- The FTC Web site provides facts about pretexting
- ID Theft provides information to the consumer about identity theft and how pretexting is used to gain access to personal information
- PI magazine discusses the use of pretexting during the course of an investigation
- Read an article about pretexting, ID theft, and what it means
- Information about H.R. 4709: Telephone Records and Privacy Protection Act of 2006 which outlaws pretexting
- Federal Trade Commissions privacy rules prevent the use of pretexting to gain personal information
- Review the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) efforts to stop identity theft and prevent pretexting
- The United States House of Representatives provides a video on the hearing conducted to combat pretexting
- Dictionary.com provides definitions for pretexting
- The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) on preventing pretexting
- The U.S. Department of Justice and some telecommunication carriers protest a bill that would prevent the use of pretexting to gain customers personal information
Protecting Yourself from Pretexting
It's important to actively protect yourself from pretexting and other kinds of fraud. Knowing what pretexting is and how it can harm you is the first step to preventing yourself from becoming a pretexting victim. You should know what kind of information is "private" versus "public" and what you should do if someone claiming to represent an official company asks for this information. Being well-informed about pretexting and how to protect yourself from pretexting schemes will ensure that you are less likely to fall victim to identity theft and other criminal acts.
The following is the official pretexting advice supplied by the Federal Trade Commission in regard to pretexting protection and prevention.
Pretexting Prevention According to the FTC
- Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you've initiated the contact or know who you're dealing with. Pretexting scammers may pose as representatives of survey firms, banks, Internet service providers and even government agencies to get you to reveal your SSN, mother's maiden name, financial account numbers and other identifying information. Legitimate organizations with which you do business have the information they need and will not ask you for it.
- Be informed. Ask your financial institutions for their policies about sharing your information. Ask them specifically about their policies to prevent pretexting.
- Pay attention to your statement cycles. Follow up with your financial institutions if your statements don't arrive on time.
- Review your statements carefully and promptly. Report any discrepancies to your institution immediately.
- Alert family members to the dangers of pretexting. Explain that only you, or someone you authorize, should provide personal information to others.
- Keep items with personal information in a safe place. Tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, bank checks and other financial statements that you're discarding, expired charge cards and credit offers you get in the mail.
- Add passwords to your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your SSN or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers.
- Be mindful about where you leave personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates or are having work done in your home by others.
- Find out who has access to your personal information at work and verify that the records are kept in a secure location.
- Order a copy of your credit report from the three nationwide consumer reporting companies every year.
Official Source of Pretexting Prevention
To verify this and other information about pretexting scamming and solutions, view the official source from the Federal Trade Commission report on pretexting.