Community Alerts
FIGHTING CRIME IN CYBERSPACE
By Federal Citizen information Center
Jan 13, 2006, 09:30

Release Date: January 2006

FIGHTING CRIME IN CYBERSPACE

Police patrol the community to keep you and your possessions secure from burglars who prowl the neighborhood. But what does it take to keep your identity safe from thieves who cruise the information highway? The Federal Citizen Information Center has a new package of publications that can help you protect your whole family, from kids to grandparents, from identity theft and fraud on the Net.

Use Crime Prevention in the Information Age from the National Crime Prevention Council to get the latest warnings about computer-related crimes. Co-sponsored by ADT Security Services Inc., this kit includes a 12-month calendar with tips on how to prevent ID theft. Each month features helpful topics to help you and your family fight crime in Cyberspace. Teaching children about not sharing private information online, and keeping seniors safe from Internet scams are just a few of the subjects. There's a list of the most common scams and schemes, and a family guide to using the Internet.

For tips on how to protect your personal information when shopping online, read Site-Seeing on the Internet from the Federal Trade Commission. Find out how checking the privacy policy on a company's website can let you know how they will use your personal information and whether they'll share it with third parties.

And if you're eligible for the new Medicare prescription drug coverage, you may receive information online about different plans. Read Medicare: Protecting Your Personal Information and Yourself from Identity Theft and Fraud from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to learn how to keep your personal information safe. Remember that companies working with Medicare can't ask for payment online or over the telephone. Look for the “Medicare-approved” seal on all materials, and call 1-800-MEDICARE for help or more information.

Keep your online community just as safe as the community you live in by ordering the Fighting Crime in Cyberspace package. There are three easy ways to get your package:

• Send your name, address, and a check or money order for $1.00 to the Federal Citizen Information Center, Fighting Crime in Cyberspace, Pueblo, Colorado 81009.

• Visit www.pueblo.gsa.gov to read or print out these and hundreds of other federal publications for free.

• Call toll-free 1 (888) 8 PUEBLO. That's 1 (888) 878-3256, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time and ask for Fighting Crime in Cyberspace.

Get even more information and take advantage of federal online resources at www.FirstGov.gov. It's government made easy.

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