The Lionheart Assurance Solutions Scam Prevention Toolkit has five recommendations on how you can safeguard your personal information on your debit card:

1. When punching in your card, you can protect your PIN number from “shoulder surfers” and hidden cameras by using your other hand to hide your fingers as they punch in the right combination.

2. Only use ATMs that you are familiar with and have used before. ATMs in kiosks, restaurants, and convenience stores, for example, can be easily tampered with and implanted with hidden cameras, skimming devices, and fake pin pads.

3. Keep an eye on your account balance, reviewing it regularly. You have a two-day window to complain about any unusual changes in your account balance.

4. Be suspicious if the ATM machine says that it has run out of money. Sometimes these can be fake machines, designed only to read all your card information and your PIN numbers. Notify your bank about any suspicious ATMs you have used.

5. Sometimes thieves can get your PIN number online. They send you an email, purportedly from your bank, asking you to confirm your account information. These are called phishing scams.

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Lionheart Assurance Solutions also recommends that you never rely on help from strangers if you have problems at an ATM machine. Sometimes, if your card is stuck in a machine, it is because a film of glue has been applied to the slot. A helpful stranger is only interested in reading your number sequence when you use the pin pad.

About Lionheart Assurance Solutions & The Lionheart Assurance Solutions Scam Prevention Toolkit

Lionheart Assurance Solutions is a business consulting company that has specialized in keeping clients up to date on issues related to identity theft. Numerous companies have recognized Lionheart Assurance Solutions as an outstanding service provider and, as a result, Lionheart Assurance Solutions has earned an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, which is their highest awarded rating.

Lionheart Assurance Solutions is a consulting company that has mentored hundreds of companies on information security and identity theft issues. Lionheart Assurance Solutions is focused on helping people reduce the likelihood of becoming a target of identity theft scams. This consulting organization has been a champion in the war to fight identity theft since 2003.

Lionheart Assurance Solutions’ team consists of professional business consultants with regional offices throughout the US who specialize in offering unique employee benefits, identity theft education and identity theft risk mitigation. Lionheart Assurance Solutions – through the Lionheart Assurance Solutions Scam Prevention Toolkit – champions ways to better inform the public and their clients on how to mitigate the risks associated with identity theft.

Lionheart Assurance Solutions launched the Lionheart Assurance Solutions Scam Prevention Toolkit in 2009 in response to the growing needs of the business community to stay on top of the latest scams perpetrated by identity thieves.

The Lionheart Assurance Scam Prevention Toolkit recommends that businesses take immediate action on the following 5 strategies to reduce the likelihood of identity theft leading to data breaches:

1. Companies with an educated workforce, familiar with the many ways thieves can access company data, are much more likely to have employees who notice any unusual activities. These employees are much more likely to notice any phishing scams online or notice unauthorized personnel copying highly sensitive information.

2. Companies should have protocols in place for all their information systems. These can range from strict screening procedures before hiring new employees to safeguarding computers with passwords and encryption technology.

3. Companies should restrict access to sensitive information. Computers should be password protected, laptops and PDAs locked in steel cabinets when not in use, and file cabinets locked when no one is in the room.

4. Redundant or obsolete information should be properly disposed of when no longer needed. If the information is on discs, these should be destroyed using special devices for that purpose. If the information is on paper, these should be run through a paper shredder. And if the information is on hard drives, special software should be used to completely purge all files.

5. The Federal Trade Commission has published guidelines on information security in their document entitled “Complying with the Safeguards Rules.” This publication outlines security measures a company can take to reduce the possibility of identity theft leading to a data breach.

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Lionheart Assurance also recommends that companies who have installed various procedures for data protection stay up to date on security issues because identity thieves are constantly improving their ability to break into databases.

About Lionheart Assurance & The Lionheart Assurance Scam Prevention Toolkit

Lionheart Assurance is a business consulting company that has specialized in keeping clients up to date on issues related to identity theft. Numerous companies have recognized Lionheart Assurance as an outstanding service provider and, as a result, Lionheart Assurance has earned an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, which is their highest awarded rating.

Lionheart Assurance is a consulting company that has mentored hundreds of companies on information security and identity theft issues. Lionheart Assurance is focused on helping people reduce the likelihood of becoming a target of identity theft scams. This consulting organization has been a champion in the war to fight identity theft since 2003.

The Lionheart Assurance team consists of professional business consultants with regional offices throughout the US who specialize in offering unique employee benefits, identity theft education and identity theft risk mitigation. Lionheart Assurance – through the Lionheart Assurance Scam Prevention Toolkit – champions ways to better inform the public and their clients on how to mitigate the risks associated with identity theft.

Lionheart Assurance launched the Lionheart Assurance Scam Prevention Toolkit in 2009 in response to the growing needs of the business community to stay on top of the latest scams perpetrated by identity thieves.

This scam uses the database of companies to extract personal information related to employees or customers. Company employees often fall for this scam because they don’t realize how valuable this information is in the wrong hands.

Here is how an identity theft scam can happen:

• An unguarded paper file or a computer without password protection is accessed by an unscrupulous person.
• The file is copied, either with a photocopy machine or onto a computer disc or flash drive.
• The information is used to open up a credit card, get a bank loan, or conduct some other criminal offense using the stolen personal information.
• The identity theft victim only becomes aware of the crime when they start getting bills for things that they did not buy or even arrested for a crime that they did not commit.

Lionheart Assurance Solutions recommends taking note of the following 5 questions to ask in your organization that might reveal such a scam.

1. Does the person accessing an employee file have the authorization? For example, a department manager may have to look up an employee’s file to decide if they have any disqualifications for getting a proposed raise.
2. Is the file left open on a desk or on a computer screen where others can see it and copy the information down?
3. After the file has been read, is it put away in a locked file cabinet or has the computer been password protected?
4. Is the personal information discussed with others who do not need to know about it in the normal course of business?
5. Are copies being made of the personal information?

Lionheart Assurance provides employee education on how to reduce identity theft. They provide training to employees of an organization on the many ways identity theft can happen and suggest ways that the risk can be reduced. However, Lionheart Assurance Solutions cannot fully protect, avoid, or prevent identity theft or any other crime. Lionheart Assurance Solutions released the Lionheart Assurance Solutions Scam Prevention Toolkit in 2009 in order to bolster awareness of scams perpetrated by identity scams.

The Anatomy Of The Facebook Scam

The scam is known as “phishing,” which sounds like “fishing.” Fishing is exactly what a scammer does—fishing for personal information.

• Here is how the famous “London scam” works in five steps:
• A scammer gets access to the account of your trusted friend.
• The scammer opens up a Facebook chat and poses as your friend.
• They complain that they were on a trip to London when they were robbed.
• They ask for help because they are now stranded in London.
• They convince you that if you wire them some money, they will be able to get back home.

Today, variations of the scam are now happening all over the world.

Lionheart Assurance Solutions recommends the following 5 things to do before opening up a Facebook account.

1. Don’t put any personal information in your profile page that could be used for identity theft purposes.
2. When posting comments or adding a link to your Facebook page, don’t offer personal clues that could be used against you.
3. Only make friends with people you trust.
4. When opening up a chat, verify the person’s identity.
5. Don’t respond to queries for more personal information and never send money.

Lionheart Assurance Scam Prevention Toolkit also recommends submitting phishing issues to privacy@facebook.com

Started in 1997, Lionheart Assurance Solutions is helping businesses combat identity theft. Lionheart Assurance Solutions can provide businesses and consumers with useful information about identity theft, but it can’t fully protect, avoid, or prevent identity theft or any other crime. Lionheart Assurance Solutions released the Lionheart Assurance Solutions Scam Prevention Toolkit in 2009 in order to enhance awareness of scams perpetrated by identity thieves.

Scammers use one of two methods to defraud merchants online.

One method is to use fictitious numbers that imitate the algorithms produced by authentic credit card numbers. These numbers pass authentication and get authorization codes.

The other method is to buy stolen credit card information from a newsgroup and use these fake credentials to buy a merchant’s products online.

Lionheart Assurance Solutions recommends the following 5 action steps related to this scam.

1. Refuse to accept an order unless there is full verification of address and telephone numbers.

2. If the billing field is different from the shipping field on the online order form, the customer should fax their signature and credit card number before the transaction is authorized.

3. If the verification address uses a free email service that anyone can open within minutes, pay attention. Although a legitimate order can come from a free email address, it also opens the door for the use of a fake credit card number. Such an order necessitates more concern and consideration.

4. An order that is much larger than the typical amounts customers order is suspicious.

5. International orders must have the same billing and shipping address.

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If an order has a different billing and shipping address, comes from a free email service, or is larger than typical order quantities, pick up the telephone and speak to the customer to confirm the transaction.

Started in 1997, Lionheart Assurance Solutions is a business consulting company that focuses on reducing the likelihood of identity theft. They have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. They educate companies on how identity theft can occur and suggest ways that a business can be proactive about protecting sensitive information. Lionheart Assurance Solutions released the Lionheart Assurance Solutions Scam Prevention Toolkit in 2009 in order to enhance awareness of scams perpetrated by identity thieves.

This information can be stolen in many ways. Here, for example, is one possible scenario:

After buying a client a meal, a company executive hands the corporate credit card to the waiter. The credit card is taken into the backroom and then returned. When the credit card was out of sight, all the information on it could have been copied.

Lionheart Assurance Solutions recommends the following 5 ways to protect a corporate credit card.

1. When a company opens up a credit card account, it should use a unique password. This verification information should be unique, not something that can be found by going through routine company documents.
2. Question the authority of the person requesting the information about the credit card. Does the person asking for information have a valid need to know it?
3. Avoid putting credit card numbers on forms or checks. If someone is calling on behalf of the company, make sure they are an authorized user of the credit card, not any available employee who has been delegated the task of calling a vendor to order merchandise.
4. Check the billing statements every month to make sure that only authorized charges have been made. If the billing statement itself does not come, someone could have made a fraudulent change of address.
5. Once a year, or more often, read through a credit card report from Equifax, Experian, and/or TransUnion.

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If you believe that the corporate credit card has been used in a way that can’t be explained by the authorized users, then:

1. Contact the credit card company immediately (this limits liability).
2. Contact the fraud departments of Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
3. Contact the creditors.
4. File a report with the local police department.

Although Lionheart Assurance Solutions cannot protect, avoid, or prevent identity theft or any other crime, they can alert their customers on ways to improve their information security. Lionheart Assurance Solutions released the Lionheart Assurance Solutions Scam Prevention Toolkit in 2009 in order to enhance awareness of scams perpetrated by identity thieves.

Many auctions don’t verify the authenticity of the merchant and simply list the items that the seller has to offer. They don’t offer any guarantee that the seller will actually deliver the merchandise.

Lionheart Assurance Solutions recommends the following 5 ways to make sure that you buy products from an authentic merchant at an auction website.

1. Verify information about the seller as much as possible before making a bid. Besides reviewing the feedback columns, which may have been planted, also check with consumer protection agencies like the Better Business Bureau, as well as appropriate government agencies.

2. Try and get your supplies from a registered business selling at an auction rather than from an individual because consumer protection laws are not applicable to a private sale. A government agency will only take action if there are numerous complaints against a private seller.

3. Avoid buying merchandise from sellers in other countries because the differences in shipping procedures and legal systems may make it difficult to resolve a dispute if one arises.

4. Although it is illegal to use shills, bogus bidders who raise the price of an auction, this practice is still used – so be aware if there are people who bid much higher than appears reasonable.

5. Avoid doing business with a seller who will not verify address and contact numbers. A legitimate seller will not have any hesitation in disclosing their business address and business contact numbers in order to win your trust and earn your business.

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You should also get clear on the details of the delivery, the return policy, and any warranties that the seller may offer. Finally, ask that the merchandise be insured, especially if it involves electronic components.

Lionheart Assurance Solutions has been providing companies in North America with consulting information since 1997. Lionheart Assurance Solutions launched the Lionheart Assurance Solutions Scam Prevention Toolkit to increase awareness of scams perpetrated by identity thieves.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has issued a press release alerting the public to be on the lookout for people posing as census workers and then using the information to steal their identities. Lionheart Assurance Solutions, a firm specializing in employee legal plans and identity theft safeguards, says people need to take this danger seriously.

“Identity theft has become the fastest growing white-collar crime in America, and this is a golden opportunity for identity thieves,” says Chuck Siegel, CEO of Lionheart Assurance Solutions, LP.

While we should all certainly cooperate with census workers (this is required by law and failure could result in a fine), it is also important to know the difference between a real census worker and a con artist. There are several different ways that people can ensure they do not fall prey to potential census scams.

Ask to see identification before talking with the worker. All census workers carry official government badges (marked with only their name), a special hand held electronic device and a confidentiality notice. Under no circumstances will a census worker ask to enter your home.

Understand that real Census Bureau workers are only there to verify your address and how many people are living at the location. If a person comes to your door asking for anything else, such as a bank account or social security number, refuse to give them the information. Real census workers do not ask these types of questions.

The 2010 census form asks only 10 questions, all of which pertain to accurately recording the number of people living at a particular location.

The U.S. Census Bureau may come to your door or call you over the phone, but they will not contact you by email. Beware of any electronic communication asking for your personal information.

“This is certainly a timely item to include in our Lionheart Assurance Solutions Scam Prevention Toolkit,” says Siegel. “Many Americans will be expecting to hear from the Census Bureau this year and may not have enough information to discern between legitimate and illegitimate requests for information.”

To find out more ways you can safeguard yourself and your business from identity theft, view the Lionheart Assurance Solutions Scam Prevention toolkit.

Lionheart Assurance Solutions

Since 1997, Lionheart Assurance Solutions, LP® is a unique business services firm specializing in employee legal plans and identity theft restoration benefits for employers of all sizes nationwide.

Organizations that proactively educate their employees about identity theft threats can reduce their chances of a costly data breach. Lionheart Assurance Solutions’ training is designed to impact the way employees think. Changing the way employees think can result in a change in behavior that could reduce the risk of security breaches leading to identity theft.

Guided by a senior management team with more than a century of proven business success, Lionheart Assurance Solutions, LP® offers employee legal and identity theft restoration plans designed to enhance worker productivity by helping employees keep their focus on their work instead of on personal problems.

For small to medium-sized clients, Lionheart also offers a full range of plans that help small businesses to “level the playing field” by providing access to the kinds of legal and consultative advice that typically only a large corporation can afford.

Visit www.LionheartAssuranceSolutions.com for more information.

Media Contact

Lionheart Assurance Solutions, LP

Michael Hollingsworth

(888) 795-1563 (National)

P.O. Box 38, Hewitt, TX 76643

Fake messages sent to you by scammers are for the sole purpose of phishing your private information and they are meant to cheat you, both financially and socially. Lionheart Assurance Solutions suggests the best thing to do is to automatically delete email messages that appear to be from PayPal and eBay unless you are expecting something from them or if your full name on the specific account is not in the salutation of the email. Even then, read the email thoroughly and do not reply immediately unless you are absolutely sure the email is legitimate.

Another safeguard to ensure the emails you receive are authenticated by DKIM or Domain Keys Identified Mail. You can enable the feature from within your mail settings. Check with your software provider. This program only authenticates emails from eBay and PayPal.

There are various social networking sites that have their own authentication process. If you are using social networking sites make sure that you are aware of the security and privacy measure for each of these sites you interact with.

Oftentimes, scammers send adware and spyware along with their scam emails so be very careful before you open any suspicious email messages or from an unknown source. If you are a person who does a lot of online transactions you need to be careful about your email. In most cases, your account is hacked by the means of spyware that is sent via spam or suspicious emails.

Lionheart Assurance Solutions advises not to tell anyone about the login id as well as the password for your PayPal or eBay accounts. This information can reach those cyber criminals who are very difficult to trace.

Also, kept in mind that although sites like Google have their own anti-spam firewalls in place, it is not always easy to prevent unwanted spam from popping up in your Inbox. The success rate for anti-spam measures is never 100 percent. Anti-spam software tools are automatically configured in most cases. They are designed to look for probable signs of ‘bad’ emails and block them or warn you against them. But, the problem is most of these ‘bad’ emails are coded and designed to look authentic and clean. It is impossible for any automatic software to stop them all.

With the advancement of technology an increasing number of scammers are finding out newer ways to cheat the gullible people who fall into their lucrative traps.

The whole process of buying and selling over the Net happens electronically with soft cash. For example, if you buy something over a shopping site the exact price of the article will be taken out of your account and placed in the account of the seller. You do not have to worry about the transfer process as everything happens automatically. But, just think how dangerous this process can be if a scammer gets hold of your account number and secret code because you were not more vigilant!

The greatest disadvantage is that most of the time the person who is cheated does not know this for sure and often there is a significant time gap before he realizes it. This often allows the fraud to escape scot free.

In today’s times PayPal scams are being increasingly common. So keep in mind the old adage- better safe than sorry- and act accordingly! Learn more about preventing Paypal Scams and read more articles from Lionheart Assurance Solutions, then stay tuned to this blog.