It depends on how much access to the computer you get when you are on the computer.  If you can get to the run prompt....  type msconfig and see if there is any backdoors/keyloggers on it, if there is don't use it.  But it depends on how much access you get.

Also, if I were you... I would delete all cookies that are saved once you are done.  Sometimes, they save information you would not want someone else to get.

Other than that, you really don't know.  I don't like using public computers and don't have a reason to do so... So I don't.

what I do is I change my passwords on sites I visited when I get home so that way no one can steal my information.

July 3, 2005
The Ottawa Citizen
Money, Section D
By: Kelli B. Grant
Title: There's more than a grain of truth in many money myths

NEW YORK ° "Forward this to everyone you know!"

It's a common-enough tag line for chain letters and other e-mail that makes the rounds. Some of these missives are meant to amuse or inspire; some are simply junk. A few warn of dangerous traps for the consumer, from HIV-infected needles at gas station pumps to new scams designed to steal credit card information.

The bulk of this information is urban legend: It always happens to a friend of a friend of the e-mail sender and is rarely traceable.

"You just can't believe everything you read," says Jordana Beebe, communications director for Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a non-profit consumer advocate for privacy protection. "People today are more sensitive to the possibility of using e-mail to manipulate others."

But sometimes even the strangest claims have a grain of truth. We asked some prominent identity theft experts to dissect common e-mail "warnings" and separate the myth from the fact.

*

Story: A friend went to the local gym and placed his belongings in the locker. He came back and saw the locker open - though he was sure he had locked it. He flipped through his wallet to make sure all was in order. Everything looked OK - no money or credit cards were missing. A few weeks later, his credit card bill came - a whopping $14,000! Customer service personnel asked if his card had been stolen. He said no, but then checked his wallet. Sure enough, one of his credit cards had been swapped with a similar (but experienced) card from the same bank.

Verdict: Unlikely. "Frankly, if someone has access to your wallet, they're just going to take your credit card and use it, " says Ms. Beebe. The theft could also simply write down your credit card number and expiration date, and then replace the card. After all, you don't need the physical card for shopping online or over the telephone.

Pulling off a swap would be difficult in this case, says Maxine Sweet, vice-president of education for credit service Experian.

"The criminal would have to have an inventory of card today, including many that have personal photographs on them, the theft would have a long wait. "It's just not an efficient way to be a criminal," says Betsy Broder, assistant director for planning and information at the Federal Trade Commission.

If you have a good reason to believe your personal information has been accessed - in this case, a secure locket found open - monitor your credit card and bank accounts closely. Check your monthly statements and follow up with your credit card company if there is any suspicious activity.

*

Story: A man at a local restaurant paid for his meal with his credit card. The bill for the meal came, he signed it and the waitress folded the receipt and passed back his credit card. Usually, he would just put it in his wallet, but he took a quick look and realized it was the expired card of another person, not his credit card at all. The waitress apologized and brought the card back to the cashier. She simply waved it at him, and he immediately took out the real card. No exchange of words, nothing!

Verdict: Very feasible. So says identity theft expert Frank Abagnale, the former confidence man made famous in the book and movie Catch Me If You Can. Usually this scam works because you are focused on the bill. "You sign the receipt and don't really look at the card," he says.

This scenario is also more likely than a swap in your wallet because the thieves have ample time to make the swap, and constant access tot he credit cards.

"Always look at your card and make sure it's your card you're getting back," Mr. Abagnale says. "If you're not really looking, you might get someone else's card back." The swap is easier with bank cards, which tend to have fewer types of designs.

'What I did 40 years ago is today 40,000 times easier to do because the technology is readily available.'

FRANK ABAGNALE
Former con man and subject of movie

You can go a step further and take your card to the register yourself, rather than hand it to a waiter, says Nicole Lowe, a credit-education specialist for TrueCredit.com. "You're probably going to get some strange looks, but better safe than sorry," she says.

*

Story: I went into a pizza restaurant to pick up an order I had called in. I paid with my debit card. The young man behind the counter took my card and placed it on the counter while he waited for the transaction to be approved. He picked up his cell phone and began pressing buttons. I heard the phone click - exactly like my camera phone clicks when it's taking a picture. Then it dawned on me - he was taking a picture of my debit card!

Verdict: Reality, though not all cameras are capable of capturing sharp enough images. "Technology breeds crime," says Mr. Abagnale. "It always has and it always will. What I did 40 years ago is today 40,000 times easier to do because the technology is readily available.

"When I was forging cheques, I needed a (three-storey) Heidelberg printing press," he says. "Even then, when I printed the check for, say, Pan Am, I didn't know where they banked or who signed the cheques. We moved ahead 40 years, and I can go to a company website and download their logo. In 15 minutes using my computer, I'll be looking at the most beautiful four-colour cheque you ever saw." A few quick phone calls to the company and he could get banking information and a copy of the annual report - complete with signatures.

It's the underlying behavior that's really a problem. Make sure you keep an eye on who is standing close to you in line, whether you're writing out a cheque or waiting for your credit card approval. Talented thieves can memorize the numbers, or even just copy them down, if you're not paying attention, says Mr. Abagnale.

"The camera isn't really the thing to be looking for," agrees Mr. Lowe. Don't put your credit card or chequebook on the counter until the cashier asks for payment. Then hand it directly to him instead of sliding it along the counter surface. If he doesn't hand your card back to you while he is waiting for credit approval, ask for it.

*

Story: You are having trouble getting money out of an ATM, and the machine won't spit your card back out. Apleasant-looking person approaches you, and tells you he has just had problems with the same ATM - would you like some help? He waits while you try again to get cash. When you still can't get cash or retrieve your card, he suggests going inside to the counter. It's what he had to do too. You go inside, only to see the young man dashing away from the ATM - with your card!

Verdict: This trick is called a Lebanese Look, explains Ms. Lowe. Thieves insert a ruler-sized loop of plastic into the machine. When you put your card in the ATM, the machine cannot read the card, and the card gets stuck. When you walk away to get help, the thief walks over and pulls the plastic look - and your card - out of the machine. Because the thief has watched you struggle with the machine, and maybe even offered to help, he or she has your PIN number, too.

"Be aware of your surroundings and alert as to any behavior around you that may indicate that someone is looking over your shoulder," says Ms. Broder. If someone offers  to help you, say "No thank you" and ask him to step away.

*

Story: Next time you fuel up your car, watch out for more than high gas prices! Thieves can plant a bug in the machine that reads your credit card data. The information is sent directly to them at the same time it is sent for approval.

Verdict: This is happening, says Ms. Lowe. Authorities aren't sure exactly how. "It would have to be someone who had access to the computer program at the pump," she says. "An employee, the original writers of the code, people who repair problems with the computers or any third party involved in any of these steps."

Being a keen observer won't help here. Says Ms. Lowe: "Unfortunately, you're not going to notice anything. It's in the computer program, so you're never going to see it." Your best bet to stay safe is to pay with cash. The second-safest payment method is a gas card, then a credit card. Never use your debit card at the pump - your bank may pay any stolen money back, but you could be bouncing cheques left and right before you even realize your information was stolen.

*

Story: Watch out for cashiers and other service people who scan your credit card through two machines! Thieves use "skimmers" to capture your card information. These devices look just like the credit-card machines a cashier will swipe your card through.

The thief just runs your card through the real machine, and then the skimmer.

Verdict: Skimming occurs more often than you would think. These small devices are about the size of a pack of cigarettes. They can be used "in hand" by waiters and cashiers but can also be planted in ATMs and gas station pumps.

Thieves can then use the information to make online or telephone purchases. Ms. Mroder says there have also been cases of the information being used to create new credit cards.

These are tough to combat simply because the devices are so small. They are next to impossible to spot in ATMs, and the handheld ones take seconds to use. "try to pay with cash if you can," advises Ms. Lowe, "And never use a debit card."

*

Story: You may think your identity and credit card number are safe when you shop online through a secure website - but they aren't! Thieves attach devices called keystroke catches to public computers. The catchers record every key stroke you press. Thieves can use it to steal PINs, account numbers and other personal data.

Verdict: Real. "Keystroke catchers look like a cylinder that's maybe about an inch or two inches long. If you didn't specifically know what it was, you would miss it," says Ms. Lowe. "Thieves will put them in places where people access computers a lot, and it captures all the keystrokes that are entered."

Check for keystroke catchers any time you use a public computer, such as the ones found at libraries or Internet cafes. The device attaches on the cord that goes from the keyboard to the computer, on the computer end.

You should also avoid entering any sensitive data on a public computer, recommends Ms. Lowe.

A variant, called keystroke loggers, can be transmitted via e-mail, says Ms. Broder. You won't necessarily realize your computer has been infected - the virus can be transmitted simply by visiting a website or opening an e-mail.

"It's critically important to keep your firewall protection and antivirus software updated," she says.

MARKETWATCH.COM INC.