tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354124062011-11-27T20:12:31.563-05:00The latest advice and news regarding identity theft that will aid you in keeping your personal information secure.Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.comBlogger1221100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-24240890333378262612009-02-24T14:07:00.003-05:002009-02-24T14:31:30.608-05:00

Most of the scams discussed on this blog target individual consumers, but as I've mentioned in an earlier post, businesses can be scammed and even have identities stolen as well. The U.S. Small Business Administration is warning small business owners about a recent scam that involves the economic stimulus package.The scammers sent letters to small businesses across the country on what appears to

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-53422628117409063142009-02-18T15:59:00.002-05:002009-02-18T16:11:23.489-05:00

Adding to the many data breaches reported at the end of 2008, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announce a data breach that may have put 21,000 guests at risk of identity theft. Wyndham reported the data breach to the Florida attorney general's office back in December and said they contacted the customers whose data had been compromised during the unauthorized access.The data accessed included customer

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-17011010576819372472009-02-17T20:05:00.003-05:002009-02-17T20:35:50.200-05:00

As I've mentioned in my last post, tax season is an ideal time for identity thieves. After all, there is a wealth of private financial information floating around. Tax documents show up in mailboxes, and refund checks as well. The option of a direct deposit of your tax refund requires submitting bank account information. What's wrong with this? I mean, a lot of trust is required during tax time,

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-9402585333171705572009-02-13T12:39:00.003-05:002009-02-13T12:52:37.843-05:00

I can think of many reasons why people dread tax season, especially those of us business owners who know it's not a matter of whether or not you owe, but how much. If that's not reason enough, identity theft can also be a problem during tax season. While most problems can be avoided by only working with a trustworthy, reputable accounting firm, trusting your personal financial information with

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-31573362100654112732009-02-12T19:30:00.003-05:002009-02-12T19:56:36.775-05:00

While data breaches continued last year, Kaiser Permanente has announced one that took place last year. While no customers were affected, the private information (names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers) of nearly 30,000 Kaiser employees in northern California has been compromised.The person illegally possessing the information, Mia Garza, was arrested in late December, and she

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-71359504753152465292008-11-06T12:58:00.004-05:002008-11-06T13:25:30.856-05:00

In a previous post, I emphasized that simply deleting a file from a hard drive before disposing of it or selling it is not enough. If the file is not securely wiped from the hard drive with digital shredding software, the file may be retrieved if it falls into the hands of someone tech savvy enough. This may not seem like a big deal, but with people doing their banking and making purchases on

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-41263994703706669692008-10-31T20:57:00.001-05:002008-10-31T21:01:37.817-05:00

The State Department announced that it has notified nearly 400 passport applicants of a security breach that may have put them at risk of identity theft. Most of the applicants at risk are in the Washington, D.C. area, and their passport applications may have been illegally accessed and used to open fraudulent credit card accounts. The applications contained identifying information, including

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-30918342406990993562008-10-29T10:49:00.002-05:002008-10-29T10:57:11.121-05:00

With all of the news of data breaches and identity theft committed by hackers, many are concerned with electronic security, and they are right to do so. However, while we seek to protect ourselves online and companies seek to protect their employee and customer information, we must not forget that there are identity theft methods that require little or no access to a computer or the

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-74063242475448276412008-10-16T14:06:00.003-05:002008-10-16T14:32:22.919-05:00

Just as Americans start to see relief from skyrocketing gas prices and the prices drop, a new concerning the purchase of gasoline arises: identity theft. During the past few months, Texas cities like Dallas, Fort Worth, and Plano are seeing increasing reports of identity theft at automated gas pumps where the consumer can pay at the pump. It appears to be a new updated version of what is

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-87901308192632293902008-10-10T18:44:00.001-05:002008-10-10T18:48:10.015-05:00

A recent wave of phishing scams and other identity theft scams seek to take advantage of people's fears regarding the economy. With so many banks having trouble, the Identity Theft Assistance Center (ITAC) and the Federal Trade Commission are warning consumers in a press release about emails claiming to be from an institution that recently acquired the consumer's bank, mortgage, or savings and

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-16896600871684898172008-10-09T14:53:00.002-05:002008-10-09T15:24:27.780-05:00

With everything that is being done to punish identity thieves, identity theft is still a major problem. While companies and governments can take precautions to protect consumers, we all need to be doing our part to protect our own identities. The best way to do so is education regarding how identity thieves work and how we can keep our information out the hands of those who will us it

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-4519328319550905492008-10-04T12:28:00.002-05:002008-10-04T12:32:04.517-05:00

The University of Indianapolis information technology staff along with outside security experts are investigating a data breach that reportedly occurred on September 18. A hacker gained access to the university's computer system and the personal information (including Social Security numbers) of 11,000 students, staff, and faculty. According to the university, the compromised records were at

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-55852389399350051072008-10-02T18:42:00.003-05:002008-10-02T18:56:25.119-05:00

As a brief update, according to this article from The Washington Post, President Bush did, in fact, sign the Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act. This will make it easier for prosecutors to go after cyber criminals. It will also allow identity theft victims to not only be compensated for their direct losses from identity theft, but also their indirect losses (like time spent restoring

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-12613559789865970792008-10-01T10:03:00.003-05:002008-10-01T10:20:30.057-05:00

So what is the reason for the spike in identity theft and data breaches in 2008? We can offer any number of reasons. After all, ID theft has been on the rise for years, but it seems like every time we turn around we're hearing about a major data breach or identity theft case (like the TJX case back in August). Part of the reason is the obvious fact that ID theft is getting easier to commit as

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-38464866398011707652008-09-29T11:30:00.002-05:002008-09-29T11:32:31.821-05:00

Most of the posts on this blog deal with data breaches that may lead to ID theft and scams leading to personal/individual identity theft. However, this is by no means the limit in regards to identity theft. A business can have its “identity” stolen just like an individual can. In fact, for the identity thief, targeting a company rather than an individual can be much more profitable. After all, a

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-57274247741787244392008-09-26T12:24:00.001-05:002008-09-26T12:26:53.508-05:00

We've all had to fill out an application at some time or another. In fact, with applications required for loans, leases, college, and many jobs, many have probably lost track of how many applications they have completed. Do you know how the company taking your application stores it until it is reviewed? What do they do with them after they review them? How do they store or dispose of them? Think

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-42895064992011672722008-09-25T11:42:00.002-05:002008-09-25T11:49:19.481-05:00

While no one will find scammers a particularly endearing bunch, certain types of fraud repulse me more than others. These include those who target children and senior citizens. I'm adding to the list identity thieves who target disaster victims. I mentioned in an earlier post that hurricane season is a time when those who need to evacuate because of a tropical storm or hurricane are at risk of

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-62002043854130310122008-09-24T16:20:00.003-05:002008-09-24T16:54:33.537-05:00

With the presidential election approaching, many will be registering to vote. Identity thieves take advantage of this time to gain personal information from new voters who may not be knowledgeable of the registration process. If you are registering to vote, be aware of these methods thieves may use to make you an identity theft victim.EmailThe phishing scam has proved to be an effective identity

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-57781637409919672652008-09-20T14:55:00.003-05:002008-09-20T15:23:04.033-05:00

Millions of people in the United States depend on Time Warner for cable television, Internet, or both. While Time Warner customers may not be surprised by the occasional email from their cable company and Internet service provider, an email claiming to be from Time Warner is targeting the company's customers is asking people to provide their personal information or risk losing their cable

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-44603738504971428592008-09-18T18:25:00.002-05:002008-09-18T18:55:24.693-05:00

The Senate and House of Representatives have passed the Identity Theft and Restitution Act. This bill offers more flexibility to identity theft victims, such as allowing them to seek restitution for indirect losses like time and money spent rebuilding credit. Currently, the identity theft victim is only compensated for direct losses (charges on a credit card or money taken from a bank account).

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-75606027573089336422008-09-16T18:38:00.002-05:002008-09-16T18:59:04.453-05:00

It appears another company has been affected in the TJX security breach that was reported back in August. Nearly 99,000 payment cards used at Forever 21 stores may have been compromised during data thefts beginning back in 2004. The company released a statement saying that they discovered the thefts after being notified by the U.S. Department of Justice on August 5. They did not, however, say

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-44421812579079858962008-09-11T16:33:00.002-05:002008-09-11T17:00:00.528-05:00

As with many other crimes, with identity theft nothing is sacred. You do not have to be alive to have your identity stolen. Just like burglars who search the obituaries so they can rob homes of grieving families during funerals, there are identity thieves who use information on death certificates to steal the identity of the deceased. Sound impossible? It takes a while for businesses to remove

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-64863021572612289352008-09-10T10:18:00.004-05:002008-09-10T10:57:03.871-05:00

As I've mentioned before, college students have plenty reasons to be concerned about identity theft. Applications for admissions, scholarships, honors programs, and financial aid require a wealth of personal identifying information that needs to be protected. And the students trust that their information will not be mishandled or compromised. However, that is not necessarily the case. Some

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-7262983503393995932008-09-08T10:53:00.003-05:002008-09-08T11:21:15.039-05:00

Last week, the Bank of New York Mellon reported that a data breach discovered earlier this year may affect more customers than they originally anticipated. The bank reported back in May that back-up storage tapes from Bank of New York Mellon shareowners service had been "lost," exposing millions to potential identity theft, and notifications were sent to the 4.5 million people whose information

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-33862606406794089932008-09-05T18:04:00.002-05:002008-09-05T18:33:17.394-05:00

In the Southeastern part of the United States, what's commonly known as "Hurricane Season" has already begun. This is a time when many people in states prone to hurricanes will be keeping a close eye on the weather and possibly making preparations in case they have to evacuate. However, other problems lurk in the wake of natural disasters. A hurricane disaster area can also be an area ripe for

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-10351145771916302222008-09-04T10:16:00.006-05:002008-09-04T11:15:16.143-05:00

There's nothing quite like coming into the office to find your computer has been stolen. How do I know? It happened to me a few years ago at a former job. Fortunately for the company, my computer was the only one stolen, and it contained no sensitive information like employee records or customer credit card numbers, putting no one at risk of identity theft. Unfortunately, that doesn't appear to

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-25917419331542642552008-09-02T09:38:00.010-05:002008-09-02T10:39:52.315-05:00

Many states are embracing the credit freeze as a way for people to protect themselves from identity theft. This time Ohio is joining the states that allow residents to freeze their credit beginning Labor Day 2008. For $5 per credit bureau, Ohio residents can purchase a credit freeze to keep their credit reports from being viewed without them making the reports available by "thawing" them.While no

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-85767691024391688262008-08-29T15:08:00.003-05:002008-08-29T15:31:41.614-05:00

I'm sure many who have read this blog have read other blogs about identity theft as well. This is by no means the first identity theft blog (and definitely not the only one). However, I've seen a trend in some of them that I've been avoiding, and that is the embracing of identity theft protection services or identity theft insurance. One particularly popular identity theft protection service in

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-79310418797921409522008-08-28T14:22:00.004-05:002008-08-28T14:54:40.998-05:00

I'm sure you've heard it before, even from me, "Be careful what you divulge online." Whether you're conversing on a niche forum, frequenting your favorite chat room, writing personal blog posts, or maintaining your MySpace page, you need to be careful how honest you are with your personal information. Even sharing your birth date, which seems fairly innocent, can come back to haunt you if the

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-46162001842781751032008-08-27T10:54:00.003-05:002008-08-27T11:53:51.034-05:00

Here's an interesting twist on recent data breach news. Forbes reports that a computer containing the banking security information of more than one million people has been sold on the popular auction site eBay. The Royal Bank of Scotland announced that a computer, which belonged to an archiving company called Graphic Data and contained information from credit card applications of some of the

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-11844762753816239442008-08-26T15:10:00.003-05:002008-08-26T18:51:08.196-05:00

A number of states have reported that EPPICard users are being targeted by identity theft scammers. Fourteen states use the EPPICard to distribute state payments, like child support. The Internet Complain Center reports that EPPICard users around the country have reported receiving voice, email, and text messages falsely informing them of problems with their account. The users are then encouraged

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-36611679215062123832008-08-22T10:04:00.002-05:002008-08-22T10:42:29.922-05:00

While most of my identity theft "news" posts tend to be geared toward U.S. readers, the general information and advice can be used or adapted by anyone in the world concerned about identity theft. However, that doesn't mean that I think only we here in the U.S. are dropping the ball and everyone else is safe, so I'll try to incorporate more international posts to try to give an accurate picture.

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-75496254438374044602008-08-21T10:35:00.003-05:002008-08-21T11:02:50.774-05:00

Just like children can be identity theft victims since they have no credit history and will not think to check their credit reports, senior citizens can also be targets, especially those who have a long history of good credit. They also have access to other services that may be of interest to an identity thief, like food stamp cards or health care (Medicare).That's why this news report warns

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-57136576260489358742008-08-20T11:15:00.002-05:002008-08-20T12:01:48.690-05:00

Once again, it looks like the hackers are making news. According to recent a recent report, Dominion Enterprises announced that a computer server of InterActive Financial Marketing Group, a division of Dominion Enterprises, was hacked into and accessed by an unknown party. The breach took place between November 2007 and February 2008, and the result was the potential exposure of personal

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-67365315954439490772008-08-15T13:38:00.003-05:002008-08-15T14:13:55.094-05:00

When most people think of identity theft, they think of someone tech savvy, like the hackers named in the recent international case who accessed credit card information electronically. Cases like this leave people thinking of identity theft as a white collar crime. Many of my earlier posts have illustrated that that's not necessarily the case since methods such as mail theft and dumpster diving

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-84919081675158240342008-08-14T13:49:00.004-05:002008-08-14T15:32:34.784-05:00

We do business with companies expecting that they've hired honest employees to handle our data, so one form of identity theft that is difficult to defend against is the "insider" or employee who steals and either uses or resells customer data. Even when companies go to great lengths to hire people they think are honest, it's hard to catch when the person is a first time thief or has covered his

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-18670915540524355612008-08-13T10:56:00.003-05:002008-08-13T11:30:21.285-05:00

Wells Fargo & Co. has reported that the personal information of about 5,000 people may have been seen when someone used a bank access code illegally. The bank is notifying the people whose names are on the list and offering them free one-year membership to Identity Guard, an identity theft protection service.Wells Fargo was alerted to suspicious activity in early July and contacted law

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-786056183274278392008-08-12T10:52:00.002-05:002008-08-12T11:13:55.384-05:00

There's nothing an identity thief likes more than a clean slate. A young person with little or no credit is an ideal identity theft victim. After all, credit card companies are eager to extend credit to young consumers. In a few weeks, many of you will be returning to school. As you prepare for the next school year, you will obviously want to prepare with the proper books and supplies for your

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-17049611234245048252008-08-11T08:44:00.004-05:002008-08-11T10:08:12.370-05:00

The most common type of identity theft is financial identity theft because it is most profitable and there are many fairly easy ways to commit it. For the most part, what the financial identity thief is looking for is credit. According to the Identity Theft Assistance Center, people with good credit have become targets for identity theft because they often have untapped home equity.A home equity

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-86404830388633880262008-08-07T10:09:00.002-05:002008-08-07T10:59:07.521-05:00

Thanks to the recent high-profile identity theft case, attention has been called to the technique that was used, which is called wardriving. Wardriving involves driving around searching for insecure wireless networks. This can relate to home wireless connections or, like in the current identity theft case, business connections. Gaining access to a wireless network is easy if the security is low.

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-68831969605755315872008-08-06T09:35:00.003-05:002008-08-06T10:13:24.782-05:00

Eleven suspects have been charged with stealing over 40 million credit and debit card numbers and then selling them. They allegedly hacked into the computer systems of many U.S. retailers to install software that gave them access to account information and passwords. Three of the suspects charged in this identity theft case are U.S. citizens, and the others are from China, Estonia, Belarus, and

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-66388674344011967322008-08-05T09:42:00.004-05:002008-08-05T10:31:47.305-05:00

If you don't trust the government to protect your personal and financial information, then you shouldn't be surprised or disappointed with this recent report. According to a Consumer Reports investigation, the government is one of the biggest sources of ID leaks. Consumer Reports analyzed data reported by the nonprofit Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. They found that more than 230 security lapses of

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-39531445679647717482008-07-30T11:38:00.004-05:002008-07-30T12:03:28.158-05:00

A mailing error for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia has put thousands statewide at risk of identity theft. Blue Cross reportedly sent over 200,000 benefits letters containing personal and health information to the wrong addresses last week. The letters in the erroneous letters were primarily Explanation of Benefits letters containing an ID number, the name of the provider, and amounts

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-5370551739824006422008-07-29T11:14:00.003-05:002008-07-29T11:44:10.633-05:00

Sometimes it seems we receive phishing emails that seem to be fairly random. I can't count how many emails I've received supposedly regarding my account at a bank I've never heard of or a business I've never bought from. They seem like a shot in the dark hoping to find a customer of this bank or business who might fall for this scam. However random phishing scams may seem, they are try and target

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-55500395973909794302008-07-28T13:55:00.003-05:002008-07-28T14:13:29.586-05:00

Many have wondered if perhaps biometric identification is the answer to preventing identity theft. At least one university is putting that to the test. Middle Tennessee State University is assigning new identification numbers (instead of Social Security numbers) and requiring hand scans for identification.The school is requiring both for access to some of the university's facilities including the

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-9779531743063789282008-07-25T13:41:00.004-05:002008-07-25T14:19:28.009-05:00

Don't you love the convenience of banking on the Web? I know I do. And when I signed up, my bank's manager was raving about how secure it was. However, a recent study at the University of Michigan made me more than a little concerned.According to the study, more than three quarters of all bank Websites have design flaws that can expose users to identity theft. Some of the flaws include login

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-8956085468055298352008-07-24T14:06:00.004-05:002008-07-24T17:55:28.362-05:00

While a great deal is being done by both academic institutions and private businesses to remove Social Security numbers from ID cards, apparently not everyone is moving quickly on this issue. And while the government passes laws to prevent identity theft and punish identity thieves, they also contribute to it by leaving Social Security numbers on ID cards.Many seniors have expressed concern over

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-16481857595906194242008-07-23T09:44:00.004-05:002008-07-23T10:17:08.034-05:00

Consumers should always be vigilant when it comes to keeping private information private, but as we all know, we can't completely prevent identity theft ourselves because we can't control how the companies and people we work with handle our information. Data breaches are primary examples of situations beyond the consumer's control. And according to the Identity Theft Resource Center, it's a

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-70484931732159013702008-07-16T13:52:00.003-05:002008-07-16T14:17:52.865-05:00

I've made multiple posts regarding social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, and why you should keep your private data private. You should be especially cautious with online gaming accessed through these sites. If you are asked for any private information like your Social Security number or date of birth in order to play a game or gain points, this is a clue that there may be more here

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-13246645165839503132008-07-15T10:01:00.002-05:002008-07-15T10:29:19.957-05:00

Whether it's high school or college, graduation is always an exciting time for anyone, but according to a recent report, it's not a time to be too carefree. After all, graduates fall into the age group (between 18 and 29 years old) at high risk of identity theft. In fact, one third of identity theft victims fall into this age group.One reason is that this age group tend to be less vigilant about

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1261763072979125192008-07-10T14:17:00.002-05:002008-07-10T14:49:00.854-05:00

We should always be cautious at ATMs. My post on shoulder surfing gave just one reason. However, a recent news report should remind us to be extra vigilant not only about who might be watching but about which ATMs you use. Identity theft involving ATMs is increasing, and the ones you find in convenience stores are the biggest problem because they are easiest to tamper with.According to the report

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-72027635232963961332008-07-09T10:54:00.003-05:002008-07-09T12:40:37.532-05:00

According to a news report regarding the Internal Revenue Service, tax-related identity theft has grown several times over a four year period. National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson reports that her office handled 644 percent more identity theft cases for 2007 than they did for 2004. Identity thieves have used stolen Social Security numbers to obtain fraudulent employment or refunds.However, the

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-66681274067220819912008-06-24T14:34:00.003-05:002008-06-24T15:00:29.523-05:00

With summer in full swing, now is the time families will take vacations since the kids are out of school. However, being away from home can leave you can be just as vulnerable (actually, more so) to identity theft. There are extra precautions you should take during your vacation time to protect your identity (and the identities of your family members) from identity thieves.This article on

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-52254619024809244082008-06-20T13:25:00.003-05:002008-06-20T13:58:54.620-05:00

I know this is a touchy subject, and there are companies that may not appreciate this post. However, when I saw this press release, I felt it appropriate to post. One of my first posts on this blog referred to the elimination of junk mail, particularly pre-approved credit card offers, as a way to prevent identity theft. Apparently, the targets vary, and in the case of the press release, people

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-43588418797991540552008-06-19T10:36:00.003-05:002008-06-19T11:15:49.430-05:00

I posted quite a while ago on the dangers of identity theft with social networking sites, particularly one for MySpace, which is the most popular of these sites. I gave a few tips regarding protection of privacy on these sites and how to avoid identity theft on these sites. The danger will always exist as long as some people use these sites dishonestly. Thankfully, there are companies that

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-91559228150041344382008-06-17T11:28:00.005-05:002008-06-17T12:19:36.004-05:00

Since scammers tend to pattern new scams as variations of existing ones, these fraudulent activities tend receive similar names as well. By now most of us are familiar with phishing scams, and yesterday I introduced vishing scams to those who were not already familiar with them. Now, the next "offspring" of the phishing scam is called smishing (I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen the

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-55085418324074404532008-06-16T12:46:00.001-05:002008-06-16T12:49:04.295-05:00

Apparently, a new form of identity theft scam that has surfaced a few years ago is on the rise. I've posted in the past about phishing scams, and these slightly newer variations of these scams are quite similar. The scams are called vishing scams, or VoIP phishing scams. It involves scammers using VoIP telephone numbers to trick consumers. The most common scenario involves a recorded message from

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-70353435368690073942008-06-13T10:32:00.005-05:002008-06-13T10:55:31.537-05:00

While some legislation works in favor of consumer privacy (or attempts to), other laws slowly peck away at the privacy that should be yours. Some of you may have heard that the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy has approved legislation requiring those who sell prepaid cell phones to photograph or photocopy one or more forms of identification. This includes the store keeping

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-61945992620630371492008-06-12T10:39:00.003-05:002008-06-12T11:21:17.171-05:00

This may seem ironic following the post regarding data breaches, but this honestly wasn't planned. This particular data theft, though, was of the low-tech variety. According to a recent news report, the billing records of more than two million people was stolen at the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics. The theft occurred when backup information tapes were taken from a vehicle when

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-871238799772345832008-06-11T10:06:00.003-05:002008-06-11T10:36:34.290-05:00

According to a report by Verizon Business, almost nine out of ten corporate data breaches could have been prevented if appropriate security measures been taken. The 2008 Data Breach Investigations Report covers a span of four years and over 500 forensic investigations, including three of the largest data breaches ever reported.Some of the findings include the fact that only 18 percent of data

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-61390673721160770252008-06-10T11:27:00.003-05:002008-06-10T11:34:13.304-05:00

Greetings to all those concerned about privacy and identity theft. As you can guess from the title of this post, I am announcing the relaunch of Identity Theft: Are You at Risk? after a long hiatus dealing with personal and career issues. I am now back to post news and resources regarding identity theft and personal privacy.For anyone who has a request regarding a topic or a question, I have set

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-72536375481569582862007-09-25T17:50:00.000-05:002007-09-25T18:16:45.958-05:00

The credit freeze is one of the best tools you can use to help prevent identity theft. A credit freeze allows you to lock the data in your credit report at the credit reporting agency until you give them permission to release it. Without access to your credit report, an identity thief will have a lot of trouble gaining credit in your name.Until recently, a credit freeze could only be made

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-67852666417075270062007-09-15T13:46:00.000-05:002007-09-15T14:23:32.279-05:00

Online brokerage TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation announced Friday that one of its databases containing customer contact information was hacked. The company has since discovered how the information was stolen and changed their computer code.Ameritrade insists only contact information was stolen and that even though information such as Social Security numbers, account numbers, and dates of birth

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-39852142936479402972007-09-13T17:39:00.000-05:002007-09-13T17:54:07.063-05:00

This blog normally focuses on the financial issues identity theft causes because those are the most common. However, identity theft is by no means limited to financial issues like credit card fraud. An identity thief can also affect your criminal record as you'll see in this news report.Toussaint Davis, who faces three hundred years in prison for killing a police officer after a jewelry store

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-55575016460851992702007-08-25T12:43:00.000-05:002007-08-25T13:12:40.267-05:00

I've mentioned before that credit card skimmers have been used for identity theft at restaurants. However, that's not the only way a restaurant employee can steal your credit card number.A recent news report says that Brad Taylor, a cook at Paulette's Restaurant in Midtown Memphis, copied customer credit card records found in the restaurant and sold them for $10 a page. Roderick Webb and Marlon

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-11335337286897660312007-08-16T16:47:00.000-05:002007-08-16T17:09:31.187-05:00

Here is another illustration of why we are never completely immune to identity theft no matter how careful we are with our personal information.Verus Inc., an IT company that built and maintained Websites and other services for forty to sixty hospitals in the United States, was implicated for the security breaches for at least five hospitals and has gone out of business after investors pulled the

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-86607944910478910332007-08-04T19:57:00.000-05:002007-08-09T18:05:27.273-05:00

Police busted a major identity theft ring operating out of a home in Northeast Philadelphia. Andre Holmes and an accomplice used change of address forms to have victims' mail delivered to their home and used personal victim information to create checking accounts and obtain credit cards. Investigators believe this information was obtained by one of the suspects during her previous job with the

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-67710419636396878672007-07-27T18:05:00.000-05:002007-08-09T18:08:16.792-05:00

So, have any of you Ohio tax payers received your letter from the state of Ohio saying your name and Social Security number were on that stolen laptop? The state has offered those concerned about identity theft one year of protection services with Debix with no charge to the potential victim. Or maybe you don't live in Ohio but suspect you might be a victim (or potential victim) of identity theft

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-82625893671393019312007-07-19T18:41:00.000-05:002007-08-09T18:09:52.484-05:00

According to a recent news report, the Bush administration has sent proposed legislation to Congress regarding the improvement of federal identity theft laws as recommended by the Identity Theft Task Force.The Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act of 2007 aims to increase penalties for certain types of identity theft and allow victims to recover more than just direct financial losses.

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-89616684795352769982007-07-13T08:59:00.000-05:002007-08-09T18:10:43.828-05:00

I've mentioned some specific scams identity thieves use in other posts, and I try to pass more along as I run across them. This one may just be a regional one at the moment, but I'm going to post information about it just in case. A number of citizens in Jonesboro, Arkansas, have reported receiving phone calls that they believe to be a possible identity theft scam.The caller claims to be from the

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-48284145058678701462007-07-11T15:40:00.000-05:002007-07-11T16:08:33.444-05:00

On June 10, a laptop with sensitive information regarding thousands of Ohio taxpayers was stolen from an intern's unlocked car. Ohio Governor Ted Strickland has announced today that about 786,000 Ohio taxpayers are at risk of identity theft because their names and Social Security numbers were stored on this laptop. That's three times more potential victims than they originally thought. According

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-43352180002234727362007-07-03T16:00:00.000-05:002007-07-03T16:22:02.225-05:00

This recent data breach is a perfect example of the dishonest insider. According to a recent news report, a database administrator of Certegy Check Services, a subsidiary of Fidelity National Information Services, stole the information of about 2.3 million customers and sold it to data broker. The data broker then resold the information to direct marketers who used the information to solicit

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-72149358100616136942007-06-12T10:22:00.000-05:002007-06-12T10:39:18.904-05:00

According to a recent press release, the University of Virginia has suffered a massive security breach. Investigators believe hackers accessed a database with sensitive faculty information on 54 different occasions between May of 2005 and April of 2007. The information for more than 5 thousand current and former faculty members has been compromised, and the information included Social Security

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-15858096253211206202007-06-11T14:58:00.000-05:002007-06-11T15:15:03.747-05:00

Just when you think scammers can't stoop any lower, some new scam surfaces to prove that nothing is sacred. Like this more recent one.According to a recent news report, the American Red Cross is warning military spouses about a recent scam that targets spouses of deployed troops. The scammer calls the military spouse, claiming to be calling on behalf of the Red Cross, and tells the spouse that

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-6002610196082255192007-06-08T08:05:00.000-05:002007-06-08T08:24:53.874-05:00

According to a recent news report, Neteller is allegedly linked to an identity fraud scam. Recently, 200 Vancouver residents received letters from a Vancouver collection agency demanding the payment of a $822.75 debt they never incurred with Neteller's Calgary office.According to the collection agency, CBV Collection Services, numerous residents who received these letters said they didn't owe

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-18781037659729123742007-06-06T11:24:00.000-05:002007-06-06T11:37:59.826-05:00

What does your bank do with their computers when they upgrade their equipment? What about your doctor or dentist? Why is this important? The computers used by your bank, your doctor, and other places where you do regular business have important information stored in databases on their computers. When they upgrade and move this data to another machine, are the proper precautions taken to

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-58399142108892387642007-03-16T14:13:00.000-05:002007-03-16T14:16:28.550-05:00

So what do you use your office copy machine for? Obviously, you would say, it’s used for work documents such as company brochures or internal memos. But what else? Occasionally, you and/or your office mates may use it for personal documents, such as income tax returns, photo identification or Social Security documents. Surely, the boss wouldn’t mind that too much. In most offices, this is true,

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-13562308036468695882007-02-15T15:40:00.000-05:002007-02-15T16:11:09.995-05:00

Does where you live make you at higher or lower risk of identity theft? If so, which U.S. Cities and states are at highest risk of identity theft? A recent study provides the answers to those questions. According to ID Analytics Inc., New Yorkers, especially those living in New York City, are major targets for identity theft. Californians were the runners up, especially those living in Los

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1171051282253253442007-02-09T14:57:00.000-05:002007-02-09T15:01:22.260-05:00

The financial services industry has been promoting that identity theft is on the decline and that it is no longer the serious problem it once was. They'd like to think so, wouldn't they? According to the Federal Trade Commission, that's not necessarily the case. For the seventh year in a row, the crime identity theft has topped the FTC's complaint list.So what does the statistics from the 2006

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1170703172792615912007-02-05T13:45:00.000-05:002007-02-05T14:19:32.800-05:00

Most people would agree that more needs to be done to not only catch identity thieves, but also that they should be punished to robbing people of their identity and financial stability. It looks like the punishments for at least some identity thieves may become stiffer. Friday the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that will increase penalties for those convicted of committing

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1170157770377411132007-01-30T06:48:00.000-05:002007-01-30T07:13:13.803-05:00

It's one of those lessons in life we all learn at some point. You can't trust everyone. When and how you learn it isn't necessarily the issue as long as you learn it. Many are reminded of this when a trusted friend or relative steals their identities, and according to a recent survey by the Identity Theft Assistance Center (ITAC). According to this survey, 42% of participants knew the source of

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1169165561747947882007-01-18T18:49:00.000-05:002007-01-18T19:12:41.753-05:00

We're all aware of the possible dangers of shopping online. If a website doesn't have a secure log in and order for (https), we shouldn't be shopping with them. But what about a local retail outlet? Is a credit card purchase there secure? While there's always the possibility of dishonest employees, we'd like to assume “yes.” However, this story proves that retail stores are also likely to get

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1168791025188783242007-01-14T11:09:00.000-05:002007-01-14T11:10:25.203-05:00

When it comes to laws protecting consumers from identity theft, much of the legislation is at the state level, and some states have better privacy laws than others. However, the federal government has been making moves over the past few years to pass laws attempting to prevent identity theft, including the forming of the Identity Theft Task Force. Now there are a few more laws have been

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1168299147285871662007-01-08T18:30:00.000-05:002007-01-08T18:32:27.293-05:00

This is the final segment of my “things we carry” blogs. I know I've mentioned ID cards before, or at least student ID cards, but some things deserve repeating.Employee and student identification cards are not a problem in and of themselves. Many schools and probably all universities require student IDs in order to register for classes or to use student only facilities, and many companies require

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1168127127557696182007-01-06T18:44:00.000-05:002007-01-06T18:45:27.566-05:00

This is another item that, while important, and even useful to carry with you in case something happens, but your health care or insurance card can also put you in potential danger of identity theft.Obviously, this is one thing many of us would consider to be important to carry in case of emergency illness or injury and understandably so. However, is your Social Security number displayed on the

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1167997802128458172007-01-05T06:47:00.000-05:002007-01-05T06:50:02.136-05:00

In my previous post, I started the first of a few posts on what we carry with us everyday can make us more appealing as potential victims of identity theft. While your Social Security card is something you shouldn't carry in your wallet unless you know you will need it, credit cards are a little more complicated because you are more likely to need them on a daily basis.Of course, most of us carry

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1167824870481267502007-01-03T06:46:00.000-05:002007-01-03T06:47:50.483-05:00

As I've mentioned before, identity theft can be committed in a variety of different ways. While some identity thieves prefer a phishing scam, others may prefer dumpster diving or stealing someone's mail or wallet. Since there are so many ways to get one's identity stolen, consumers need to protect their information on all fronts, and perhaps the place many of us are most vulnerable is follows us

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1167237969721908302006-12-27T11:02:00.000-05:002006-12-27T11:46:09.756-05:00

I've posted before on social networking sites and how people can become victims of identity theft by revealing too much online. It seems now the site hit most with identity theft is the most popular site, MySpace. MySpace users are now being hit by a band of identity thieves who are stealing user names, passwords and personal information and using them dishonestly. Many users are being spammed

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1166716510522624072006-12-21T10:31:00.000-05:002006-12-21T10:55:10.530-05:00

Some identity thieves go for the average consumer, preferably someone with good enough credit to make it worth their while. Others may go for those with deeper pockets. This one seems to have set the bar a bit higher. Police in Lake County outside Chicago found the personal information of almost 90 current and retired Major League Baseball players in the home of David Dright.The information is

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1166379520379417752006-12-17T13:15:00.000-05:002006-12-17T13:18:40.386-05:00

Have you ever wondered how so many identity thieves obtain the information necessary to take over someone's finances. Sure, many will do the foot work using the methods I've discussed earlier such as mail theft, phishing scams, card skimmers, dumpster diving, etc. However, it isn't always necessary to go to that kind of trouble when you can use the information someone else has obtained and sold.

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1166129913599787792006-12-14T15:57:00.000-05:002006-12-14T15:58:33.606-05:00

Company laptop thefts are usually the result of carelessness on the part of the employee. This was the case with the latest Boeing laptop theft. The laptop was stolen earlier this month when an employee left it unattended. The stolen laptop contained the names, addresses, and Social Security numbers of 382,000 current and former Boeing employees, leaving these people at risk of identity theft.A

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1165958000454108992006-12-12T16:08:00.000-05:002006-12-12T16:13:20.463-05:00

Your information is only as safe as the databases it's kept in. You can take every precaution to secure your private information, but if there is a security breach at your job, bank, school, etc., you are still at risk. As I've said in the past, everyone is a potential identity theft victim. The best we can do is secure things at our end and try to minimize the damage if we are hit by identity

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1165361121566128502006-12-05T18:19:00.000-05:002006-12-05T18:25:21.573-05:00

For many products and services we buy or use on the web, registration is required, and we create a user name and password for each account. This is done for security purposes, so others can't purchase goods and services with your account or access your email. How secure are your passwords? Is it a word that could easily be guessed or associated with you? We tend create passwords that will be easy

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1165278609381959252006-12-04T19:26:00.000-05:002006-12-04T19:30:09.693-05:00

There's been a great deal of talk lately about peer-to-peer file sharing and identity theft. The reason, as you may have heard, is popular file sharing network LimeWire having recently been used to access files on users computers and open fraudulent accounts with this information. On Friday, eight people were indicted fo using LimeWire to help with their identity theft ring. The three key

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1164931800531477692006-11-30T19:05:00.000-05:002006-11-30T19:10:00.540-05:00

As I've discussed in earlier posts, there are many ways you can become an identity theft victim. By now we know that your identity can be stolen if someone is able to access your credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and Social Security number. It may be simpler than that. What if someone else gains access to your personal email?This can be more dangerous than it sounds. We send and receive

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1164657082240522262006-11-27T14:50:00.000-05:002006-11-27T14:51:22.246-05:00

You never know who is watching. Most people who appear to be minding their own business while you are conducting your own business probably mean you no harm. But that's not the case for everyone. Some are watching, waiting for you to reveal important information. This identity theft method can be an effective way to gather information. Shoulder surfing involves the identity thief observing and/or

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1163677978973250642006-11-16T06:50:00.000-05:002006-11-16T06:52:58.980-05:00

Apparently, not all identity thieves call their potential victims to ask for information. Normally, pretexting fraudsters contact or approach potential victims. This Chicago man simply let them contact him. Harris Jones set up an 800 number in his home, claiming to be a Nextel representative. People would call information services for a Nextel rep and would be given his number. When they'd call,

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1163455369923486942006-11-13T17:00:00.000-05:002006-11-27T14:52:54.793-05:00

With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, this seemed to be an appropriate topic. The holiday season tends to make us more generous and stressed about finding that perfect gift, planning parties and getting everything done on time, but it also makes us a bit less cautious than we'd normally be. With so many people shopping in stores, making online purchases, receiving packages and

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1162610596989053032006-11-03T22:19:00.000-05:002006-11-03T22:23:16.996-05:00

Anyone can be an identity theft victim. You'll see that in any book, article or web page you read about the crime. Old or young, rich or poor, living or deceased, you are always a potential victim. The most obvious potential victim would be a child, and why not? A child will have no credit history (no credit cards, loans or any other services in his/her name), so stealing a child's identity gives

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35412406.post-1162513812276534472006-11-02T19:19:00.000-05:002006-11-02T19:30:12.286-05:00

Mozilla's open source web browser Firefox has grown in popularity since its launch. It has become a major thorn in Microsoft's side and has gained the support of many of the software giant's competitors. While sporting many popular features and extensions, what makes Firefox most appealing is security. Firefox has proved to be less vulnerable to viruses, spyware and adware than Microsoft's

Privacy Mattershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11880934101575182465noreply@blogger.com1