Head Resist

While identity thieves will use any data possible to assume the identity of another, their bread and butter revolves around your name, social security number, account numbers and credit card numbers. With this information, an identity thief’s next vacation is right around the corner. That is why these items should be your most guarded.

Identity thieves have come up with many inventive ways to steal your identity. Some are very technical, some not so much:

• Do you have an outside unlocked mailbox? Why? This is the first stop for an ID thief. Your mailbox allows easy access to your bank statements, credit card numbers, mortgage statements, 401k account information. Your mailbox is an open book to your life. Close it.

• Have you ever received an email from a financial institution with which you have no association and the subject line states that they need your account information to process a transaction (or similar situation)? This is a “phishing” attempt. They cast out their line into the email ocean of millions of addresses hoping only to bait one unsuspecting fish. While you might not have an account with the financial institution they’re using, thousands of people will. How many of those people will be caught off guard? By the way, these emails, if you open them, appear very official and can even appear to link back to the actual institution. Don’t fall for it.

• Does your company website list information about you, maybe in the form of a small bio and a picture? Ouch! Now the identity thief has your employment history, your college information, and so on. The same thing goes for publicly listing your resume. Couple this information with information found in the phone book and the identity thief has your history along with whatever they can garner from your unlocked mailbox.

• They might steal your trash. You’ve seen a movie or twelve in which a criminal steals somebody’s trash and finds out all about them. This is a tactic commonly know as dumpster diving. (A simple fix for this? Buy a shredder, shred everything twice and divide everything into multiple trash bags. This way one trash bag shouldn’t contain the entire shredded remains of any single document.)

• They might pose as a telemarketer from a company they know you do business with and call you to upgrade your service or convince you to buy some add-on. They will be very convincing because they will have your account number, last payment amount, your address and any other bit of information they can glean from the statement they stole from your…you guessed it…unlocked mailbox. They’ll convince you to add on that service or purchase that new whiz-bang gizmo. “Now, sir, all I need is your credit card number, the three digit code on the back of your credit card and your date of birth and we’ll place the order for you today.” Ouch.

• Outright theft. Some identity thieves just don’t have time for elaborate hoaxes or technologically advances scams. They just steal your purse or wallet whenever they see an opportunity. Another thing they might steal: employee records. It’s amazing the information provided in an employee file!

• They might fill out a change of address form and have your statements sent directly to them.

• They might know you! The identity thief might be your brother, cousin, best friend or…spouse. It isn’t unusual for identity theft victims to get played by someone they know. This is the most unfortunate of circumstance because there’s not much you can do to prevent it outside of never talking about your personal information. This, however, can be hard to hide from a spouse or close relative.

This is just a small list of possible ways to have your identity stolen. Most of the above situations can be avoided with a little forethought and planning. Understanding that identity theft is always a possibility is the first step in avoiding it.

Personal computers are widespread and shared computers are a popular means for internet access. These “public” computers exist in libraries, colleges, coffee house cyber cafes, and other places. They are popular because they offer quick, convenient access to the world wide web. Unfortunately, they are also very popular with identity thieves because they present an easy means to access the personal information of others. Just recently, a young twenty- two year old former Drexel University student pleaded guilty to identity theft and she openly admitted stealing more than $116,000 worth of money through various schemes.

Credit cards, banks, and even online sites that are not used to transact business still contain personal data that needs to be protected and this problem is compounded further with shared computers. Are there ways to protect against this type of theft when using a shared computer? Let’s take a look:

Protecting Your Identity:

Shared computers are common in many places, like libraries, schools, hotels, coffee house cyber cafes, etc. Remembering these simple precautions can help keep your personal information your own:

Never select the “Remember My ID” box:

Many web sites offer the option to remember your personal id on that particular computer. This offers added convenience, but this option should never be selected on a shared computer. If an ID is remembered, it will be stored on the shared computer and will likely remain logged into the web site, offering a thief easy access your personal data.

Never Save Passwords:

Similar to the option to “remember my id”, many web sites offer to save your password. This option is usually presented when you logon and it is intended as a convenience measure. With shared computers, however, passwords should never be saved. If an identity thief logs onto a site with a saved password, there is no doubt what will happen next. The thief will already have your password and will logon immediately to seek your personal information.

Don’t Forget to Sign Out Completely:

Signing out is as important as not selecting the options to remember your personal ID and password. You should always remember to sign out of all web sites. If you remain signed in, your account will be openly accessible to identity thieves. It’s like placing your logon id and password on a silver platter and turning over to an identity thief.

Begin the Habit of Changing Passwords Frequently:

Changing passwords is a good idea whether a computer is shared or not, but it is especially important on a shared computer for two important reasons: spyware and malware. If a shared computer becomes infected by spyware or malware, these programs will quickly obtain your password and logon id combination because spyware and malware record every key stroke made on the infected computer. To avoid this problem, change passwords frequently using a non- shared pc.

Erase the Contents of the Browser’s Cache:

Personal computers contain copies of all the web sites visited. This cache needs to be cleared, if possible, after using a shared computer. Some libraries, colleges, and other places do not permit individual access to this area, but it doesn’t hurt to check upon logging off, just to see if it is possible.

Don’t Sign Into a Shared Computer and Walk Away:

This sounds simple enough, but the temptation to logon to a shared computer at a library, school, hotel, or cyber café and walk away for a quick break or other purpose is always present. Giving into this temptation might satisfy a hunger pang or the urge for a drink, but while away from the computer, an identity thief could quickly walk over to the abandoned pc and access whatever personal information is exposed in front of him/her. To be completely safe, get into the habit of logging off immediately before taking a break when you use a shared computer. Even a short break of a few minutes is enough time for a determined thief to obtain personal information.

Avoid Transactions That Involve Secure Financial Data

Shared computers should always be avoided when logging into web sites that contain any type of personal financial data. This includes sites used for banking, purchases, and other sites that contain secured data stored in the site. Web sites like blogs do not usually contain the sensitive information that an identity thief wants and are thus less important. However, a site like a bank, brokerage service, or online store contains extensive amounts of personal information including access to financial data. You don’t ever want to compromise something as important as your money.

Shared computers are popular and they can be found in libraries, schools, hotels, and other places. They offer convenience, and this is the primary reason for their popularity. However, with this added convenience comes the added chance for identity theft. A single shared computer can easily be accessed by hundreds of people each day, making it critical that individuals take the necessary precautions to prevent theft of personal information. Taking some simple steps like the ones listed above can help prevent identity theft before it begins. These steps won’t prevent one- hundred percent of the instances of identity theft, but they will greatly reduce the chances for falling victim to this type of online crime.