How to Avoid Identity Theft
This is stuff everyone should know by now, mostly because it’s all common sense and it’s been a very common crime, specially since the rise of the internet. Yet, a lot of people still fall for Identity Theft schemes… The Federal Trade Commission has some really useful information and guidelines you might want to refer to your family, friends and co-workers. See summary and link below, and comment if you feel like it.
How do thieves steal an identity?
Identity theft starts with the misuse of your personally identifying information such as your name and Social Security number, credit card numbers, or other financial account information. For identity thieves, this information is as good as gold.
Skilled identity thieves may use a variety of methods to get hold of your information, including:
- Dumpster Diving. They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it;
- Skimming. They steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card;
- Phishing. They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information;
- Changing Your Address. They divert your billing statements to another location by completing a change of address form;
- Old-Fashioned Stealing. They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records, or bribe employees who have access;
- Pretexting. They use false pretenses to obtain your personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources.
FTC Information About Identity Theft.
