The Trust Foundation Understanding trust issues in the digital era.

eIDV.co.uk, a new online identity verification portal was launched recently. The portal enables advisers to provide better data security for their clients at it minimizes the need for valuable personal information such as Social Security Number, bank account numbers, credit card number and so on to be posted, photocopied and stored using the traditional method. This new service allows users to verify a client’s identity in seconds, thus avoiding the problem of identity fraud. Find out more about this portal here.

“For example, according to Goodmail’s research, 55% of e-mail users have definitely received phishing attempts and another 41% may have received them; 87% of e-mail users are concerned about phishing attempts and online identity theft, while 61% are nervous or reluctant about opening e-mails. According to TRUSTe, 75% of e-mail and Internet users don’t like giving out their credit card numbers or personal information online. According to Symantec, there were 25,000 phishing sites as of December 2007, representing a tenfold increase in less than three years.

“In one scenario, the defendants sent e-mails purporting to be from an individual suffering from terminal throat cancer who needed assistance distributing approximately US$55 million to charity, the DOJ said. The three defendants, two from Nigeria and one from Senegal, sent spam e-mail to thousands of potential victims, in which they falsely claimed to control millions of dollars located abroad, the DOJ said in a press release. The fraud victims lost $1.2 million by giving the defendants advance fees, the DOJ said.”

When you are using your notebook or your PDA at a Wi-Fi hotspot, you are making it easier for online identity criminals to get your personal information. Keying of sensitive personal information should be avoided when you are using a public Wi-Fi. Here are some tips on how to protect yourself from online identity when you are using a Wi-Fi hotspot.

"Phishing and other online fraud activities directly undermine the vital trust of online consumers," Snowe wrote in a blog post on The Hill Blog.

"Now more than ever, Congress needs to take action to limit the growth of a practice that attacks the very essence of our commerce," she added, noting that more than 3.5 million U.S. residents fell victim to phishing and online identity theft last year.