Identity Theft article_Good Neighbor magazine

CONFUSING ROAD RULES

HANDLE BLINKING YELLOWS,

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IDENTITY THEFT 3 PEOPLE SHARE HOW IT HAPPENED TO THEM (SO THAT IT

DOESN’T HAPPEN TO YOU) Page 5

FUN & GAMES KID-SMART SAFETY FROM

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Imagine someone pre-tending to be you, going on a shopping spree with your credit card, siphoning money from your check-

ing account, even cashing in on your tax return. Sound farfetched? In 2014 approximately 17.6 mil-lion people in the U.S. fell victim to at least one incident of identity theft, according to the U.S. Justice Department Bureau of Justice Statistics. That’s about 33 people every minute.

As one of the fastest-growing crimes in America, identity theft can wreak havoc in every area of your finances. And it’s frustrating to realize that if your personal

data is swiped, how it happened and who is the culprit likely remain a mystery.

“You file a police report not because you expect to find the bad guys but because it helps you clean up the mess afterward,” says Steven Weisman, a lawyer, professor at Bentley University in Massachu-setts, and author of Identity Theft Alert. “Local police departments just don’t have the resources to ef-fectively fight this crime.”

We talked to three people who found themselves sorting through identity theft’s ugly aftermath. Here’s what happened, and how they protect their personal infor-mation now.

IT WASN’T ME!

A CASE OF STOLEN IDENTITY CAN RUIN YOUR CREDIT, BLOW YOUR BANK ACCOUNT AND CREATE YEARS OF HASSLE. LEARN FROM OTHERS WHO’VE BEEN ATTACKED, AND SHORE UP YOUR OWN WEAK POINTS.

BY KRISTI VALENTINI

IT WASN’T ME!

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“It was Valentine’s Day week-end, and I got a call from Target saying someone tried to open an account in my name and they had stopped it. I immediately put a lock on my credit with the credit bureaus, but it was too late,” reports Adam Bloom of North Carolina.

CRIME: In the days that followed the February 2015 identity theft, Adam learned that his informa-tion had been used to open up and max out multiple credit cards—all within one day. The perpetrator walked away with Louis Vuitton purses, a video game console, and other expensive goods from Macy’s,

Bloomingdale’s and Barneys. “What was most disconcerting was every other day I would get a credit card welcome package or statement in the mail,” Adam relates. He filed a police report and spent hours submitting fraud claim forms to every new creditor. It took until Labor Day to clear his credit.

INTEL: After cleaning up his record, to reduce exposure Adam closed credit accounts he and his wife weren’t using. He also regularly reviews his credit re-port, searching for any unknown items and activity, and encourages others to check theirs at least once a year. (You’re entitled to one free report a year from each credit bureau.)

ADAM BLOOM: THE CASE OF THE VALENTINE’S DAY SHOPAHOLIC

1. YOUR TRASHWhen would-be cheats rifle through your trash, or through the garbage of companies or government agencies to pilfer documents, it’s called dumpster diving. Before tossing them, be sure to shred any documents that have your personal information on it such as bank statements, credit card applications and bills.

2. YOUR COMPUTERIdentity thieves trick people by sending emails or texts with tainted links. When you click on the link, it downloads malware that can go through your computer to find personal information. This is called “phishing.” Beware of any unexpected emails or texts, even from friends. (They may have been

infected.) It’s better to be safe and delete those questionable messages than risk opening the link.

3. YOUR HOME PHONEScammers may also try to get your information over the phone. When you get a call from someone posing as a

representative from a government agency, such as the IRS or a bank, asking for your personal information, don’t give it. Instead ask for the person’s name, whom they represent and the reason for the call. Then contact the company at a number you know is accurate and not one supplied by the person calling you and confirm what you were told before

providing your personal information.

4. YOUR SMARTPHONE Your smartphone is more vulnerable than your computer because it can easily be stolen, or your information can be accessed when you use public Wi-Fi. It’s vital you install security software on it. Also, make sure your smartphone requires a password to access it. Look for the Security, Lock or Password functions in your phone’s settings.

5. ONLINE BUSINESSESRemember the Target and Home Depot data breaches? Providing credit card information when making online purchases, or your Social

Security number when applying for a store credit card carries risk. How can you protect yourself? “Never store your credit card on a website for future purposes,” Weisman says. “You’re only as safe as the places with the weakest security, so if you leave your credit card on file, you are in jeopardy if the website gets hacked.”

6. MEDICAL CARE PROVIDERSDoctors’ offices, hospitals and other medical providers are prime targets of hackers. “Medical providers don’t need your Social Security number, yet many medical offices ask for it,” Weisman shares. “Medical identity

DON’T BE A TARGET“IDENTITY THEFT IS HIGH TECH, LOW TECH AND NO TECH. IT IS EASY TO DO AND EASY TO GET AWAY WITH. IT CAN BE DONE FROM OVERSEAS OR JUST DOWN THE BLOCK. THE PROBLEM IS HUGE AND WILL ONLY GET WORSE BECAUSE PEOPLE DO NOT TAKE BASIC PRECAUTIONS,” WARNS LAWYER AND AUTHOR STEVEN WEISMAN. CHECK OUT THESE 10 MOST-TARGETED IDENTITY THEFT SPOTS, AND THE ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE TO THWART THIEVES:

BEWARE: THIEVES LOVE TO LIFT YOUR INFORMATION FROM THESE PLACES WHERE YOU’RE MOST VULNERABLE.

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theft and data breaches are a huge problem. The FBI has warned the health care industry their security is not up to the task of protecting the information.” Your insurance number and photo ID should be sufficient.

7. ATMS AND OTHER CREDIT CARD PROCESSING EQUIPMENT.To poach information off your debit or credit card, identity thieves often use a device called a skimmer. These capture your card’s info when you make a transaction, for example at an ATM or

gas station. Gas stations’ pumps are particularly prone to having skimmers attached, Weisman warns. To protect your information use ATM machines at banks only, where staff members check multiple times a day to ensure no devices or cameras are attached. Also use cash or a credit card instead of a debit card; credit cards offer better protection by law. If your account is hacked, you’re liable for no more than $50 of unauthorized charges.

8. YOUR OWN MAILBOX Just as identity thieves might go through your

trash, they also target checks and bills in unlocked mailboxes. Then they use bank account info and your

signature to create fake checks. They also can file a change of address with your credit card company, so you don’t find out about bogus charges until long after they’re made. To avoid those scenarios, clear out your mailbox every day. Weisman also advises sending out checks and bills via the drop slots inside the post office, not leaving them in your home’s letterbox for the mail carrier to pick up. Alternatively, a post office box or a locking home mailbox keeps your mail safe.

9. PUBLIC WI-FI Hopping onto public Wi-Fi while sipping a coffee or killing time at the airport seems a great idea. But it can make everything you do on your computer or mobile phone available to digital pickpockets. Most often Wi-Fi hotspots are not secure. So if you look at or send your personal information during a session, it can be stolen. Avoid making credit card purchases, doing online banking or filing taxes while on those shared servers. Better yet—unless you use your provider’s data network, don’t do anything other than website surfing.

10. YOUR WALLETOne of the oldest and biggest no-no’s is carrying your Social Security card in your wallet or in your car. Your wallet, purse and car are common marks for robbers, and getting hold of your Social Security card is like winning the lottery. “The most important thing you can do to protect yourself from identity theft is protect the privacy of your Social Security number,” Weisman advises. “Armed with your Social Security number, it’s easy for a thief to steal your identity and abuse your credit.” Keep your Social Security card in a secure place at home.

After completing their federal taxes at home, Amanda Callaway of Northville, Michigan, and her husband submitted them online. They were rejected. Assuming it was an Internet issue, they tried again. But they still received an error message. “So we called the IRS to ask about it and were immediately transferred to a security department,” Amanda recalls of the incident that happened five years ago.

CRIME: A rip-off artist in another state had submitted taxes using Amanda’s maiden name, Social Security number and inflated financials to get a hefty tax return. Amanda had to file a police report and produce multiple forms of ID to convince the federal government she was herself. To prevent the thief from opening credit cards with her information, Amanda also contacted the credit bureaus to freeze her account. “It was all a major hassle,” she says. “It felt like someone stole who I was. It was really traumatic at the time.”

INTEL: Because her Social Security number could still be floating around, Amanda has to wait for the IRS to mail her a special code every year to file taxes. She also continues to call the credit bureaus every 90 days to re-up her credit freeze. “Once somebody has taken your identity, it’s your burden of proof to prove who you are,” Amanda points out. “It’s up to you to make sure all your ducks are in a row and keep track of everything. It’s just a massive waste of time, and ridiculous because the victim gets punished.”

BEWARE: THIEVES LOVE TO LIFT YOUR INFORMATION FROM THESE PLACES WHERE YOU’RE MOST VULNERABLE.

AMANDA CALLAWAY: THE CASE OF THE IRS POSER

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“The day before we were leaving for a family vacation, I was at Costco getting groceries and supplies. When I went to check out, my debit card got declined. But I knew I had plenty of money in my account. I freaked out,” Wendy of Murrieta, California, remembers about her 2013 identity theft ordeal. When she looked at her phone she saw a message from her bank asking if she was in another state. The bank had flagged her account because purchases were made in two different states at the same time.

CRIME: A faceless crook made a mad dash through a Texas Walmart, buying $4,000 in electronics and effectively wiping out Velazquez’s checking account. “Someone physically took my debit card number, expiration date and three-digit pin and made a new card. I have no idea how they got my debit card information. The police said it could have been a waiter or waitress who took my number and sold it, or an online purchase or a gas station card reader,” Wendy says. What further irritated her was that once the fraud was reported, the bank froze her account for 10 days as they investigated the case. “Since we had already paid for a vacation rental and were meeting friends, we couldn’t cancel our trip,” Wendy recalls. “We had to borrow money for our vacation, which was really embarrassing.”

INTEL: Since then Wendy and her husband have taken measures to safeguard their sensitive financial data. They use cash for payment as often as possible, and religiously shred everything with personal information on it. “Never let a shredding company pick up your documents and take them off-site to do the shredding,” Wendy warns. “They should shred it not just in strips, but by cross-cutting it, and do it on-site where you can see it being done.” Additionally, the Velazquezes use only PayPal to make online purchases, have set up their bank account so they receive texts for any purchase over $50, and review their bank and credit card statements “with a fine-tooth comb.”

WENDY VELAZQUEZ: THE CASE OF A STOLEN VACATION

1. Your first defense is to freeze your credit. Contact one of the credit bureaus—Equifax (888-766-0008); Experian (888-397-3742); or Transunion (800-680-7289). The other two will be automatically notified.

2. Notify your bank and/or creditors where the fraud occurred. Ask that they close or freeze the account and initiate a fraud investigation.

HALT IDENTITY THEFT SOMEONE SNAGGED YOUR INFO? FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO STOP THE DAMAGE.

3. Always report the crime to your local police and the Federal Trade Commission (identitytheft.gov). This provides you with documentation that a crime was committed. You need this when filing claims with creditors. 4. If your Social Security number has been stolen, report this to the IRS Identity Protection Unit (800-908-4490).

5. Change your passwords. Weisman suggests creating strong pass-phrases with formulas that are hard to crack. Add some punctuation and slightly tweak the phrase to customize it for each account. For example, a pass-phrase for an Amazon account might look like: IDon’tLikePasswords!!ama.

After you follow the preceding steps to stop criminal activity, start working on repairing the damage! For a step-by-step guide visit identitytheft.gov, the Federal Trade Commission’s new site that helps victims report and recover from identity theft.

IDENTITY THEFT HAPPENS MORE THAN YOU KNOW: Learn how to protect yours. URL here.

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Identity Theft article_Good Neighbor magazine

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