Posted: 3/1/2011 2:07:30 PM EDT
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So this has come up a lot recently and I figured someone on arf is knowledgeable on the topic.
For the purpose of this discussion: Identity theft is someone using your information to obtain credit or bank accounts in your name. Credit Card fraud is when someone uses your card info to fraudulently purchase items. How does one protect oneself from Identity theft? Do life lock and those credit monitoring subscriptions work? How is it that the system is setup in such a way that one douche bag with your name and SSN can fuck you over for years? Is it this way due to the free market or is the Govt and their reliance on SSNs as a form of ID to blame? Any info would be appreciated. |
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I posted this a few years ago.
Tips to help prevent identity theft: 1. Your mail is like gold to Id theives! It actually has a "street value" and is purchased by tech saavy theives from mail grabbers that raid drop boxes, rural mailboxes and apartments. Do not throw anything away with any of your information. Take your outgoing mail to the post office, or drop it off in collection boxes right before pickup. NEVER throw bills or anything more than flyers in the post office trash. Take it home and shred it. NEVER leave it overnight in your mailbox or a drop box! Don't put in in the box and put the cute little flag up. Pick up your mail every day. Never leave it overnight. 2. GET A SHREDDER!!!!!!!! $50 at Costco. Shred everything that leaves your house. Period. 3. Sign all your outgoing checks in GEL ink or permanent marker. People can remove the ink ("wash" it) and re-fill out the information. Get checks with chemical security paper if you can. 4. Watch your credit card in stores, restaurants, ATMs and gas pumps.. When it is time to pay, politely tell the waiter/waitress you would like to walk the card to register (I know it takes some effort) and pay there. You would be shocked and disgusted to hear how many restaurant workers are into scams. Trust me on this. Card "skimmers" are the size of a pack of gum and take 1 second to use to swipe your info from the card's strip. When you are in your local stop-and-rob or liquor store and you use your card, there is absolutely no reason your card should have to be "swiped" through 2 separate card readers. If you see this, your information is being copied (same reason for the above restaurant warning) and you should notify LE. When you are paying at the pump or using the ATM, look for any odd or loose plastic around the card reader. Crooks install skimmers designed to look like a part of the machine right on top of the real equipment. These can be very sophisicated and it is not always possible to tell from a visual inspection that there is a skimmer attached. If the ATM looks "a little different" than the last time you used it, pass. Most crooks nowadays are skipping the outer devices and wiring skimmers directly into the equipment (especially gas pumps) If you notice a panel loose, tampered with, or wires visible notify the attendant and do not use. Here is the biggie: NEVER EVER EVER EVER order pizza/delivery food with a credit card. EVER. Guess what... not only do they have your cc number, but your address and phone now. It takes 3 seconds to go online and add your birthdate to the list after that. Take the time and go to the ATM (or pay in rolled dimes ) 5. Tell telemarketers, even from legit companies you use, to piss off. No brainer, I know... but some of these guys are working for legit companies from... can you guess where... cheap labor... that's right... State Prison. Same with those cutesy product surveys you get in the mail (and even get paid for). Your address, income and any other information might be in the possession of a convicted rapist. Has happened. Alot. Just something to think about. 6. Protect your Social Security Number Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet. If your health plan (other than Medicare) or another card uses your Social Security number, ask the company for a different number. 7. Fight "phishing" - don’t take the bait. Scam artists "phish" for victims by pretending to be banks, stores or government agencies. They do this over the phone, in e-mails and in the regular mail. Don’t give out your personal information - unless you made the contact. Don’t respond to a request to verify your account number or password. Legitimate companies will not request this kind of information in this way. 8. Cancel all those "courtesy checks" from your credit card company Those things are free money and can drain your account before you even chck your mail. Call your cc companies and tell them NOT to mail them with your bill or otherwise. These things are PURE GOLD to mail theives. 9. Control your personal financial information. Most state law requires your bank and other financial services companies to get your permission before sharing your personal financial information with outside companies. You also have the right to limit the sharing of your personal financial information with most of your companies’ affiliates. Write to your companies that you want to "opt-out" of sharing your personal financial information with their affiliates. 10. Shield your computer from viruses and spies. Protect your personal information on your home computer. Use strong passwords: with at least eight characters, including a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols, easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to guess. Use firewall and virus protection software that you update regularly. Steer clear of spyware: Download free software only from sites you know and trust. Don’t install software without knowing what it is. Set Internet Explorer browser security to at least "medium." Don’t click on links in pop-up windows or in spam e-mail. 11. Click with caution When shopping online, check out a Web site before entering your credit card number or other personal information. Read the privacy policy and look for opportunities to opt out of information sharing. (If there is no privacy policy posted, beware! Shop elsewhere.) Only enter personal information on secure Web pages with "https" in the address bar and a padlock symbol at the bottom of the browser window. These are signs that your information will be encrypted or scrambled, protecting it from hackers. 12. Check your bills and bank statements. Open your credit card bills and bank statements right away. Check carefully for any unauthorized charges or withdrawals and report them immediately. Call if bills don’t arrive on time. It may mean that someone has changed contact information to hide fraudulent charges. 13. Stop pre-approved credit offers. Stop most pre-approved credit card offers. They make a tempting target for identity thieves who steal your mail. Have your name removed from credit bureau marketing lists. Call toll-free 888-5OPTOUT (888-567-8688). 14. Ask questions. Ask questions whenever you are asked for personal information that seems inappropriate for the transaction. Ask how the information will be used and if it will be shared. Ask how it will be protected. Explain that you’re concerned about identity theft. If you’re not satisfied with the answers, consider going somewhere else. 15. Check your credit reports - for free. One of the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft is to monitor your credit history. You can get one free credit report every year from each of the three national credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Request all three reports at once, or be your own no-cost credit-monitoring service. Just spread out your requests, ordering from a different bureau every four months. (More comprehensive monitoring services from the credit bureaus cost from $44 to over $100 per year.) Order your free annual credit reports by phone, toll-free, at 877-322-8228, or online at www.annualcreditreport.com. Or you can mail in an order form, available from the Federal Trade Commission. They are actually free more frequently when you are the documented victim of ID theft by law. Keep in mind MOST of your personal information is already out here. Catching suspicious activity quickly can be the difference between financial ruin and losing a few replacable dollars. Most cc companies and banks will replace your stolen money... but please REPORT it anyhow so LE can assist you in damage control and further incidents. |