Preventing Identity Theft

Recently I watched a movie on television concerning identity theft. Prior to watching this movie, I was rather naïve about my own security concerning this matter. This movie led me to conduct some research which I would like to share with you.

Identity Theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such as your name, Social Security number, credit card number, bank information or other identifying information, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. This is a very serious crime. If someone falls victim to identity theft, it can take months and sometimes years to clean it up. This will cost the victim a lot of money and even credit ratings. The victim can be denied credit and even job opportunities.

How can a person fall victim to identity theft you wonder. There are numerous ways and some ways will shock you. The identity thief can obtain your personal information some likely ways as stealing your purse or wallet. They can also obtain personal information from stealing your mail or breaking into your home and stealing your information. Some less thought about ways the thief can obtain your information is stealing your personal records from your employer or hacking into your employer’s computer and personnel files. They rummage through your trash. They obtain credit reports by pretending to be an employer or landlord. Another less known method is skimming. Skimming is the process where the thief will steal your credit and debit card numbers as your card is processed by using a special information storage device. With the increasing use of the internet for shopping and internet gaming, your personal information is stored on your computer. Hackers and spyware can retrieve this information if you are not careful to use secure sites only.

Yes, as you can see above, this is a scary situation. Let me go one step further and scare you a little more. When you register at an online site, do you have your password SAVED so next time you log in you just have to click LOG IN???? Let me tell you a little story here. One of my girlfriends has two teenage sons. One of her sons is going through a terrible time and has been in trouble with the law a few times. My girlfriend is an avid online bingo player and often times, she will leave her bingo game running while she runs to town. One day, she returned home from a trip to the store to find that her bingo account had 400.00 in it. When she left, she had 40.00 and some change. She asked the chatleader in the room if she had won a jackpot. She had not. She checked her purchase history to learn that she had funded her online bingo account while she was away. She knew that she hadn’t done this so asked the support department to check into this for her. About an hour later, she was contacted by support that she had indeed funded using her credit card and repeated the number back to her. My girlfriend immediately contacted the bank to learn that not only had she spent 400.00 on bingo but charges in excess of over 1000.00 had been charged within the past hour through the internet. As you have probably guessed now, her son had done all of the above. He was able to obtain her information via the online bingo site because she had stored her credit card information online.

Now I hope you are asking yourself, “How can I prevent this from happening to me?” I hope to give you some tools with which to use.

First and foremost, NEVER store your personal information on the computer. If you have trouble remembering your log in information and passwords, write them down and keep them in a safe place. When using the internet to purchase anything whether it be flowers or funding your online bingo account, be sure they have a secure server. Most internet sites will provide you with a secure logo and if they don’t, ASK before entering any of your personal information.

Keep your virus protection software updated.

Don’t download anything unless you know the sender. If the file looks suspicious, ask the sender for verification. This is a great way for an Identity Thief to steal your personal information.

Use a firewall. Use a secure browser.

Delete any personal information stored on your computer before disposing of it. There are “wipe” utility programs available to aid you with this.

Place passwords on all your credit cards, bank accounts and even your phone accounts. Do not use mom’s maiden name any longer or your birthday or any of the digits from your social security number. I know, those are easy to remember, but those are also great ways for the identity thief to obtain more information about you. Buy a safe or locked filing cabinet to store all of your personal information in. The paper file folder with your bills in it is not safe unless it is locked away. At work, find out how secure your personal information is. Ask questions now, not later when it is too late.

The phone rings. It is a mortgage company promising you a lower rate but in order to obtain this, they need your Social Security Number. DO NOT GIVE IT TO THEM. Never giver personal information to anyone over the telephone unless you initiated the contact and know with whom you are speaking. This also serves with the internet email and postal mail systems. Another safety precaution with which we are now using is a paper shredded. Shred all your personal mail before throwing it away. Keep your trash bins in a locked storage unit until pick up day. Do not leave your postal mail sitting in your mailbox for a length of time. If you work and are away for most of the day, get a PO Box instead of delivery.

When filling out applications, before you input any personal information, ask questions as to how your information will remain secure. Will it be shared with others? If so, with who and why.

Keep your personal identification cards such as Social Security cards in a safe place other than your purse. Limit your identification information on person to your Driver’s License and only carry what you truly need in terms of credit or debit cards. Always keep your purse or wallet with you or in a secure place.

All of the above will help to keep you safe from Identity Theft but what happens if you fall victim. The first step is to cancel all credit cards and notify your bank as well. Be sure to follow up with each contact and receive in writing that you have taken the appropriate measures. When calling the companies, be sure to notify them that you are reporting fraud. Contact all of the major credit reporting agencies such as Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Ask them to send you a copy of your credit reports as well so you can go through them and report any charges that you did not incur. File a police report and a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

Identity Theft is a crime. It is a very serious crime and it is on an upward growth. It is your responsibility to protect yourself.