{"id":134662,"date":"2024-11-24T18:00:16","date_gmt":"2024-11-24T18:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/24\/5-steps-to-take-when-your-personal-information-becomes-compromised-the-points-guy\/"},"modified":"2024-11-24T18:00:16","modified_gmt":"2024-11-24T18:00:16","slug":"5-steps-to-take-when-your-personal-information-becomes-compromised-the-points-guy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/24\/5-steps-to-take-when-your-personal-information-becomes-compromised-the-points-guy\/","title":{"rendered":"5 steps to take when your personal information becomes compromised – The Points Guy"},"content":{"rendered":"


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These days, most of us know a thing or two about avoiding scams<\/a>. We scoff at emails from foreign princes soliciting Western Union money transfers \u2014 if the messages even make it through our spam filters, of course \u2014 and even our phones can detect if an incoming call from an unknown number is likely spam, telemarketing or a scam call.<\/p>\n

Yet scams and schemes have also become more sophisticated \u2014 and they’re on the rise<\/a>. A few years ago, it took me several minutes to realize the Chinese-speaking caller on the other end wasn’t actually calling from FedEx with a package from my mother in Taiwan. And when I Google “pay car registration online,” the first few links don’t go to my county tax office website; they all go to third-party agencies eager to “help” me pay my dues for a generous fee.<\/p>\n

If you’ve fallen prey to a scam lately, don’t be embarrassed: You’re not alone.<\/p>\n

“Identity theft is not one of those things that ‘happens to someone else,'” Michael Bruemmer, Experian’s VP of consumer protection, told TPG.<\/p>\n

The Federal Trade Commission<\/a> received more than 2.6 million scam reports in 2023 alone. According to the FTC, imposter scams are at the top of the fraud report list, accounting for more than $2.7 billion stolen from consumers.<\/p>\n

One scheme targeting travelers, in particular, is the Global Entry<\/a> enrollment scam. The Better Business Bureau reported<\/a> the agency’s ScamTracker website had received multiple accounts of “misleading websites that fool people into handing over money and sensitive personal information.”<\/p>\n

Related: There’s a new way to skip the wait for your Global Entry interview<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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How the Global Entry scam works<\/h2>\n

You search for the Global Entry application online, according to the BBB<\/a>, and the official U.S. Customs and Border Protection<\/a> website appears \u2014 as does another website that’s built specifically to imitate the official page.<\/p>\n

If you follow that imposter link, you’re brought to a third-party company that offers to complete all the requisite paperwork on your behalf \u2014 just provide your personal information, such as your full name, passport number and home address. You’ll be prompted to pay the standard $120 government fee, plus an additional fee for the service.<\/p>\n

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What’s just happened? According to the BBB, “scammers have tricked you into paying extra money to complete the form on the official government website. Also, they now have access to your personal information and credit card details.”<\/p>\n

Curious, I tested this Google search for myself. Here are my results for “renew Global Entry<\/a>“:<\/p>\n

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