AP9 PrivacyMatters 123 Says, "Don't Get Hooked -- Phishing Can Ruin Your Day"

AP9 Privacy Matters 123 warns consumers of phishing and identity theft scams.

Norwalk, CT (PRWEB) July 26, 2007 -- AP9 Privacy Matters 123 (http://www.privacymatters123-program.com/), a leading security and privacy membership program from Adaptive Marketing LLC, offers its members advice and insights on how to stop today's identity thieves.

As if there weren't enough identity theft scams out there already, it seems that phishing has quickly emerged as one of the most damaging forms of online identity theft. And, no, that's not a misprint, reports AP9 PrivacyMatters 123 (http://www.privacymatters123-program.com/PrivacyMatters123_ResourceCenter.html). It's "phishing," not "fishing," but it's a good bet that right now, plenty of identity thieves are busy baiting their collective online hooks, in hopes of reeling in confidential information.

Phishing scams can be complicated, but their aims are simple, notes AP9 Privacy Matters 123. Try thinking of these scams as -- what else? -- a ruse to coax the surrender of personal information. The … pardon the pun … catch is that expert phishers masquerade as legitimate and well-known companies (often banks and credit card companies) and tell unsuspecting online users that they are verifying or updating account information. And -- big surprise -- they need to confirm that information or the account will become inactive.

Well, two can play at that game. Or, even better, to borrow a quote from the 1970s' comedy cult classic Animal House, "Don't get mad … get even." AP9 PrivacyMatters 123 offers just a few ways to frustrate an online phisher and keep personal information, personal:

-- Don't touch that mouse. Never provide any personal or security information in an e-mail. Phishers may be despicable, but they can also be pretty convincing. If the e-mail claims to be asking about existing account information, call the company's customer service number instead.

-- It's a family affair. Tell everyone in the family about phishing threats, and warn them to keep an eye out for such online scams. It only takes one online user per computer to open up the information flood gates for all.

-- Read the fine print. When typing in a URL or web address, make sure it's the right one. Many online addresses are very similar, and it takes only one slip on the keyboard for personal information to fall into an opportunistic phisher's hands.

-- Big brother is listening. Not to be too paranoid, but maybe George Orwell was right. The calendar reveals that "1984" has clearly come and gone, and it's still not clear how much personal information is freely floating out there. For that reason, don't ever volunteer personal information over the phone -- until it's clear that you're dealing with a reputable organization.

So when it comes to phishing, stick to the "deep sea" variety. More to the point, stay alert, and see to it that online phishers suddenly feel compelled to head out to sea for the afternoon -- and not back to their computers. For these and other anti-identity theft tips, finding help is as easy as AP9 Privacy Matters 123.

About AP9 PrivacyMatters 123

AP9 Privacy Matters 123 (http://www.privacymatters123-program.com/) is a leading membership program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC that offers consumers instant, online access to 3 in 1 credit reports and scores, daily Triple Bureau credit monitoring and more. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., Adaptive Marketing (http://www.adaptivemarketing.com/) is a category leader in membership programs, bringing value direct to consumers through an array of benefits in healthcare, discounts, security, personal property and personals. Members may access their benefits at PrivacyMatters.com (http://www.privacymatters.com/). With broad online and offline distribution capabilities, Adaptive Marketing offers its corporate client partners effective tools to enhance market presence, strengthen customer affinity and generate additional value through programs such as AP9 PrivacyMatters 123.

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