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Welcome to Identity Theft Tips
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Effective ID Theft Reporting Starts with Organization
When you become the victim of identity theft you also become your own caseworker to report identity fraud and keep the momentum going forward to get all issues resolved. If you have good organization skills, they’ll come in handy, and if you don’t, consider enlisting a trusted friend or family member to help you keep your information organized. Here are a few tips on how to organize your case:
Don’t make calls without a plan. Before you contact a credit reporting agency or a creditor company to report the crime or solicit information about the reporting process, prepare a list of questions to ask. Also document as much as you know about your identity theft case so you can talk about it calmly and logically. And if you’re not satisfied with the answers that you’re given, ask to speak to a supervisor.
Keep a list of all the calls you make. Write down the name of each person you talk to, their phone numbers, the date of the call, and specifics about the conversation.
Follow up in writing with all contacts you've made on the phone or in person. Send your correspondence using certified mail with a return receipt requested so you have a record that the company or organization received your letter and when.
Keep copies of all correspondence or forms you send and receive.
Never send originals when required to provide supporting documents. Send copies only.
Set up a simple filing system for easy access to paperwork related to your identity theft case.
Once your case is resolved, keep all your files. It is unlikely that you will need to use them again, but problems can sometimes reappear and your saved documentation will prove invaluable.
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IDENTITY GUARD® Tip: Your Computer and Identity Theft: How Safe Are You?
If you pay bills, do your banking or have ever purchased anything online, your personal information isn’t just yours anymore – it’s in the possession of each and every company or person you conduct transactions with online. Sound scary? It is. But before you start boycotting the use of your computer, it’s important to note that identity theft in the “real” world is no safer than computer identity theft in the virtual world. It’s what you do to protect yourself that counts.
As in the ‘real world,’ you can’t completely eliminate the risk of identity theft on the Internet. However there are ways to reduce that risk and become a less appealing target. Here are just a few:
Beware of “phishing” scams. Online identity theft “phishing” scams are widespread and primarily occur via e-mail, although phishing links can also be embedded in the pages of various web sites you may visit. E-mail messages appear to come from well-known web sites and try to entice you to click on an active link included in the e-mail. The premise of a phishing email is typically to either update your account information or alert you of suspicious activity to your account. You are asked to click on the link to verify information, thus tricking you into giving out personal information on a fake or cloaked site that will then be used to steal your identity.
Take advantage of automatic computer updates. Computer hackers prey on the most vulnerable operating systems. Check your settings (Windows Control Panel or Mac System Preferences) to ensure that “automatic updates” is “on.” The computer will automatically check for and install new updates.
Install security software. Guard against hackers and computer viruses by installing anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software programs. Some Internet service providers offer free software, but compare its features with other paid software. Although not free, your annual investment for a well-known program will probably cost less that $40.00.
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Five Tips to Prevent Identity Theft in Schools
Educational institutions have a responsibility to keep staff and student information safe and secure. Here are nine tips on how to prevent identity theft in the schools.
1. Know What Identity Theft Is
If you don’t understand what identity theft is or how it happens, you will be unequipped to recognize and handle potentially dangerous situations. Most identity theft is directed at employees rather than the students using low-tech methods. Educating staff about ‘social engineering’ techniques should be a high priority. For example, an ID thief might call a district office asking for employee information for ‘verification’ purposes. Create a process to handle these types of calls that will determine whether or not the request is legitimate.
2. Appoint an Information Security Officer
The person in charge of IT security should review the handling of all sensitive information – how it is handled, who has access, and where it is stored.
3. Conduct Ongoing Training
Distribute information about maintaining security to both staff and students using printed literature, e-mails and webinars or closed circuit television. And invite specialists to conduct in-school training sessions.
4. Be Specific with ID Theft Prevention Suggestions
Tell staff, particularly those working in areas that have a lot of personal information like human resources, exactly what to do. Advise them to always log off or turn off their computers whenever the leave their desk, and thoroughly brief them about online phishing schemes that try to extract personal information from unsuspecting victims.
5. Identify All Sources of Sensitive Information
While computers are the main source of stored information, put security measures in place for protecting information included on paper reports, filed in cabinets, and loaded onto laptops and PDAs.
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IDENTITY GUARD® Tip: Four Resources to Help You Recover from Identity Theft
If you've been an identity fraud victim, you’re not alone. Nearly 9 million Americans a year fall victim to identity theft and fraud, and that number continues to climb. Although it may be little consolation that you’re in the company of millions, there is good news: with such widely reported crimes, more information and avenues for recovery are available. Here are a few recommendations:
Many individual states provide help for victims to recover from identity theft. Contact your state Attorney General’s office for more information.
Credit unions, community banks, and insurance companies are offering free identity theft recovery services for their customers. Victims are assigned an advocate who will notify the proper governmental agencies, prepare required paperwork, notify creditors to place fraud alerts, and take additional steps to protect accounts. Contact your bank and insurance companies to find out if they offer these services.
If no state or local resources are available to you, contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for information on reporting and recovering from identity theft.
Once you’ve been a victim of identity theft, ongoing and frequent monitoring of your accounts and credit reports is a wise precaution to take. Businesses like IdentityGuard.com offer this type of service to help you maintain peace of mind.
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Four Things Businesses Can Do to Prevent Identity Theft
While individuals have to protect their own personal information to prevent identity theft, businesses have a greater responsibility to protect their customers’ personal information from identity theft. Here are four precautions businesses should take:
1) Use alarm systems.
We may often think that customer information stored in our computer systems is stolen by savvy Internet computer hackers, but there’s plenty of identity theft happening the old fashioned way – by physically stealing documents. Alarm systems are effective deterrents – especially those that are monitored by a security company. In addition to using an alarm system, make it more difficult for thieves to access your offices by using deadbolts on external doors and secure exposed windows with security film, bars, screens or shatter-proof glass.
2) Lock up business records.
Use locking file cabinets to store physical business records. Be sure to lock the filing cabinets at night and during the day when there’s no one available to monitor access. For computer system and database back ups, lock them in a safe or a security deposit box. Don’t leave them lying around.
3) Shred paper documents.
Tossing business records out with the trash or placing in the recycling bin is an invitation for disaster. Shred all business records that you no longer need before placing into the recycling bins and don’t forget to include any mail or billing documents that has sensitive information on it. If you have large volumes of data that needs to be destroyed, contract with a shredding service that will come to you. They will shred the documents and dispose of them properly.
4) Limit computer access.
Password-protect your computers and limit access to sensitive information on a “need-to-know” basis. Also, when a employee no longer works for your business, immediately cut off their access to your computer network. Yes, this could lead to more expense, but a disgruntled employee can do a lot of damage. You must take all steps necessary to prevent and avoid identity theft for you and your customers.
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IDENTITY GUARD® Tip: Develop Internet Street Smarts to Guard Against Online Identity Theft
Most people can think of at least a half dozen ways to prevent and protect themselves against identity theft in the “real” world but give little thought to online protection, assuming the computer itself is equipped to handle it. Yet, identity theft and the Internet can be a dangerous duo. Developing online “street smarts” is essential to safeguard your personal information. Here are a few of the fundamentals:
Beware of the “something for nothing” invitation. According to a study conducted by the University of Washington, one in 25 web sites contained invasive software. Some of it is simple adware, which is more annoying than it is damaging. But other software goes beyond menacing, like the kind that actually allows someone to see every word you type. The study showed that “something for nothing” sites can be the most dangerous, like those offering free games and free, usually illegal, music downloads.
Get your coffee to-go. Cyber cafés can quickly lead to cyber identity theft if you aren’t protecting your information. Major coffee chains and other businesses offer free Wi-Fi access. This convenience can also compromise your security. Check your settings before logging on to ensure your computer is set NOT to share files with a network, or that guy quietly surfing the net from the corner table may be downloading your files from the second you connect to the shared network.
Don’t just delete old information – destroy it. You may think pressing the delete key or emptying your computer’s trash or recycle bin erases information. Not true. Information remains on your hard drive despite your command to dump it. Before you throw or give away your old computer, scrub the hard drive with software that meets Department of Defense standards for data destruction. Or, if you prefer, remove the hard drive and smash it!
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How to Avoid Online Phishing Scams
Phishing is one of the most common types of identity theft committed online. Thieves “phish” to capture your personal information via e-mail, just as fishermen do who troll the lakes and streams to attract and catch unsuspecting fish.
Any kind of information is fair game in phishing identity theft scams. Passwords. Account numbers. Bank information. Social Security numbers. PINs. Your best defense is awareness. The request for bank account verification is one of the most familiar examples of identity theft phishing scams. Here is how it is done, and what you should do if one lands in your e-mail “In” box:
How it is done: You receive an e-mail from what appears to be your bank or one of your credit card issuers. The e-mail may explain that the bank/credit card company is doing a routine verification of customer information. For your convenience, an active link is embedded in the e-mail for you to click on to be immediately taken to your account page. Don’t do it! Identity thieves use embedded links to take you to cloaked sites where you willingly give them all the information they ask for.
What to do: Use your browser to log into your account as you normally would. If updates or verifications are required, there will be a notice on the company’s site. If there is no such notice, forward the e-mail you received to the company immediately so it can take steps to report the offenders and notify customers of fraud attempts.
Thieves rely on you taking advantage of the convenience of an active link. Be cautious when clicking on embedded links in e-mails and on web sties, and do not open attachments.
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IDENTITY GUARD® Tip: Rise in Identity Theft Prompts Stiffer Penalties
With law enforcement agencies and resources stretched to their limits trying to solve violent crimes, criminal identity theft has historically been positioned low on the priority list. Yet, the last few years have witnessed a continuing rise in identity theft – affecting nearly 10 million victims annually – and police departments are viewing criminal identity theft more seriously. Many have already established dedicated fraud units to handle and investigate reports.
Recognizing that identity theft is spiraling out of control, President George W. Bush signed into law The Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act in 2004, calling for tougher identity theft penalties for convictions. Under federal law the maximum penalty for identity theft increased from three to five years in prison.
Yet, regardless of stiffer criminal penalties, key to prosecution and conviction is evidence. And, in criminal law, the burden is on the prosecutor to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Without being able to establish a pattern or history of offenses by the suspect, moving forward with prosecution can be both costly and difficult to win.
That’s why it is important for victims to file complaints and police reports documenting the crimes. Your individual report may not single-handedly bring a criminal to justice, but it could be one of the many links in a chain of offenses that could eventually convict the criminal.
If you are a victim of identity theft, file a police report, and submit a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You can file your complaint online or call 1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338).
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Federal Identity Theft Task Force Reviews Prosecution Standards
In May of 2006, the President signed an Executive Order establishing an Identity Theft Task Force, directing it to develop a coordinated strategic plan to combat id theft. Among other recommendations, the plan was directed to include suggestions for "ensuring just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate identity theft." Task Force recommendations specific to prosecution and punishment for identity theft -- which can also be found in detail on the FTC's website -- include:
·Requiring each United States Attorney’s Office to appoint an identity theft coordinator and develop an Identity Theft Program for each District, and creating working groups and task forces to focus on the investigation and prosecution of identity theft.
·Amending federal statutes and guidelines used to prosecute identity-theft related offenses. Specific proposed amendments include:
Amending the identity theft and aggravated identity theft statutes to ensure that identity thieves who misappropriate information belonging to corporations and organizations can be prosecuted. Also, add new crimes to the list of predicate offenses for aggravated identity theft offenses, such as mail theft, tax fraud, and conspiracy to commit those crimes.
Amending the statute that criminalizes the theft of electronic data to eliminate the current requirement that the information must have been stolen through interstate communications.
Amending 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(5) to eliminate the current requirement that the defendant’s key-logging or malicious spyware actions must cause ‘damage’ to computers and that the loss must exceed $5,000.
Outlawing pretexting.
Enacting legislation to make it a felony for data brokers and telephone company employees to sell or transfer customer information without prior written authorization from the customer.
Amending the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines to ensure that an identity thief’s sentence can be enhanced when the criminal conduct affects more than one victim.
