What is Identity Theft? How is it accomplished? How might it impact the victim?

1. Identity Theft What is Identity Theft? How is it accomplished? How might it impact the victim? What can I do to protect myself? What is phishing? By Ellen Justice

2. Identity Theft: ID TheftSmart says: “Identity theft is a crime that occurs when someone steals your personal information and uses it to commit fraud or other crimes. It often begins with the theft of a Social Security number, credit card number, debit card or phone card.”

3. What do ID thieves do? How Identity Theft may be accomplished • Call a credit card company and ask that the mailing address on a credit card be changed1 • Open new credit card or bank accounts using your name, date of birth, and Social Security Number1 • Use your name to take out loans and make creditors think they're dealing with you1 • Use your identity to gain employment, file for fraudulent health benefits1 • Use your identity while committing other types of criminal activity1

4. Effects on the Victim • “The victim must prove that they didn't commit the fraud.”3 This means that the victim is not necessarily innocent until proven guilty. They have to provide many representations of the theft in order to be viewed as a victim. • The victim is often left with a damaged credit standing.4 • The victim must spend months or even years regaining their credit worthiness.4 • The victim finds it difficult to obtain loans, get a job or an apartment, even to write checks. 4

5. Protect Yourself! Provided by the California Office of Privacy Protection Website • Protect your Social Security number. • Do not carry it around in your wallet! • 2. Fight “phishing” – don’t take the bait. • 3. Keep your identity from getting trashed. • Shred or tear up important papers! • 4. Control your personal financial information. • 5. Shield your computer from viruses and spies. • 6. Click with caution • When shopping online, make sure you trust the site before you hand out your personal information, such as your credit card number. • 7. Check your bills and bank statements. • Check for any discrepancies that may raise a red flag. • 8. Stop pre-approved credit offers. • 9. Ask questions. • Ask why a company needs your personal information if you don’t feel they are entitled to having it. • 10. Check your credit reports – for free.

6. Phishing? “The act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft.”5 For example, there is a Pay-Pal hoax going around in emails. It asks you to provide all of your private information again because “the system lost it” or because they “are having difficulty.” This is just one example of how phishing is done.

7. Sources • 1. ID TheftSmart • http://www.personal-plans.com/idtheftsmart/lite/faqs/category.do;itgJSessionID=ELGYBGch7wkEaJnCFSyFLYyaTRf1GySZANulc6adlA5vM1nAssT9!740549548!-1062671661!10001!10002?id=3582&planID=3544#Question0 • 2. California Office of Privacy Protection • http://www.privacy.ca.gov/cover/identitytheft.htm • BankersOnline.com • http://www.bankersonline.com/vendor_guru/btcc/btcc-idpt3.html • Medical College of Georgia • http://www.mcg.edu/Students/finaid/fintheft.htm • Webopedia Computer Dictionary • http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/p/phishing.html