Identity Theft…Have You Been A Victim of Identity Theft

Identity theft is the nation’s fastest growing crime according to FBI statistics and identity theft/fraud is the fastest-growing category of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaints.  Identity theft is in the top five most reported crimes to the federal government.

  • Consumer fraud and identity theft costs Americans $1.2 billion and more.
  • Scams continue to flourish, generally falling into known categories: lotteries, jury duty, IRS audits, Nigerian, account verification or phishing, money laundering and check cashing (you deposit checks for a company and then send them the money).
  • There has been growing acknowledgement that identity theft is a multi-faceted crime and not just financial in nature. More cases of criminal identity theft, where the imposter uses the victim’s identity when arrested or cited, are being reported. Criminals are using a victim’s Social Security number to work, collect welfare or unemployment, as well as get medical benefits and healthcare.

What Is Identity Theft?

Identity theft is taking someone else’s personal information (such as the driver license or identification card number, social security number, bank or credit card account numbers, etc.) An impostor can use your identity to open fraudulent credit accounts, secure loans for cars and housing, or steal money from your bank accounts. It is a serious crime with serious consequences. 

How Do Thieves Get Your Information?

Thieves can get your information by:
  • Going through your trash looking for bills or other documents with your personal information on it.
  • Stealing your mail or your wallet.
  • Stealing your credit card and debit card numbers by using “false fronts” attached to the front of ATM devices.
  • Listening to conversations you have in public.
  • Tricking you into giving them information through the telephone or by email.
  • Obtaining your information on the Internet or from someone who might have stolen it.
  • Stealing your information from a loan or credit application or from files or dumpsters of a hospital, bank, school, or business with which you have dealt.
  • Hacking into your personal computer or phone equipment.
  • Someone you know accessing your personal information such as a friend, relative, roommate, coworker, or employee.

What to do if I.D. Theft Happens to You

 

Can you define some of the new identity-theft terminology?

Account Takeover    An imposter uses personal information to gain access to another‘s existing accounts.  
Check Washing   Dipping a check in acetone, which washes the ink off so it can be written for a higher amount.  
Crimeware   Any computer program or set of programs designed expressly to facilitate illegal activity online.  
Dumpster Diving   Retrieving personal paperwork and discarded mail from trash dumpsters.  
Hacker   A person who uses a computer to break into other computer systems to steal, change, or destroy information.  
Identity Theft   Fraud that is committed or attempted, using a person’s identifying information without authority.  
Identity Fraud   Differs from identity theft in that the thief uses personal information that is fabricated, rather than information stolen from a real person.  
Mail Fraud    Used with identity theft, mail fraud is the act of stealing mail to obtain pre-approved credit-card applications or to obtain sufficient personal identifiers to assume another’s identity.  
Pharming Crimeware    Misdirects users to fraudulent sites or proxy servers, typically through Domain Name System (DNS) hijacking or poisoning.  
Phishing   A type of identity theft in which someone sends spam e-mail that looks like it is from a bank or a business to ask for personal information, such as credit-card and Social Security numbers. Hijacking brand names of banks, e-retailers, and credit-card companies, phishers often convince recipients to respond.  
Shoulder Surfing   An identity thief simply stands next to someone at a public office, such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, and watches as the person fills out personal information on a form.  
Skimming   Usually done by an employee of a restaurant, a gas station, or any other place where you swipe your card. Skimmers have little swiping tools of their own, which they use to quickly swipe a customer’s card.  
Social Engineering   The practice of obtaining confidential information by manipulation of legitimate users—often by using the telephone or Internet to trick people into revealing sensitive information or getting them to do something that is against typical policies.  
Spam   Sometimes companies or individuals purchase e-mail address lists to send bogus ads for products and services. The unsolicited e-mail is defined as “Spam,” and it fills up e-mail files and could add additional pop-up windows on computer screens.  
Spoof  Web Sites   Spoof Web sites are fraudulent Web sites designed to look like legitimate sites, and are used to defraud customers by asking them to enter personal or security details on the Web site. Fraudsters use these details to access people’s accounts. E-mail scams asking people to update their details will often contain links to spoof Web sites.  
Spyware   Software that collects information about Internet use. It is often installed without a user’s knowledge while downloading software.   
Technical Subterfuge    Schemes plant crimeware onto personal computers to steal credentials directly, often using Trojan keylogger spyware.  
Tombstoning   Thieves pick the names of dead individuals and create a new identity.  
Trojan            

 Trojans are named after the Wooden Horse of Troy and are software programs created by fraudsters to deliver a virus or sinister code to computers to gain computer access. Trojans are often part of a suspicious opened e-mail or a file that may have been downloaded from an untrustworthy or unknown source.  
True Name Identity Theft   A thief uses personal information to open new accounts.