We provide this free financial resource to visitors of the Community Room of SeniorSSuperStoreS in an effort to keep baby boomers, seniors and the elderly informed of matters that can affect their lifestyle.

(Courtesy of our friends at www.ScamBusters.com.)

Identity theft may be as old as Internet commerce, but crooks still come up with new ways to trick unsuspecting people into giving out sensitive personal information like credit card or Social Security numbers. Here's a look at three of the latest scams.

Bank of America Scam

The scam: Someone posing as a Bank of America associate sent out a fraudulent email asking BoA customers to enter personal financial information on a fake Web site posing as a BoA Web site. Fortunately, the bank became aware of this email, and within hours, and authorities quickly shut the scam site down.

The truth: Like most banks, BoA does not contact customers out of the blue to verify personal financial information. You may be asked to verify such information if you call the bank about your banking matters.

What to do: If someone - anyone - contacts you by phone or email, asking you for sensitive personal information, be very wary. Contact the company they claim to represent directly, using a phone number or email address from the company's Web site, and confirm the story. Never be in a rush to give out your information until you know it's safe.

eBay Scam

The scam: You receive an email stating that your order has been completed and mailed, and that your credit card has been charged for your purchase. Of course, you have not bid on the auction for the item in the email. To cancel the order, you are instructed to visit a Web site and enter your account information and Social Security Number. The scammer uses this dummy Web site to steal your information.

The truth: eBay never asks its registered users for their personal information by email, and it makes this point very clear on its Web site and discussion boards.

What to do: If you receive an odd request that looks like it comes from eBay, contact their Safe Harbor, which has departments dedicated to fraud protection, fraud prevention, and investigations.
Visit http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/index.html.

PayPal Scam

The scam: You have a PayPal account. You receive an email that promises you a small payment if you visit the Web site and update your account (including, of course, your credit card information). The cited Web site is fraudulent, and the scammer steals your information.

The truth: PayPal representatives will never ask users for their password or other sensitive information.

What to do: As PayPal's Security Tips note, "The only site you should ever type your username and password into is at www.paypal.com." If you receive suspicious emails, never click any Web site links they contain.
Visit www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/gen/fraud-prevention-outside.