Identity-theft:

How to be Aware and take Action!

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• Identity-theft is one of the fastest growing crimes: how can you ignore it?
• Can you protect yourself if you don't care?
• Would you believe that many victims ignore that they are being robbed?
• How is a large and expensive damage done without the victims' knowledge?
• How long will it take until they recover their good name and at what cost?
• Can you assume you are safe if you don't take precautions?

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Identity-theft or Identity Fraud: that is how this crime is called.It is the abuse of your personal information (i.e., name, date of birth, social security number, driver's license number, and other valuable identifying data and numbers) for making debts in your name!

Horror stories are reported. One could be ruined by such a crime. It may be costly and painful to recover and restore one's reputation.Better take action immediately and constantly.

Should you wait until somebody claims from you payments for goods you never bought, for loans you never got, for services you never enjoyed?

Students and other people without considerable assets may feel they are safe enough from robbery if their bank account is modest: wrong! They may be charged with huge debts by criminals, and their credit record can be ruined for a long time.

Internet Commerce, involving huge interests, is enjoying an enormous development. It was necessary to enable smooth transactions, finding ways to avoid such complicate verifications that might discourage willing buyers.

Procedures were introduced, almost fully automatic, that request the buyer to fill a few data in a form. Except that, for the time being, there are no means to verify if the one submitting the data has any right to them.

Therefore whoever gained access to private information (known as the Identity) of somebody else, can pose as the rightful owner and "purchase" at no cost goods, services, loans, contracts etc. while charging of all expenses the unaware victim's account.

Traders don't go to great length to help avoid the fraud. They keep formal rulesto check that the data are valid, and offer no independent verification procedure. At most they may confirm the transaction by e-mail that the rightful owner could check when alerted. But it may be too late anyway to void the purchase and the charge.

It is possible that sometime in the future practical technology will be proposed for verifying from a distance the personal identity of the buyer, not only the validity of his/her data, by means of fingerprints or other biometric identifiers.

See on this subject the following Quotation from Wikipedia.
"Given the ease with which other security measures such as passwords and access tokens may be compromised, and the relative resistance of biometrics to being defeated through alteration and reverse engineering, large scale adoption of biometrics may offer significant protection against the economic and social problems associated with identity theft."

Until then unfortunately, consumers should be made aware of the dangers looming on their personal information and of the ways to protect it from falling prey of enterprising criminals.

Accessing personal information can take many forms, but usually some care and awareness can prevent the most obvious leakage.

• Monitor constantly your financial accounts
• Keep your data secure, don't give them out lightly
• Block credit card accounts if lost or stolen
• Keep information on your valid credit cards
• Beware from seemingly innocent inquiries from the Internet
• Shred or destroy any piece of paper with personal data before disposing of
• Be aware that documents may be retrieved from trash bins ( by "dumpster divers")
• For Internet purchases use only known and reputable websites displaying a secured, encrypted address (https://...)
• Destroy any unwanted credit cards offers
• Take quick action if a creditor calls you about charges you didn't make.

Some companies offer insurance against Identity-theft while requiring that a few precautionary steps be taken. But you could probably take for yourself the same steps without paying for the insurance.

Credit card fraud is Identity-theft in its most simple and common form.Data may be taken from your copy of the credit card receipt possibly forgotten or lost or in many other ways, some simple, others sophisticated.

With a person's name, social security number and date of birth, someone can get loans, access the person's existing bank accounts, open new bank accounts, lease or buy cars, trailers, boats, get insurance etc., all while making the victim responsible and accountable for the debts.

Official sites, banks and nonprofit organizations keep well organized websites displaying tips and suggestions on how to take precautions and on what to do in case Identity-theft or fraud is discovered.

See the site of the Federal Trade Commission.

It includes links to pages instructing the public on how to file a report and how to protect oneself both in case the Identity-theft was committed and used for fraud or in case the theft is only suspected.

A highly instructive report (15 pages) on Identity-theft activities and precautionary measures is available in a document fromMcAfee.

A short report with practical hints is found in thisIdentity-theft Kit.

For additional links see also thisdocument.

See also additional Online Resources in a special issue of our Surveillance Guide News by clicking on SGN#004.

Be aware of the risks of Identity-theft and take action! It is all part of your Security Plan.

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Vexed by an unknown caller?
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