Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, May 9, 2010
To all the Moms: HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
In this Issue:
Special Feature: What to Do if You Become the Victim of a Stolen Identity
Question: Installing a Printer without Disks
Featured Computer Term: The Top 30 Internet Terms for Beginners: 5. IP Address
This Week's Topic: Minimizing Spam - Create a New Address
Question: Internet Explorer Menu Bar
Websites of Interest: Mothers Day; Pandanda!; How to Live 100 Years; American Cyclist
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Special Feature: What to Do if You Become the Victim of a Stolen Identity
The following article is from The Institute of Continuing Legal Education.
http://www.icle.org
When all the preventative measures have failed, take the following steps right away. Speed is important here.
1. Disconnect your Computer from the Internet. You probably have more personal information than you imagined on your computer. This advice is especially important if you store any financial records electronically or use your laptop for online financial transactions.
Use a Different Computer to do the Following:
2. File a Complaint with the FTC. Prior to filing a police report, go to the FTC Identity Theft website and complete the online questionnaire.
The questionnaire will generate a customized report for you to complete.
You can also complete an ID Theft Affidavit.
3. File a Police Report. This is really important. Your friends may say you are over-reacting, but this one simple step will help you big-time down the road.
So, report your identity theft to the local police or sheriff's department where you live AND the police department in the community where the theft took place.
Bring a printed copy of your FTC ID Theft Complaint form that you have previously completed online.
Also bring a copy of the FTC cover letter in support of the ID Theft Complaint stating why the police report is critical to protecting your rights and the documentation verifying the theft of your identity. You can print this out here:
Ask the police to issue a report and request a copy of that report. (If the police refuse to issue a report, ask if they will issue a "Miscellaneous Incidents Report" instead or contact the state police.)
The FTC cover letter explains why a police report and an ID Theft Complaint are so important to victims of identity theft and includes the relevant statutory provisions.
Ask the officer to attach or incorporate the ID Theft Complaint into their police report, and tell them that you need a copy of the Identity Theft Report (the police report with your ID Theft Complaint attached or incorporated) to dispute the fraudulent accounts and debts created by the identity thief. (In some jurisdictions, the officer will not be able to give you a copy of the official police report, but should be able to sign your Complaint and write the police report number in the "Law Enforcement Report" section.)
4. Report the Theft to the Institution. Do not forget to call the originating institution for the credit card or ID card that was stolen. For example, if your driver's license was stolen, call the Department of Motor Vehicles in your area.
It is also a good idea to call your banks and/or credit unions. The FTC has posted a sample letter that can be used as a template to contact institutions with regard to ID Theft on this page called Sample Letter to Request Fraudulent Transaction or Account Information.
5. Place a "Fraud Alert" on your Credit Reports. Contact one of the credit reporting agencies listed below to place a fraud alert or credit freeze on your credit cards. A "fraud alert" will be placed on your credit reports, and the agency you contacted will notify the other credit reporting agencies.
These agencies are:
EQUIFAX Equifax Information Services, LLC
PO Box 740256
Atlanta, GA 30374
Phone: 800-525-6285
EXPERIAN Experian
PO Box 2104
Allen, TX 75013
Phone: 888-397-3742
TRANS UNION TransUnion
PO Box 2000
Chester, PA 19022
Phone: 800-680-7289
6. Compare your Pre- and Post-Theft Inventories. Hopefully, you've created an inventory of all your ID cards and any magnetic strip cards such as credit cards, or frequent [flyer, latte, drug store, etc.] cards. Again, we hope you have included the contact telephone numbers for each card. Compare the inventories before and after your identity was stolen.
7. Obtain and Read the Terms of Services for Every Stolen Card. Different institutions may have different requirements, so get the contract and follow the steps they have outlined.
8. Close all Accounts you believe have Been Tampered with. It may be annoying and inconvenient, but it is much, much easier to close an account and open a new one than it is to chase after your identity thief.
9. Review Your Credit Reports Immediately. Once you have placed a fraud alert on your credit reports, you will be given an opportunity to access your reports. Do it, and review them carefully.
10. Continue to Monitor Your Credit. ID theft issues can last for years, so make this a regular part of your financial routine.
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Question: Installing a Printer without Disks
I am trying to install my old printer on my new computer. It asks for an installation disk which I do not have anymore. Is there anything I can do other than buy a new printer?
Answer:
Yes, there is. You can go to the printer manufacturer’s website and download the drivers for your printer. Most printer manufacturers have the software and drivers on their websites that are needed to use their products.
Here are links for the more popular printers:
Hewlett Packard - www.hp.com
Brother - www.brother-usa.com/
Lexmark - www.lexmark.com
If you do not see your printer listed, go to Google or your favorite search engine and input the name of your printer.
Once you are at the website, search for your printer’s drivers. For example, at the hp website, you will click on Software and Driver Downloads. You will then be prompted to input your version of Windows, the printer type and model number. When the download begins, be sure to note the folder that you are downloading the file into.
After you have downloaded the software, begin the printer installation. When you are prompted for the installation disk, browse to the folder when you downloaded the software form the website.
Note: For older printers, some manufacturers may not have software for Windows Vista or Windows 7.
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Featured Computer Term: The Top 30 Internet Terms for Beginners: 5. IP Address
Whether you are brand new to using the Internet, or you've been using it for years, there are thirty important terms that are absolutely worth learning. Join us for our ongoing series on Internet terminology, where, with the help of Paul Gil from about.com, we provide definitions and information on the Top Internet Terms for Beginners.
This Week: 5. IP Address
Your computer's 'internet protocol' address is a four-part electronic serial number. An IP address looks something like '202.3.104.55', complete with dot separators. Every computer, cell phone, and device that accesses the Internet is assigned at least one IP address for tracking purposes. Wherever you browse, whenever you send an email or instant message, and whenever you download a file, your IP address acts like a type of automobile licence plate to enforce accountability and traceability.
Read more about IP Addresses here:
http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/i/f/ip_address.htm
In our next edition: HTML and XML
Please visit our Newsletter Archives to review the terms we’ve already covered:
http://computerkindergarten.com/30internetterms.html
Is there a computer term or phrase that you'd like to see an explanation of? Email it to info@computerkindergarten.com and we'll put the term and its definition in an upcoming newsletter.
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Today's Topic: Minimizing Spam - Create a New Address
Question: I get so much junk email. How can I get it to stop?
Answer:
There is not much you can do about the mail you are getting. Once a spammer gets your email address, you can expect to get 10 times, sometimes hundreds of times more junk emails than good emails. Unfortunately, due to the low cost of advertising through email, millions of these emails are out there.
There are some steps, though, that you can take to minimize the amount you will get in the future. Over the next several editions of this newsletter, we will take a look at some of the things you can do to insure that your email address does not make it onto a spammer’s list.
Create a New Address
If the spam in your inbox has gotten out of control, you might think about creating a brand new email address. There are many email providers out there where you can get a free email address. Here are some of your choices:
yahoo.com
mail.google.com
hotmail.com
webmail.aol.com
Many of these sites will allow you to import your contacts from your previous email provider. Some will even offer a service where they will email all of your contacts informing them of your new address.
Note: When signing up for these free email accounts, don't use real information about yourself. They do not need to know your name, address or telephone number to provide you with an email address.
In the next edition of this newsletter: Minimizing Spam – Registering Online
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Question: Internet Explorer Menu Bar
I cannot find the menu in Internet Explorer. Does it have one?
Answer:
Yes, it does. But you’ll have to turn it on.
To view it temporarily, press the Alt key. You’ll see the menu; give your command and the menu will disappear again. This gives you maximum screen space without wasting anything on a menu you only use occasionally.
If you prefer to have the menu displayed at all times, follow these steps:
Press the Alt key. You will see the menu appear. Click View on the menu, point to Toolbars and then click on Menu Bar. The menu will display and remain in the window, even after closing Internet Explorer and opening it again.
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Websites of Interest:
Mothers Day
Visit our website for many fun and interesting links for and about Mom.
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/mom.html
Pandanda!
Fun game site for kids.
http://www.pandanda.com/
How to Live 100 Years
From Time in partnership with CNN, read how sciences is unraveling the secrets of the centenarians.
http://tinyurl.com/2acuo6s
American Cyclist
If you like riding your bicycle, you will find this website informative and enjoyable.
http://www.americancyclist.com/