Identity Theft - "It Will Never Happen to Me"

When a criminal wrongfully obtains and uses anotherinformation include but are not limited to:- "Dumpster
individual's personal data in a manner that involvesdiving" or sifting through garbage at a victim's
fraud the act is referred to as identityresidence, place of business or any retail establishment,
theft.Unfortunately, just about everyone knowsrestaurant, night club, school, doctor's or dentist's office
someone who has been a victim. A good friend ofor any location where there may be copies of credit
mine recently became a victim. His case, (and 16 yearscard receipts and other documentation containing
of law enforcement experience), prompted me topersonal information.- Mail theft. Pre approved credit
write this article.*(If you have senior citizens in your life,card offers and other mail material containing personal
PLEASE have them read this and make sure thatinformation are too often easily obtainable by identity
they understand. Seniors are targeted more thanthieves.- The theft of proprietary data containing
anyone).The following are actual incidents involvingemployee information from a company's human
identity theft:The victim - A medical doctor practicing atresource department or even a briefcase. If employee
his successful twenty-year-old office in centralspreadsheets contain no date of birth or social security
GeorgiaThe victim realized that several importantinformation, the names and telephone numbers are
pieces of mail that he had been expecting at hissold to telemarketing or other similar organizations for
residence hadn't arrived yet. He had expected two ofa profit.- "Shoulder surfing." Identity thieves will even
the items to arrive more than two weeks earlier. Whileresort to sitting in their automobile in a parking lot and
attempting to telephone one of the companies whosewill utilize binoculars to read a victim's PIN number at an
package had not arrived, the victim received aATM machine, or credit and/or calling card number at
telephone call from the sales manager at ana payphone.The following proactive steps will aid in the
automobile dealership located in central Alabama. Theprevention of identity theft and fraud:- Insure that new
manager stated that he was calling to insure that allorders of personal checks are delivered to your bank,
was well with the new automobile that the doctor hadnot your residence.- Mail payments containing personal
purchased several days earlier. The manager alsochecks or money orders from a secure public mailbox
stated that he would have contacted the doctoror the post office, not your residential mailbox.- When
earlier, however, all of the telephone numbers listed onordering a new or replacement credit card by mail,
the doctor's purchase agreement were incorrect. Thewrite down the name and the extension of the
manager had located the victim's telephone number viarepresentative you speak with, as well as the
the Internet. The victim had not purchased a newexpected arrival date for the card. If the card does not
automobile in over eight years.Further investigationarrive by the expected date, telephone the
revealed that a nineteen-year-old female from Nigeriarepresentative immediately to inquire about the
who was legally in the United States on a student visadisposition of your credit card.- If an expected mail item
had stumbled across the victim's ad for his medicaldoes not arrive on the expected date, or you notice a
practice in the local Yellow Pages. After leaving hissudden decrease in your normal amount of delivered
office one evening, the victim was followed home bymail or no mail delivery at all, inquire regarding a
the female subject. The next morning the subjectpossible fraudulent change of address at your local
walked into the local post office and filled out a changepost office.- Credit accounts that are not used
of address card, replacing the victim's home addressregularly are attractive targets for identity thieves.
with a post office box address that the femaleCancel accounts that have not been used in the last
subject had purchased earlier in the week. All of thesix months or longer, and destroy the credit cards.-
victim's personal mail would be sent to the P.O. boxPurchase a crosscutting shredding machine. All
instead of to his residence. Within days the subjectpre-approved credit promotion documentation, check
had received several items of mail addressed to thestubs, receipts and any documentation containing
victim, including pre-approved credit card offers andpersonal information should be shredded before
other documents containing his social security numberdisposal.- Do not give out any personal information
and date of birth. Within two months the subject hadover the telephone. If a creditor "representative" calls
acquired two automobiles, a motorcycle, a house andand requests that you provide them with any personal
multiple credit cards on the victim's credit. The subjectinformation, suggest that the representative provide
was arrested and charged by the local authoritiesyou with his or her telephone number and extension,
within three months of the initial criminal act, however,and inform them that you will call them back
the victim's credit was completely destroyed.Amomentarily with the information that they are
detective with the local police department who hadrequesting. If the telephone number does not match
befriended the victim during the investigative processthe toll free customer service number found on a
stated that he telephoned the victim approximatelymonthly statement or on the back of the credit card
two years after the subject had been arrested. Theissued to you by that creditor, call the actual customer
victim had been forced to close his medical practiceservice toll-free telephone number to inquire about the
and retire early due to the incident.The victim - Avalidity of the call.- Order an unlisted home telephone
regional sales manager traveling in GeorgiaThe victimnumber, or at a minimum request that your name be
fell asleep in his hotel room early one evening after alisted in the local telephone directory by an initial and
day filled with meetings and conference calls. Afterlast name, and request that your home address be
exiting the shower at approximately 7:00AM the nextremoved from your listing.- Do not participate in
morning, the victim noticed that his wallet, briefcase andtelemarketing promotions, and have your information
laptop computer were missing from the hotel room.removed from promotional lists. Telemarketing lists are
Further investigation revealed that the victim had notbought and sold by companies and individuals on a
secured the dead-bolt lock on the hotel room door thedaily basis. Once you have participated in a promotion
night before. Someone utilized a pass card-key toover the telephone or by mail, (even if the promotion
enter the victim's hotel room while he was sleepingoffers a free product or service), you will notice an
and acquired the missing items.Before the victim couldimmediate increase in the amount of promotional mail
finish speaking with the local police and report theand in the number of telemarketing calls you receive.
incident to his corporate office, his corporate callingThis greatly increases your risk of becoming an identity
card number had been sold to several subjects at thetheft victim.- Do not utilize your credit card on the
local airport. During the six-month investigative processInternet until you have read in full the company's
involving the victim's case along with several others, (allprivacy policy, and the company's web site provides a
of which originated at the same hotel), the victim'ssecured page that utilizes data encryption for credit
personal information was utilized to open several creditcard information. Many companies inform e-commerce
card accounts and to receive several high interestcustomers in the fine print contained in their privacy
cash loans.The victim - A Georgia homeownerThepolicy that by purchasing their products via their web
victim received a telephone call one morning from asite, you agree to accept all of the terms and
major credit card company customer serviceagreements contained in their privacy policy. Quite
representative who worked in the theft and fraudoften those terms include the re-distribution of your
department. He was calling to inquire about thepersonal information to other companies and creditors.-
unusually high dollar amounts that had been chargedDo not use a check or bank card on the Internet.-
on the victim's recently opened credit card account.Closely monitor all monthly bank and credit card
The victim had not opened any credit card accounts inaccount statements for fraudulent withdrawals and
over five years. The representative thencharges. Keep monthly statements for a minimum of
recommended that the victim call the local police andone year.- If your social security number is utilized as
file a police report.The victim was informed by a policeyour drivers license number, have it changed. Do not
department supervisor that for three days they hadhave your social security number printed on personal
received several similar complaints from the samechecks.- Order a copy of your credit report at least
subdivision. Further investigation revealed that a maletwice annually.- Maintain one document, preferably in a
subject posing as a door-to-door solicitor had retrievedfire proof security file or safe along with birth
several envelopes containing pre-approved credit cardcertificates, social security cards, your home inventory
promotions from mailboxes throughout the subdivision.(Iand other important documentation that contains the
was an arresting officer involved with the followingcompany name, account number, telephone number
case)The victims - Five major Atlanta area retailand the family member names on each open credit
outletsA search warrant was successfully obtainedaccount. This will speed up the reporting process
for an apartment located in Dekalb County. The twoshould you ever become an identity theft victim.If you
male residents were suspected of fraudulentlysuspect that you or someone that you know has
ordering and receiving merchandise via the Internetbecome a victim of identity theft, contact your local
from several Atlanta area retail locations. Uponlaw enforcement agency immediately to obtain a
entering the residence officers observed severalpolice report. Early documentation is crucial. Send a
expensive and obviously new items of merchandisecopy of the following letter to the major credit
located throughout the entire home, including:- Onereporting agencies:///////////SAMPLE LETTER///////////
twelve foot tall artificial Christmas tree containing//////Re: (Your full legal name/no initials)
hand-blown glass ornaments valued at $3000.00- TwoSocial Security No:__________________
forty inch projection television sets (one in the livingDate of Birth:___________________
room and one in the master bedroom)- UnopenedSocial Security No:__________________
boxes in the dining room containing several sets ofDate of Birth:___________________
crystal and china valued at $10,000.00- SeveralSpouses' Name:_____________
unopened boxes located throughout the homeSocial Security No:_________________
containing computer equipment including monitors andDate of
PC towers valued at $16,000.00Investigative effortsBirth:______________Dear_____________,In
revealed that the two subjects had obtained aaccordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and for
Customer Credit Listing book from another individualthe protection of my credit information, I respectfully
who was at one time an employee of a creditrequest that you take the following actions
reporting agency. The book was the size of aimmediately:- Provide me with my current credit report.
telephone book and contained thousands of listings in(Enclosed find $_____)- Please add the following
alphabetical order of Atlanta area credit customers byconsumer alert to my credit report: "Do not issue credit
full name, last known mailing address, last known levelwithout telephoning me first at the following number:
of income and even social security and date of birth__________." (This is an excellent deterrent for
information.The subjects had highlighted certain names,imposters!)- Please remove my name from any and all
(prioritized by income level), and had utilized the victim'smarket mailing and promotional lists. (Call
personal information to obtain several credit cards888-5OPTOUT to request information removal for all
from the retail locations. The subjects would then utilizethree credit-reporting agencies as well.)- Please do not
the credit cards to order merchandise.Five retail outletschange my mailing address or telephone number
dispatched seven large panel trucks to retrieve theirwithout my prior authorization in writing.- My current
merchandise from the residence.During the preliminaryaddress is: _________________
hearing for one of the subjects, officers knew that the- My current telephone number at my office is:
subject was a major flight risk and were not pleased_____________
with the inadequate cash bond amount that the- My current telephone number at my home is:
presiding judge had placed on the subject. An officer_____________Enclosed you will find a copy of a
approached the bench and placed the large Customercurrent utility bill to confirm the accuracy of the above
Credit Listing book down in front of the judge, openedinformation.Please do not provide my credit information
it to a book-marked page and pointed to the only lineto anyone without my prior authorization via telephone,
of highlighted text on the page. Both subjects werefax, or in writing.Please provide me with the necessary
denied bail by the judge and were ordered to remain ininformation so that I may set up a password to use
jail until their trial date.The judges' credit informationfor telephonic communications with your agency.If I do
was highlighted.Identity thieves will utilize anyone'snot receive anything from you in writing within ten (10)
personal information in any way imaginable in order tobusiness days from the date in which you signed the
profit financially, including but not limited to:- Procuringreturn receipt for this letter, I will assume that you
monies from the victim's established accounts-unconditionally agree to insure that the above actions
Obtaining credit cards from banks and retailers-are taken.Thank you in advance for your prompt
Applying for and receiving cash loans- Financing theattention to this matter.Respectfully yours,//////////
purchase of anything from automobiles to firearmsSAMPLE LETTER//////////////////J.C. Hurst is the IT
(identity theft is a simple way for convicted felons toInternet Marketing Director
by-pass gun laws, including background checks andfor The Ziegler Corporations.You may contact J.C. at
waiting periods)- Establishing accounts with utility800.726.0510 -or-
companies- Obtaining a home loan or renting a homeJ.C. Hurst is the IT/Internet Marketing Director
or apartment- Obtaining employment- Filing forfor The Ziegler Corporations.You may contact J.C. at
bankruptcy (in the victim's name)Methods utilized by800.726.
identity thieves for obtaining a victim's personal