fraudulent email, please forward it, with full header information, and email source directly to PeoplePC Online at: fraud@peoplepc.com.

For instructions on how to view full header information and email source in your PeoplePC Online emails, click here.

Upon receipt of your email, our Fraud Department will research the issue and take steps to protect other PeoplePC Online Members, such as blocking the email or shutting down any associated fraudulent Web site(s).

If you have more questions about online fraud, you can email us at:

member.services@peoplepc.com

PeoplePC Online's commitment to fighting fraud

PeoplePC Online's Fraud Department proactively monitors PeoplePC systems for new fraud threats. When fraudulent Web sites are discovered, we block access to them, report the sites to get them shut down as quickly as possible, and notify the authorities.

We are always working with law enforcement agencies to track down and stop Internet criminals and spammers.

We are also continuously expanding our suite of powerful tools like spaminator to help our members avoid Internet scams and hassles.

Related Web sites

If you are worried that your personal information has been compromised, please visit the following government websites:

http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft
http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html