PC Identity Theft- Basic Classes

In this lesson you will learn:

Introduction to Identity theft

Physical theft is not the only story anymore. Your computer does not need to walk out the door for your identity to be stolen, your machine to be hijacked by malicious software, your every keystroke captured and sent back to another computer, possibly outside of the country, or your business or personal secrets published openly on the internet. The best place to start theft prevention is to decide what kinds of theft there are. The idea that your computer is safe at home or business has proven to be fatal time and again, and there isn't time here to tell the exciting stories of those whose lives and businesses and futures were dashed to shreds. The purpose of this class is to help to make sure it doesn't happen to you!

Identity theft

There is little use of posting big number statistics on how many have had an identity theft problem, because each year the number grows by huge amounts again. But I can safely say that 30 million people since the mid 90s have had more than a minor problem, although I have seen several numbers that are much larger. Perhaps you were one. Hopefully after reading this class, you won't be!

What is identity theft? To put it simply, you are no longer you.... at least electronically. That means that you are not buying, someone else is, and you are not renting or applying for jobs or traveling, but someone else is while using your information. It also means that someone else is being a criminal in your name, and they are not paying the price.. you are, either now or sometime later. But you don't have control over that either. It is the end of your finances, your ownership of anything except what you already own outright. If you need to buy something, sorry. Someone already spent your money, sometimes before you or your bank even see it!

There are a lot of people that feel "Big deal. I don't have any bank accounts or money or possessions worth stealing, so why should I care." You should be happy to know that identity thieves love these kink of people! they can become someone else (you) by assuming another legitimate persons' information (yours) because it is made so easy through carelessness or lack of concern, and when things get hot for them or you decide you don't like facing the music that has been served, they can quickly and easily assume the identity of someone else who doesn't care either and thinks just like you used to. Because now that you can't buy anything with credit, or rent anything or get a job, you don't feel so apathetic anymore, even though it is too late. And if you were born an American citizen, things can get even more exotic for you, because that involves the State Department. Welcome to the world of crime.

How is it possible that someone can so neatly fit into your shoes when they don't know you, don't look or act like you? How can it be so difficult to actually prove that you really are who you say you are? How can the other 'you' be so bold and seemingly carefree and yet you have no way of finding out who they are or where they operate from?

Or do you? Is it your fault? Is there a special trick that all hackers or identity thieves have learned or something you did?

Well, the answer is, it is all of that! But the good news is that if they can learn what to do, then you can learn what to do to prevent it.

NOTE: Taking your life back after the fact is beyond the scope of this class. Tips included below are only general guidelines. You will need professional and legal help.

So lets look at the targets and what they are after.

Listed above is all of the information needed to become you! Where do you think that information would come from? Mostly only you! Your garbage (s considered 'public domain' as soon as it is placed in the city trash), the receipt tossed on the ground or left in the ATM or in a bag (even if the receipt shows all XXXXXX but the last four digits), the credit card left on the counter, the wallet left in the car, your form tossed in the trash, (either yours or someone else's trash can), the 'lost' cell phone with a security code (that uses a Social Security, sequences, address numbers, etc.). The cell phone, even left for 10 to 15 minutes, can have been altered to RECORD everything you say even when the cell phone is turned off! the cell phone will send text AND email to alert a third party that you are now on the phone so they can listen or read or see whatever you are seeing, listening to or texting, all without you even knowing it!

The idea is that if you don't give others access to your data then it makes life tough for thieves. The purpose and goal of any identity thief is to get to know you as thoroughly as possible without you knowing anything about it. And how do they do that?

If you look at the list above you can see that most of your information is obtainable through theft , like breaking into vehicles, stealing records from workplaces (statistically most theft happens here - photocopied records), house break-ins (nothing missing, no big deal, so why report it, right?), cashiers that double-swipe cards or pin number collectors that operate by cell video phones and so on. Then there is the accidental or overlooked gold mines: scrounging parking lots for receipts, sifting through garbage etc.. But what about that funny phone call for an offer you can't refuse, a great deal, a survey, a government agent or retail store that needs to 'confirm' information over the phone or perhaps the email that asks you to confirm an account or verify the information in it?Or perhaps you left your cell phone sitting alone for 10 minutes?

How to Recognize ID Theft

The bad part is that sometimes there are no warnings. One day things are normal and the next you are getting telephone messages or letters in the mail about delinquent accounts, phone calls from creditors, threats from credit card companies, sometimes from places you never even heard of. But there are a few clues that can serve as warning signs that something is wrong.

Preventing Identity theft.

Here is a list of the most common and simplest preventative techniques, in no particular order of importance:

Obtain a copy of the last transactions on each one of your accounts. If your credit card is through your bank, request the last transactions since your last statement. If you are contacting the bank by phone, take the information and carefully comb through to determine that all of the transactions are normal. If something is not, GO TO the bank personally and talk to a representative. You have to communicate directly to the bank, not by phone because you have to fill out and SIGN forms and / or statements in the presence of a representative or notary public. You cannot do this by phone as it is not legal. If you are making a claim then all documents have to be legal in a court of law from this point on.

One of the first things people think of in preventing identity theft is to immediately call up the credit card company or to request a credit report. Calling the credit card company can be a good plan, but requesting multiple copies of the credit report can be a BAD plan. In the case where there was no theft, the multiple requests of credit reports can hurt your credit rating! So be sure that you are a victim before requesting the information or it may have unwanted affects on your account.

If you know beyond doubt that you have been victimized, you can request monthly monitoring from the credit reporting offices: Equifax, Experian or Trans-Union. Depending on the company you can expect to pay 4 to 10 dollars a month for the service.

NOTE: NOT all three!

The next action depending on the account activity. If you feel your card is being compromised, follow the directions given by the company. Each company has a hotline to a department that is dedicated to fraud prevention. I have found that my card company has been very helpful (mine is now through a bank). The process may differ, but there is such a thing as a 'Fraud alert' that can flag the transaction whenever the card is used. The alert can be lifted at anytime, by, you guessed it, properly identifying yourself over the phone by confirming the data that they have on file. If someone else also has that info.... well, it gets sticky.

Simple enough! You are protected by honest retailers who have a store policy of checking picture ID and MATCHING it with the signature on the back. If there is no signature on the back, the thief can just sign it, approximating your signature as needed. Make sure you use a pen that has ink that won't rub off.

Getting into good habits takes time. Paper shredders are cheaper now, and running a document through even a basic shredder is usually enough. If you want your shredder to last longer, don't shred the entire piece of junk mail. Tear off the mailing labels and identifying remarks in flyers, junk mail or personal correspondence and run the scraps with your name and address on it through a shredder. If you have any insurance papers, end of year papers, old legal papers etc. That are no longer needed be sure to shred the whole thing.

Seems simple enough. Grab the scissors and cut up the 'Pre-Approved' cards BEFORE they go in the trash. Some pre-approved cards AND forms only require that they be used or redeemed one time, and the company is sometimes not too particular who actually redeems it. Once it is activated it is difficult or impossible to stop the billing cycles or mailings. So shred those forms and cut up the cards!

Using passwords that are easy to remember yet hard to guess is not an easy task. Using the same passwords for several different things is really a bad idea, so having several passwords is bound to necessitate either writing them down or adding them to a PDA or document somewhere. One idea I use is to write down the hint that is clear enough to easily remember the password but has nothing to do with the actual password itself. Instead of writing down the pets name, just write down 'dog'. But know that these are the first items that a hacker or thief will guess at, especially if they have studied you. Complicate it as much as is practical. The safest thing to do is to memorize. Memorize your PIN, your password to your accounts and if possible your SSN. You can develop your own system for memorizing or storing numbers, like using simple addition or subtraction and making them into a Math problem. (360 + 34 + 257610 = 26136). Then you can keep it in plain sight and when it comes time to use it, toss out the answer and the zeros. Create your own system and practice using it.

Change your passwords often though. Each account has a way of changing the password. Some are easily done by responding to a prompt that comes at a timely interval, like network passwords that are required to be changed by the company policy. others, like bank PINS or email passwords have to be changed by accessing your personal information and changing the information.Use more than two so that when it comes time to change, you are not switching back and forth between the same two, especially if you don't change it very often.

Most of the easily obtained information is used to create accounts that require the user id and password or PIN. Once the password or PIN is compromised it is safe to assume ALL of the other information used in creating the account is also compromised. If that is the case the best thing to do is to immediately (same day) contact the business or provider of the service and inform them of the breach, request the account be either closed or changed in such a way as to prevent access by anyone but you. Request that the transaction change made by the business be placed in writing, usually by filling out their form, and making sure the signatures are legible.

In the event of an investigation, you will need the names, dates, and events and possibly even the time of day recorded in such a way that all of the circumstances can be re-constructed in the event that things go to court. If you are dealing with support over the phone, be sure to record the extension numbers, names of who you talked to, and the times. In ANY case, change the password and / or PIN. It is simple to do and shows effort on your part to take preventative action.

Once you have a hard drive back everything up there, and keep your computer free of anything but programs. When traveling, remove and store the drive in a safe place to protect your data.

NOTE: Do NOT use a USB thumb / Flash drive for backing up data! these are NOT meant for long-term storage and you could lose your data over time.

Seems simple enough. Go to Yahoo! or Google and type in your name and see what comes up. You may be surprised what you find, or you may even discover that you have a long lost relative! Type in your address and do a search, and then enter you phone number in another search, this is a quick way to find out who knows what about you and perhaps there is clue about how they got it (usually former employers) and then plug the hole if possible. At the bottom of each listed web page is usually a webmaster 'contact us' link that you can use to send them an email. You have the right to insist that your name be removed.

If you suspect mail is missing then go to the post office that handles your zip code and check to see if a change of address card has been submitted for your address. If there is, you may have a case involving Federal mail fraud law. Get a copy of that card and submit it immediately to the police in a full police report. Document everything, every piece of missing mail, the name of the carrier, the name of the clerk you talked to, the times and dates you noticed it, the forms you filled out and every other detail you can think of while it is fresh in your memory. A year from now the details will be uncertain and those you are dealing with may no longer be available to help your case.

If you are contacted, whether by email, phone or mail, it is safe to assume that you are not he only person that has been approached..

In another class the subject of electronic compromise through email tactics will be discussed in full. For this class, just remember that any email or public solicitation that asks account information, updates, renewal or subscription information, that contains expiration notices or winnings should be suspect. The email class will show you how to discern between real and false email solicitations.

NOTE: Do not delete the email, as these may be needed for reference at a later time.

If you are contacted by phone DON'T talk. Copy down the phone number and any other information you have from caller ID or call messaging. If you received a message that seems threatening, do not delete the message.

If you are contacted by mail, save the mail, including the envelope.If you are contacted more than once, call the police and make a report. Even if you are not directly affected (which you already are) your report may help fill in another piece toward solving the puzzle and ending the problem for others also. Sometimes even a bar code, watermark or seemingly insignificant string of numbers can identify locations or clarify an investigation.