Identity Theft Newsletter

With the purchase of our Protect Your ID solution, you will get 12 SmartGuard Newsletters thta will help you maintain and protect your identity. The article below is one such newsletter:

Think Your Identity is Safe?
Four Ways Identity Thieves Get Your Personal Information

Identity theft is rampant. Not a day goes by that the news isn’t reporting that a large corporation’s employee database was hacked or a rouge temp stole human resource files. Unfortunately, thieves don’t have to be sophisticated to pull off an effective ID heist. Once a creative criminal learns how to assume your identity, there are several simple ways he can find the personal information he needs to recreate himself as you.

1. The Bump and Grab

You’re filling up your diet cola and the fast food soda line. The woman behind you seems to accidentally rub against your hip. You eat your dinner and go home. The next morning you realize your wallet is gone. The crooks now have your driver’s license that may include your Social Security number; they know where you bank and who your creditors are. The thieves can sit on this information for years before they try to assume your identity. Consistent monitoring of your personal information is the only way to avoid having something as simple as a stolen wallet turn into legal and financial nightmare.

2. The Check is in the Mail

And so is the bill. Clever criminals will quietly check your mailbox looking for paid bills (which should always be taken to the post office or USPS mailbox and never be mailed out of a personal mail box), pre-approved credit offers, medical bills or creditor invoices. All it takes is a quick check of the “New Address” box to redirect your mail to a new location and begin the process of creating a new identity. This crime can be invisible unless you notice an invoice missing or become alerted through an unfortunate event or monitoring.

In addition to residential mailboxes, some thieves don’t mind rummaging through your garbage. Everything that goes into your mail box gets filed, paid or put into the trash. Garbage is a goldmine for identity thieves. If you notice a bag of garbage open or missing you may be a victim.

3. The Maid Did It

Or the cable guy, or the painter, or the exterminator. We’re busy, and when service providers are in our homes, rather than watching their every move we may leave them alone to get their job done. All it takes in a two minutes alone in a room with your wallet, checkbook or file cabinet to write down your personal information or photograph it with a digital camera. Yes, these people are bonded and insured, but their friends may not be and how easy it is to share or sell this kind of information to someone that understands its value.

4. Gone “Pfishing”

Pfishing is a term used to describe an identity theft “program” where thieves send out emails linking to realistic looking web sites of common creditors. Email recipients are usually asked to verify personal information including account numbers, date of birth, social security numbers, etc. To give the appearance of authenticity, notifications may include a fraud warning as well. To set up a true Internet pfishing scam requires fairly basic computer skills and most criminals can find a high school student to set up their scam.

A lower tech form of pfishing is via telephone. Essentially, the criminal picks up the telephone book and starts calling. Even the savviest consumer gets a little nervous when "a representative" of their bank calls to confirm account information. If the crook has some of it right, most people don’t hesitate to fill in the blanks.

And They Keep Coming Up With Ideas

Criminals are constantly reinventing the wheel. As quickly as we discover their methods, they’re trying out new ideas - posing as landlords or employers to obtain credit or government information, stealing patient, student or employee files, running off with someone else’s company laptop, and the list goes on. We can’t stop all identity thieves from obtaining personal information, but we can hinder their ability to use it. Staying abreast of changes to personal information you didn’t initiate is the first and best line of defense against identity theft.

Did You Know…The Bad Guys Can Get You In More Ways Than One

When your ID information is stolen, it can affect you both financially and personally… we call this financial vs. non-financial misuse of ID information.

Financial misuse is the most commonly understood problem. A thief gets a hold of your personal information, changes your mailing address, opens credit accounts in your name, rings up a huge bill and you get stuck paying for it.

In non-financial misuse, the thief once again changes your address and billing information, but this time he completely recreates himself using your identity. He may use your identity to find a job, rent an apartment, obtain personal documents, etc. When the thief, acting as you, gets accused or arrested for committing a crime, you’re now involved in something that can affect your future in unimaginable ways.

According to the F.T.C., 15 percent of those who were victimized by identity theft had personal information that was used in non-financial ways. Unlike monitoring services that track only the use of your social security number, Privacy Solutions Early Alert™ proprietary Alert Now, Stolen ID Alert system provides members with 24/7 address surveillance of over 1500 data sources at regular intervals warning you of changes as soon as they occur. Early Alert™ maintains your identity. You maintain control.