Indiana Is a Big Target for Identity Theft

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As the holiday shopping season quickly approaches, identity thieves are quickly looking for their next victims. In Indiana, government officials are taking steps to stop these thieves in their tracks. Just recently, the state’s Attorney General Greg Zoeller was in Fort Wayne to announce the launch of “Freeze Identity Thieves.”

2PThis program, which is designed to protect consumers who may become victims of identity theft, allows people to freeze their credit online, for free. And it’s been around since 2008. He just figured it out.

This past year, there were reports of more than 400 data breaches in the state, which allowed for the exposure of financial and personal information. In addition, there were more than 1,000 identity theft complaints filed. Zoeller does not want this number to get any higher.

Why is Indiana such a big target? I suspect it’s due to a couple of reasons. First, I think they may simply be a bit behind on the available security upgrades. This is a simple fix, fortunately, as long as the state begins to improve their security policies. Another reason is that there could be an individual or even an identity theft ring that is wreaking havoc on residents of the Hoosier state.

Zoeller urges every resident in Indiana to assume that their information has been compromised. Agreed. Actually, if you are a US citizen, with the billion plus records breached, consider your identity stolen. Though you may not be a victim of identity theft at this point, it may be a good idea to freeze your credit information now, so you do not become a victim of identity theft later.

You may be wondering if this action will work, or if freezing your credit reports is enough to prevent identity theft. The answer is yes. This type of credit freeze is something that all states adopted in February 2008 and in my opinion, and it will lock down your credit report, which will prevent fraud.

Brief FAQ About Credit Freezing

When is it a good idea to freeze my credit?

If you are 18 years old or older and have a credit report, you should freeze your credit. You should also freeze it if you are under the age of 18 and your identity has been stolen in the past.

What should I consider before ordering a freeze on my credit?

Don’t consider anything, just do it. Your credit should be frozen across the board, even though lenders have been trying to prevent this. Why? Because they would be unable to give out instant credit, and it would “gum up” the lending system.

What does it cost to freeze a credit report?

Depending on where you live, it costs between $0 and $15 to freeze your credit report. To apply for a new line of credit, you will pay between $0 to $5 to thaw the report.

Where can I freeze my credit report?

You can freeze your credit report by contacting the three main credit bureaus by following the links, below:

Equifax

Transunion

Experian

Credit freezing stops an identity theft from using stolen information, such as a Social Security number, from accessing and racking up credit in your name. Once the freeze begins, you can lift it at any time, such as when you need a new loan or want to apply for a new credit card. Also, just because your credit report is frozen, it does not mean that you cannot use your present credit.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention.

Business Identity Theft: Beware of Identity Thieving Employees

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Wow, a lawyer in Memphis got scammed by his secretary—she embezzled over $362,000 from him, says an article on wreg.com. Attorney Jerry Schatz hired Teresa Sumpter, 48, in July of 2013.

10DLittle did he know that his assistant would end up stealing checks from his trust account, forging her signature on them, and opening three credit cards—all in his name. And she named herself as an authorized user.

And what did this conniving little pill do with the stolen money? Sumpter bought several vehicles, paid some bills and purchased some miscellaneous things.

After her arrest she was charged with six counts of identity theft, two counts of forgery and two counts of theft of property.

So you see, the “bad guy” is sometimes a woman. It happens more often than you think, too. An article at sacbee.com tells the case of Natashia Adams Lugo, 31, whose dirty deeds of identity theft got her a sentence of almost 15 years in a state prison.

Lugo had been employed by Job Journal LLC. Then she was fired. So she decided to get some revenge by using her former employer’s bank checking and routing numbers to polish off $40,000 of personal debt. How could she not have known that her criminal act would easily be traced back to her?

Lugo also stole $17,200 from the Job Journal’s bank account to fund her child support account. Once again, the question blares: How could she have been dumb enough to commit a crime so traceable back to her? Some times these criminals aren’t so savvy, other times they are. Regardless, the employers usually never see the money again.

Prior to the Job Journal employment, Lugo had worked for Balanced Body, which fired her. You guessed it: After being fired, she used the company’s personal identifying information, as well as that from some of its patrons, to steal over $11,000.

Businesses need to beware of firing employees. But the logistics of protecting themselves from these kinds of crimes can be enormous. Big companies can’t close out their bank accounts and open new bank accounts every time someone is fired. Maybe small companies can, that hardly ever fire anyone, but the bottom line is that businesses just have to keep their fingers crossed whenever they give someone the pink slip.

The big thing is to hire forensics accountants to look at your books, frequently. Especially in family owned businesses. Sad, but true.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention.

15 Ways to protect your Identity

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There are tried and true ways to protect yourself from identity theft—ways that you may not have even considered. Check them out (no specific order): PSH

  1. Evaluate your passwords. Does every online account have a different password or are you using the same one for multiple accounts? Fix this problem immediately.
  2. However, make the new passwords at least eight characters ideally, and include symbols, not just letters and numbers. Avoid using actual words or names, or keyboard sequences. Password-cracking software will easily find shorter passwords that contain words, names and keyboard sequences.
  3. Never post anything personal on social media. Yes, this includes your pet’s name, name of your kids’ school or teacher, where you’re going on vacation, the town your parents live in, etc. I don’t, why do you?
  4. Would you open your door to strangers knocking on it all day long? Of course not. So why would you “answer” e-mails from strangers? Ignore e-mails whose senders you don’t know. If the sender appears to be from a company you do business with, but you never gave them your e-mail, delete it. If they DO have your e-mail but there’s no reason they should be sending you a message, just ignore it.
  5. If that all sounds too confusing, then follow this simple rule: Never click links in e-mails or open attachments you’re not expecting.
  6. If you’re not using Bluetooth on your phone, turn it off.
  7. Set your phone up with a password. If it’s lost or stolen, you’ll have no worries.
  8. Shred all your credit card offers, medical records, billing information and other personal information before tossing.
  9. Memorize your Social Security number. Never give it out unless it’s absolutely mandatory like for a job application. However, just because someone says they can’t process your request without your SSN doesn’t mean you must hand it over. For instance, a major retail chain may tell you they need your Social Security number to issue you a charge card for their store. It’s best to just forego the charge card. The objective is to minimize how much your SSN is “out there.”
  10. Request your free credit report every year from the three major credit reporting bureaus. Refute unauthorized accounts immediately.
  11. Inspect your credit card and banking statements every month for suspicious activity.
  12. Use a locking mailbox or have your mail delivered to the post office and pick up.
  13. Before taking any trips have the post office put a stop on your mail delivery.
  14. Consider getting a credit freeze. Thgis is a no brainer to protect you from new account fraud.
  15. Invest in identity theft protection. There is no cure for identity theft. But with a protection plan in place, the restoration component will fix most of what goes wrong.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention.

17 ways to prevent identity theft when traveling

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There should be more TV commercials for preventing identity theft—it’s nearly epidemic. But also epidemic is the lack of identity security that people have when traveling. Here are some ways to avoid having your identity stolen while traveling: 3D

  • Prior to leaving for your trip, clean out your purse and wallet. Figure out what you really need for the trip, then bring only those items.
  • Contact the post office to put your mail on vacation hold.
  • Get a home-screen-locking password for your smartphone.
  • Equip your computer devices with encryption software.
  • Your smartphone should have lock/locate/wipe software.
  • Bring your driver’s license with you even if you don’t plan on driving anywhere, for ID; don’t rely on your passport alone. The driver’s license and international ID should have online backups made.
  • When using public Wi-Fi (even in your hometown), use only WEP, WPA and WPA2 networks, and visit only the sites that have the padlock symbol and “https” before their URLs. That’s how you know they are secure.
  • Arrange to have enough cash with you to make the majority (if not all) of your travel purchases. Avoid using a debit card because if it gets compromised, you won’t be able to get reimbursed.
  • Back up your data prior to leaving and every day when away. Prior to your trip and during, make sure to have local and cloud backup set up on your devices. Cloud backup such as Carbonite will update your data based on custom settings as frequently as you require.
  • Even if you have encryption software, avoid financial transactions when using the hotel’s computer. The person using it after you could be a skilled cyber thief, or the person before you could have plugged a keylogger into the computer.
  • Avoid isolated ATM kiosks. Use those only inside a bank. Shield your fingers when using the keypad. Promptly destroy the receipts.
  • Never give private information over the phone to hotel staff. The “staff” could be a thief posing as an employee. When personal information is involved, always deal face to face at the front desk.
  • Any documents or paperwork with private information should be locked inside your hotel room’s safe at all times unless in use.
  • Give your phone number out only to service personnel who absolutely need it.
  • Have your credit put on freeze status (unless you plan on applying for a loan very soon).
  • Get ID theft protection.
  • Review your credit card statements monthly and look for unexpected charges.

Robert Siciliano is an expert in personal privacy, security and identity theft. Learn more about Carbonite Personal plans. See him discussing identity theft prevention. Disclosures.

Medical Identity Theft can be deadly

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Every time you have a medical procedure done, including routine checkups and treatment for minor issues, paperwork is generated. You should have copies of every single paper. This is one line of defense against medical identity theft.

Review your paperwork thoroughly for unauthorized or duplicate charges, mistakes with diagnoses, dates, names, anything that looks odd. Signs of medical identity theft include:

  • Being billed for treatment or diagnostics you never received.
  • Being told you’ve maxed out your coverage limit when you haven’t.
  • A collection agency claiming you owe a debt that you don’t owe.
  • Being denied coverage for a “pre-existing” condition that you don’t have.
  • Paperwork showing you saw a doctor you never did or were prescribed a drug you never were is a red flag.
  • An e-mail from your provider that requests you reveal sensitive information like your Medicare number is a big red flag. The subject line may be urgent, such as “Your Medical Coverage May Be Terminated.” Never click links inside these e-mails or fill out forms in them; instead contact your provider via phone. However, e-mails like these are scams; the thief knows if he sends 50,000 such e-mails out with his special software, a predictable percentage of recipients will “see” themselves in the message.
  • A one-ring phone call may be a thief who just obtained your medical records to see if your number is legitimate. Never call back.

Be Vigilant

  • If you suspect medical identity theft, keep strict records of all associated correspondence.
  • Immediately obtain all records if you already haven’t, including the “accounting of disclosures”; you have this legal right, even if you get flack from the provider. Contact the provider’s patient representative or ombudsman for assistance.
  • If you spot mistakes, even small, insist they be corrected.

Nevertheless, it’s usually not easy to detect medical ID theft. So let’s look at this in more detail:

  • If a collection agency contacts you, request they provide information immediately; promptly contact your provider and carrier.
  • Examine your credit report to see if it’s plummeted due to unpaid medical bills. The three major credit reporting agencies issue the reports free.
  • If your provider offers online access to your files, sign up for this service, then inspect it for mistakes.
  • Request records of imaging procedures.
  • If no online access is available, have your doctor read the results or send a snail mail copy.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention.

Fake IDs are everywhere

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Okay, so you’re 18 or 19 and in college, and are stressed because you have to be 21 in order to gain entry to a night club or bar where you’d like to drink up a storm and mingle with a “more mature” crowd. Or really, you just want to meet someone.

8DLife sure is tough, isn’t it? You have to wait till you’re 21, but by then…you may be graduated from college (and a lot more mature, and thus, getting plastered would no longer have appeal). What a bummer, dude! The time to have fun is when you’re young and irresponsible!

Many U.S. college kids circumvent this age restriction with the fake ID. And over the years, it’s gotten easier to get the fake ID, thanks to the Internet. In fact, the Internet is replete with sellers of fake IDs to anonymous customers.

An article at businessinsider.com describes how the “subreddit” vendor site even provides threads where visitors could get information on how to use this site, which is encrypted (not surprising).

Nevertheless, college kids can still get fake IDs the old-fashioned way: by asking around. It won’t be long before they have contact information and simple instructions regarding payment and sending the supplier a photo.

Beware of the Consequences of Getting Caught with a Fake ID

  • Come on, is it really worth it? Do you know any grad students who go through their days haunted with agony because they never had a fake ID as undergrads?
  • Depending on what state you’re residing in if you get busted, you can get put in jail.
  • Some states yield only the misdemeanor charge, while other states will get you a felony charge.
  • Using an older person’s ID (e.g., Big Sis who looks like you) will not only mean trouble for you, but for Big Sis, too.
  • Don’t think for a second that getting caught means a little time facing a crabby judge and then going home like nothing ever happened.
  • Sending all your data to a criminal who makes fake IDs can facilitate your own identity stolen. There is no honor among thieves.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention.

How to prevent your Pics from being lifted: Part 2 of 2

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There are many reasons someone might right-click on your image and “Save image as…”

Porn, Sex and Dating Sites

  • A woman might steal your blog headshot and use it for her dating site profile.
  • A perv might take the picture of your child off your Facebook page and put it on a porn site.
  • A person who runs a racy dating site might take your image and use it to advertise his service.

Scams

  • Someone might use, without your knowledge, a photo of your house for a rental scam.
  • Your motorcycle, jet ski, boat, puppy…you name it…could be used for scam for-classified sale ads.
  • Your avatar may be used for a phony Facebook account to then be posted in the comments section of news articles pitching some get-rich-quick scheme.

Fantasy Lives

  • Your image could be used by a lonely person to create a fictitious Facebook account.
  • A person with a real Facebook account may be so desperate for friends that they use your photo to create a fake account to then add as a friend.
  • Someone you know may steal your photo (such as an ex-lover) and create a social media account in your name, then post things on it that make you look really bad.

How can you protect your digital life?

  • For your social media accounts, make sure your privacy settings are on their highest so that the whole world can’t see your life.
  • Watermark your images so that they have less appeal to image thieves, but keep in mind that they’ll have less appeal to you too.
  • It’s one thing when an image of your house was stolen for a rental scam, but it’s a whole new animal if an image of your naked body or you engaged in a sex act was stolen. So don’t put racy images online. Never.
  • Explain to your kids about the risks of stolen images.
  • Make sure their social media privacy settings are high.
  • It’s possible your smartphone automatically stores pictures you take online. Turn off this feature.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to TheBestCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention.

Child Identity theft is becoming Solvable

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You’ve seen TV commercials and print ads about identity theft, and the “victim” is always an adult. That’s not realistic. The actor-portrayal should be that of a child. Yes, a kid.

Children are 51 times more likely than adults to have their identity stolen, says research from Carnegie Mellon University’s CyLab.

Crooks want kids’ Social Security numbers. And crooks like the fact that kids are debt-free. Wow, with no debt to the child’s name, the thief could easily open up a line of credit in that victim’s name and have a field day. Or, they can file a fraudulent income tax return.

The thief can then sit back and relax for many years because usually, the victim doesn’t learn something’s wrong until they’re 18 and applying for loans or a line of credit. By then, lots of damage has already been done.

Many thieves of children’s identity are family members. It’s easy for them to get their hands on the victim’s Social Security number and other data. Relatives coming and going in the victim’s house could make it too simple for someone to get ahold of private information if it’s not hidden and non-accessible.

How can we protect children’s identity from being stolen?

  • If you live in s state that offers a “credit freeze” then apply, right now. As of the writing: Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.
  • Consider opting out of providing schools with personal information about your child. This can be done due to FERPA: Family Educational Rights Privacy Act. FERPA gives parents the right to authorize how much of their child’s personal information they want shared with a third party.
  • If a school fails to alert parents to this on a yearly basis, the school is breaking the law.
  • The FERPA does not necessarily apply to extracurricular activities of the school. Parents should investigate these on an individual level to see how much private information might be shared. For instance, a child’s Social Security number absolutely does not have to be given just for them to be on a softball team, member of the band, chess club, this or that.
  • Identity theft protection on a family plan should be a consideration. Generally these services will watch for activity regarding your childs SSN and new lines of credit.

Robert Siciliano is an identity theft expert to BestIDTheftCompanys.com discussing identity theft prevention.

Protect your Identity when saying “I Do”

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7WWho has time to think about identity protection when planning a wedding? And why, for that matter? Well, there’s good reason: Marriage begets a change in identities. The months preceding the big day should be when the couple starts taking action to avoid identity theft.

  • If you’re using any website or smartphone application to organize your wedding, make sure it’s protected with a password—a long password that contains zero clues about your wedding, identity or anything else personal. An ideal password is upper/lowercase, numbers, long and can be remembered without keyboard sequences or actual words or proper names, and includes various symbols. Please, no HoneyBunch1 or St.LuciaWeGo.
  • Health insurance will be merged once you are husband and wife, so make sure that old insurance documentation is eradicated.
  • Wedding preparations involve a lot of spending, right down to the custom made napkins at the dinner reception. Some say pay with currency as much as possible, as checks and credit cards contain information that a thief could obtain. But really, pay with a credit card and closely watch your statements.
  • Make sure nobody can get into your mail box, because it will soon be receiving scads of documents reflecting a woman’s new last name, such as a driver’s license, credit card, Social Security card, to name a few. Get a locking mail box, and maybe have the post-wedding mail delivered to a P.O. box or to your post office and then retrieve it in person.
  • Buy a shredder. This is so that you can destroy all the reams of old documents with the previous surname. This would include old checks, the old ATM card, bank statements, driver’s license, auto insurance information and so much more.
  • Once on the honeymoon make sure your wireless devices that are connected to free WiFi are protected with a VPN to prevent hackers from snooping over free WiFi.

Now ideally, people should have already, long before meeting their soulmate, gotten into the habit of identity protection. This should be an ongoing process—as much ongoing for the chronically single person as for the gushing bride-to-be.

But it’s never too late to establish smart habits for identity protection. You will need to work with your spouse on just how very personal documents will be managed and filed. There are so many things to be aware of, including keeping monthly tabs on your credit card statements and yearly tabs on your credit reports.

And here’s a tip: Don’t assume your young child’s identity can’t be stolen. Crooks are out there stealing the identities of kids—who often don’t learn about this until it’s time to apply for a college loan or a loan for their first car.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to Hotspot Shield. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.

Retirees Prime Targets for Identity Theft

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Is it easier for crooks to prey on senior citizens, or is it that most targets are the seniors?

Well, one thing’s for sure: A disproportionate percentage of identity theft complaints come from people 50-plus (though I’m sure some readers would hardly consider 50-somethings to be seniors—but you get the point).

Some scammers go after seniors because they know that many older people have a lot of money saved up. And it’s also no secret that many seniors aren’t as sharp as they used to be, and also are not caught up on technology.

Some common scams that target the elderly:

  • A caller pretending to be “your favorite grandson.” This lures the victim into announcing the name of that grandson, and then the crook identifies himself by that name. If the victim has hearing loss, he can’t tell that the caller’s voice doesn’t sound like his grandson.
  • The caller then gives a sob story and asks Gramps to wire him some money.
  • Retirement home employees access resident records for their Social Security numbers and other data, then sell these to crooks.
  • An e-mail supposedly from the victim’s bank (or IRS or FBI) warns them that something is wrong and that they must act immediately to resolve the issue—and the action involves typing in their Social Security number, bank login information, etc.
  • Scam mortgage companies. These fraudsters will get ahold of applicants’ Social Security numbers, other data and even their deeds to commit identity theft.

How to Help Prevent Identity Theft

  • Some seniors are active on social media. Be very careful what you post on Facebook, Instagram, etc. Don’t post anything that could reveal your location or when you’re away from home.
  • If you’re looking for employment, refuse to take any job in which the “employer” wants you to cash checks through your account or get involved with wire transfers.
  • Don’t keep sensitive information in your wallet/purse.
  • Don’t leave your cell phone, wallet, etc., out in public where some punk could skate by and snatch it.
  • Use a shredder for all personal and financial documents.
  • Automatically delete, without ever opening, e-mails that seem to have come from your bank, the IRS or FBI. Same for e-mails announcing you won a prize or say something very suspicious in the subject line such as “Dear Blessed One” or, “I Need Your Help.”
  • Never conduct financial transactions on a site that has only an “http” in the URL, but instead, an “https” and a yellow lock icon before it.
  • Use Hotspot Shield VPN when on Free WiFi. Free WiFi is often unencrypted and vulnerable to hackers.
  • Make copies of your credit cards and other crucial documents and keep them in an easy-to-remember place in case any of these cards, etc., get stolen or lost, so you can quickly cancel the cards, etc.
  • If you want to mail a letter that contains sensitive data, deposit it at a post office collection box.
  • Believe it or not, crooks will get information out of obituaries to commit identity theft. Leave out details like date of birth, birth town, name of schools, etc., and just note age of passing and give details that an ID thief can’t use, such as, “She loved doing volunteer work with children.”
  • Check your bank and credit card statements every month for suspicious charges.

Retirees don’t have to be victims of fraud as long as they are paying attention to various scams and recognize their responsibilities regarding preventing identity theft. By putting systems in place fraud doesn’t need to happen.

Robert Siciliano is an Identity Theft Expert to Hotspot Shield. He is the author of 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Your Identity Was Stolen See him discussing internet and wireless security on Good Morning America. Disclosures.