Identity theft

1. The ins and outs of Identity theft By: Megan Tucker

2. What is identity theft? The stealing of a person’s information, especially credit cards and Social Security Number, with the intention of using that data to commit fraud and create a phony persona

3. What forms can ID theft take? • Credit Card Theft • SSN Theft • DL Number Theft • Dumpster Diving • Pharming • Phishing • Check Fraud • Computer Viruses • Shoulder Surfing

4. Examples: • Phishing: an e-mail from a seemingly legitimate source which asks for personal information of any sort like PINs, credit card numbers, SSN • An e-mail from the IRS requesting info to make you think you are receiving a tax refund • Dumpster Diving: Documents thrown out that have not been properly destroyed can be stolen and used for personal information • bank statements, bills, receipts that display CC# • Improperly disposed of or stolen credit cards being used to fund enorm0us purchases • Social Networks: Obtaining personal information through networks like Myspace and Facebook • Identity Cloning/Concealment: A person posing as someone else to avoid arrest, deportation, et cetera • Check Fraud: Stolen checks that can be used to fund fraudulent purchases, or checks that are made to look like originals • The movie Catch Me If You Can starring Leonardo DiCaprio was the true story of one of the most elusive check frauders the US has ever seen • Pharming: Fake online bill or purchase payment sites fashioned to look like well-known companies; username and password can be used to access your info • Paypal scams that look like the right page, but when username and password are entered, they are actually contained for the purpose of fraud • Shoulder Surfing: A criminal eavesdropping to obtain information • Listening in while a person gives information over the phone or at the bank, airport, et cetera

5. What are the implications? • Spending of massive amounts of money from the victim’s accounts • Eventual credit loss of the victim • Ruined criminal record if someone steals an ID and uses it when arrested • False identification of the innocent party as the guilty • Loss of time and energy by the victim, as well as emotional trauma

6. How do I protect myself? You do not have to hide from the outside world to be able to protect yourself: just always remember that the most effective thing you can do to avoid identity theft is to ALWAYS BE AWARE. Know exactly who can and cannot get your info, to whom you provide info, who might be listening, and be careful about monitoring what you throw away! • Thoroughly and properly dispose of old credit cards, statements, etc. • Do NOT respond to suspicious e-mails; first contact the company or organization to check the legitimacy of a message • Limit the amount of personal info you list on social networks • Keep your Social Security Card and number in a safe place • Keep usernames/PINs secret • Double-check your receipts; you’d be surprised how many retailers and restaurants don’t program credit card machines to hide the first 12 digits of a card number • Immediately cancel credit or check cards that are lost

7. Resources: • www.dictionary.reference.com • www.idtheftcenter.org