Ridgewood NJ, as Valentine’s Day approaches, threat actors may attempt to prey on individuals seeking companionship or romance. The NJCCIC continues to receive reports of sextortion incidents in which victims are threatened with the release of compromising or sexually explicit photos or videos if they do not pay an extortion demand. Some sextortion threats are not credible, as threat actors are unable to provide proof of such photos or videos. However, there is an increase in reported sextortion incidents in which threat actors pretended to be trusting potential love interests. In several recent incidents, threat actors posed as attractive females to target their victims, build trust, and convince them to send compromising or sexually explicit photos or videos.
Linden NJ, The Department of Justice today announced that it has seized 63.7 bitcoins currently valued at approximately $2.3 million. These funds allegedly represent the proceeds of a May 8, ransom payment to individuals in a group known as DarkSide, which had targeted Colonial Pipeline, resulting in critical infrastructure being taken out of operation. The seizure warrant was authorized earlier today by the Honorable Laurel Beeler, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of California.
Ridgewood NJ, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center has released its annual report. The 2020 Internet Crime Report includes information from 791,790 complaints of suspected internet crime—an increase of more than 300,000 complaints from 2019—and reported losses exceeding $4.2 billion. State-specific statistics have also been released and can be found within the 2020 Internet Crime Report and in the accompanying 2020 State Reports.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Police report that on Tuesday August 4, 2015 a West side resident reported discovering fraudulent charges had been made on one of his/her credit card accounts. Information concerning prevention/reporting identity theft is available at the Ridgewood Police Department. While reports of similar incidents continue to be on the rise it is prudent to closely monitor your credit history as well as incoming mail at your residence.
Earlier on Monday July 27, 2015 a resident reported that an unidentified actor had opened several credit cards accounts utilizing his/her personal information. The matter is being investigated by the detective bureau. Information concerning prevention/reporting identity theft is available at the Ridgewood Police Department. While reports of similar incidents continue to be on the rise it is prudent to closely monitor your credit history as well as incoming mail at your residence.
Identity Theft Protection Tips
Identity theft is a crime in which an impostor obtains key pieces of personal identifying information (PII) such as Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers and uses them for their own personal gain. It can start with lost or stolen wallets, stolen mail, a data breach, computer virus, “phishing” scams, or paper documents thrown out by you or a business (dumpster ).
How can I minimize my risk of becoming an identity theft victim?
As consumers, you have little ability to stop or prevent identity theft. However, there are some positive steps to take which will decrease your risk.
Don’t give out your SSN unnecessarily (only for tax reasons, credit or verified employment.) Before providing personal identifiers, know how it will be used and if it will be shared.
Use a cross-cut shredder to dispose of documents with personal information. Also, use a specialized gel pen when writing out checks.
Place outgoing mail in collection boxes or the U.S. Post Office.
Know your billing cycles and contact creditors when bills fail to show up. Review bank and credit card statements carefully.
Password protect your financial accounts. A strong password should be more than eight characters in length, and contain both capital letters and at least one numeric or other non alphabetical character. Use of non-dictionary words is also recommended.
Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you initiated the contact.
Use firewall software to protect computer information. Keep virus and spyware software programs updated.
Reduce the number of preapproved credit card offers you receive: 888-5OPT-OUT
Order your free annual credit reports on-line at: www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling (877) 322-8228
You may also “freeze” your credit report. For more information on this, go to: State Resources
