Identity theft checklist

This is a Canadian article, but the basics are the same for us here.

Investopedia

Bobbi Dempsey

Investopedia.com

Published Monday, Jan. 31, 2011 6:42AM EST

It's something many of us dread: the sudden realization that our purse or wallet has been lost or stolen. The biggest concern at this moment is identity theft - a McMaster University study estimates that 1.7 million Canadians were the victims of identity theft in 2008. (For a related reading, see Tips For Keeping Your Financial Data Safe Online.)
It's important to act fast to minimize the risk. Here's a checklist of things you must do immediately:
1. Clear Some Time in Your Schedule
Trying to do damage control isn't easy - in its 2010 Identity Theft Fraud Survey Report, Javelin Strategy & Research found that consumers spent an average of 21 hours on fraud resolution. But the process often becomes more time-consuming the longer you wait, so moving quickly can save you valuable time.
2. Contact the Police
Unfortunately, arrests in purse-snatchings are rare, unless a thief tries to use one of your cards in a local store. But you may need the police report to avoid being held liable for fraudulent charges
3. Alert Your Bank
If your purse or wallet contained your ATM card or cheque book, you need to contact your bank right away to cancel your accounts. (To learn more, check out 5 ATM Scams That Can Break The Bank.)
4. Notify the Transportation Ministry
Not only will you need to get your driver's license replaced, but you'll also want to find out what you need to do to ensure that you won't pay the consequences if someone else gets pulled over with your stolen licence.
5. Cancel any Debit or Credit Cards
Victims of debit card fraud will not suffer any financial losses because they are protected by the Canadian Code of Practice for Consumer Debit Card Services. If you live in the U.S., federal law determines liability based on how quickly you report the theft or loss, says Barbara Stark, director of education and community development for American Debt Counseling. Reporting the incident before the card is used relieves you of responsibility for any unauthorized transfers. You will be responsible for $50 of unauthorized use if you report it within two business days, yet if you wait until after two days you can be liable for up to $500. With credit cards, under U.S. federal law, the most you will owe for unauthorized charges is $50 per card - and there is no charge if you report the loss before the card can be used. (To learn more, see Debit Card Fraud: Is Your Money At Risk?)
6. Contact the Credit Bureaus
Call Experian, TransUnion and Equifax and ask them to put a "fraud alert" on your files. You will then be contacted whenever someone tries to open credit in your name. Keep in mind, this will mean you will have to jump through a few extra hoops when opening new credit accounts yourself because creditors will need to verify your identity, but the protection is worth the hassle.
7. Go Beyond the Obvious
Think about what else is in your wallet that thieves may be able to use. What about your insurance card? Believe it or not, some scammers try to use other people's insurance coverage - this is known as medical identity theft. Also, if thieves have access to your phone number, they can run up charges on your cellphone or even open another account in your name.
8. Monitor Your Situation
One of the most frustrating things about identity theft is that it can often crop up long after you think you're in the clear. Keep watching your credit reports. You're allowed one free report per year from each of the three credit bureaus. You can get your free report by following these steps but it might be worth paying the monthly fee for a credit monitoring service. (To learn more, read Consumer Credit Report: What's On It.)
One Final Tip
Preventative measures can help you save time if this happens to you. Make a photocopy of all credit cards and other contents of your wallet. Also, only carry what you absolutely need - and never keep your Social Insurance card in your wallet. (For more tips, see Identity Theft: Who To Call For Help.)

© 2011 CTVglobemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Facebook Boosts Security With SSL Encryption

Technology upgrade blocks Firesheep and eavesdropping attacks, but, for now, users must opt in.

By Mathew J. Schwartz,  InformationWeek
Jan. 27, 2011
URL: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=229100364

(click image for larger view)

Slideshow: How Firesheep Can Hijack Web Sessions

On Wednesday, Facebook announced that it's adding HTTPS, which uses SSL/TLS encryption, to secure all communications between browsers and Facebook Web servers. The move means that Facebook users will now see a lock icon or a green SSL address bar when using the Facebook site.

Previously, Facebook used HTTPS only on pages that required users to enter a password. Now, extending HTTPS to all pages means better security because tools such as Firesheep -- an automated browser extension able to hijack sessions with Web 2.0 sites -- as well as packet sniffers will no longer work against the site.

There's only one catch: HTTPS won't be enabled by default. According to Facebook security engineer Alex Rice, "we hope to offer HTTPS as a default whenever you are using Facebook sometime in the future."

In the interim, the feature will shortly -- over the next few weeks -- become available to all users. To activate it, they'll have to manually select it on the "advanced security features" page, which is located under the "account security" section of the "account settings" page.

Rice warned that users may see some issues, at least in the short term. "Encrypted pages take longer to load, so you may notice that Facebook is slower using HTTPS. In addition, some Facebook features, including many third-party applications, are not currently supported in HTTPS. We'll be working hard to resolve these remaining issues."

But based on other Web sites' experiences, any slowdowns should be minor, as long as Facebook correctly implements the protocol. For example, in July 2010, Google software engineer Matt Cutts posted an assessment of Google's experience. In brief: "If you stop reading now you only need to remember one thing: SSL/TLS is not computationally expensive anymore."

Google made HTTPS non-optional for all Gmail users in January 2010 as a way to boost security after finding that the protocol required no additional hardware and consumed very few resources. "On our production frontend machines, SSL/TLS accounts for less than 1% of the CPU load, less than 10 KB of memory per connection, and less than 2% of network overhead," said Cutts.

Facebook faced criticism for not following Google's lead more quickly, especially after the arrival last year of Firesheep. Its author, Eric Butler, said he built the tool to highlight theinherent vulnerability of using Facebook on an unencrypted Wi-Fi network.

Identity Theft Predictions for 2011 – And How You Can Protect Yourself

Jan 25, 2011 | 5:29 PM ET | By Sue Marquette Poremba, SecurityNewsDaily Contributor

It may be easier to steal someone’s identity than it is to rob a bank.

Of course, once your identity is stolen, the thief may go on to rob a bank – specifically, from your bank account.

So says Linda Foley, founder of the San Diego-based Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), a non-profit organization that provides education on identity theft and assists identity-theft victims.

Unfortunately, too many people remain skeptical about the dangers of identity theft, Foley says. Consumers think it will never happen to them, and many businesses provide minimal security until there’s a breach of customer data.

Such attitudes give thieves an opening.

“They are looking for our weaknesses,” said Foley. “They take advantage of our apathy.”

One of those weaknesses, Foley said, is lack of knowledge about how identity thieves gather information on their victims. That’s why the ITRC developed a list of identity-theft predictions for 2011.

“We looked at the broad picture of what’s happening in identity theft,” Foley explained, “and wanted to help people understand the variety and complexity of tactics thieves use.”

According to a recent ITRC report, the following methods of identity theft will be prevalent in 2011:

Phony checks: Check fraud based on “synthesized” checks may grow if the economy fails to improve. These specially forged checks bear the name and address of a real person or company but have fake account and routing numbers. Merchants will often accept these checks. The solution may be a system to verify checks in real time, as is done with payment cards.

Account takeover: Small and medium-size organizations, such as businesses, schools and governments, will be prime targets for criminals because of their deep pockets and often less-than-perfect security. A recent fraud advisory issued by the FBI and Secret Service showed how cyberattackers could take over a company’s bank accounts and empty them in minutes. And don’t discount the possibility of an inside job – criminals sometimes recruit company staffers to get around security features.

Social engineering scams: Sophisticated attempts to obtain money from people via “social engineering” – in other words, deception -- will increase.

The point of social engineering is to manipulate people into a certain action, often through a feeling of community and exchange of information – such as through the third-party games and applications found on Facebook.

“Scams will become more prevalent on social-networking sites, smartphones and other mobile devices,” said Foley.

In one recent worldwide crackdown, 532 were arrested for connections to fraudulent schemes that victimized more than 120,000 U.S. residents and resulted in losses estimated at more than $10.4 billion. Ponzi schemes and other investment scams made up most of those cases.

Cybertheft: Even as defenses against cybercrime and hacking improve, the criminals get better. There will be more hacking into retails networks between cash registers and network servers, and more skimming of payment cards at points of sale and automated teller machines.

“Criminals are now using cryptographic technology to protect the card information they steal,” Jeremy King of the PCI Security Standards Council, which governs payment cards worldwide, said in a recent interview. “That’s posing challenges for detection and law enforcement.”

The ITRC also predicted that criminal gangs will only get better at collecting and making money from other people’s personal information. Identity thieves are often with groups involved in trafficking of drugs and stolen goods as well as counterfeiting of all kinds.

“We can no longer think of identity theft as a lone person stealing a credit-card number,” said Foley.

Finally, Foley warns that low-tech, old-fashioned methods of identity theft such as mail theft and stolen wallets and purses should not be discounted. U.S. postal inspectors break more identity-theft cases than any other single law-enforcement group, she pointed out.

While it is impossible to completely theft-proof your identity, a few simple steps will add some layers of protection:

1. Never click on e-mail links without verification. Phishing e-mail remains one of the top methods of identity theft.

2. Conduct financial transactions only on secure websites. (The URL will begin with “https,” and a padlock icon will appear, or the URL bar will turn a different color.)

3. Limit the amount of personal information you reveal online, particularly on social-media sites.

4. Speaking of social media, “friend” only people you actually know.

5. Shred, burn or rip to pieces any documents that contain financial or personal information. Don’t just toss them in the garbage or recycling bin.

Foley has one more piece of advice for protecting yourself.

“Take off the rose-colored glasses,” she said. “Don’t just hand out information about yourself – ask why they need personal details. Always recognize that there are thieves out there, ready to pounce, any time you let your guard down.”

Identity theft prompts police warning

The Alameda Journal

Posted: 01/13/2011 01:35:47 PM PST

Police are reminding people to avoid becoming victims of identity theft in the wake of a resident of Marina 

Village Parkway reporting that their personal information was comprised.

Investigators learned about the case Jan. 7, when the victim reported that someone attempted to withdraw cash from a closed account using their personal information. A day earlier a resident of the 2100 block of Shore Line Drive also reported identity theft.

Among the steps that police recommend to avoid identity theft are shredding unneeded documents that contain an individual's birth date, Social Security number or other personal information, as well as unwanted credit card applications.

Individuals should also routinely review bank and credit card statements to check for suspicious activity and should never disclose their personal information unless they are certain it's for a legitimate purpose.

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ID theft suspected after man discovers his arrest

It's happening all around us...you probably know someone who has had their identity stolen. Why take a chance? $12.95 / month won't begin to touch what it will cost you if YOUR identity is stolen.

LANCASTER -- It's been a tough couple of days for Dustin Cook.

On Thursday he opened the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette to find he had been accused of stealing from a Lancaster bar Tuesday when he said he hadn't even been in the bar. But then he said he realized it probably was an old acquaintance of his, Josiah Knight -- someone he said has done this to him before.

Cook called the Lancaster Police Department, which had been investigating the Tuesday theft. According to the Lancaster police reports, a suspect entered Hillbilly Heaven, 321 S. Columbus St., and ordering some food around 11 a.m. Tuesday. He distracted the employee working at the bar by clogging the toilet. When the employee went to clean up the restroom, the suspect allegedly took $150 from the register, took a wheeled dolly and left the business, the report said.

The employee discovered the money was gone when she returned, then called police.

Officers followed the dolly tracks in the snow to the suspect.

The suspect identified himself as Cook, providing the police with his full name, Social Security number and address. The suspect was issued a summons and charged with misdemeanor counts of theft and obstructing official business.

But now the police say they think the suspect is Josiah Knight, 26, of Peebles.

"He's memorized my name, Social Security number and address and we look similar," Cook said. "When he gets caught he gives them my name."

Cook said he had known Knight since elementary school.

Taking care of the identification problem this time was little easier, Cook said. "I went to the police and they were able to pick Knight up Wednesday night," Cook said.

In addition to the misdemeanor counts of theft and obstructing official business from the Hillbilly Heaven theft, Lancaster police also have charged Knight with identity theft, criminal mischief and possession of marijuana.
Bond was set for Knight at $3,500.

Cook said he is checking his credit record and worked with police to make sure his Social Security number is flagged for identity theft whenever it is used again so officers won't mistake him for Cook.

"I'm just glad we were able to clear it all up so quickly," Cook said. "I just wish he wouldn't use my name again. Now his alias is my name."

January Is A Critical Month For Identity Theft

Keep an eye on your mailbox

01/13/2011 | Mark Huffman | ConsumerAffairs.com

More than 11 million people each year become victims of identity theft. Often, that theft occurs at the beginning of the year -- in January.

While media attention focuses on cybercrime, consumers need to remember that identity thieves are still taking advantage of one of the oldest ways to hijack your identity: stealing from your mailbox.

Because of the extensive use of the mail to commit identity theft and credit fraud, the PostalInspection Service has become a leading agency in investigating these crimes, according to a 2009 USPIS publication.

Why January?

Why is January so dangerous? Because this is the month that employers, banks and credit card companies mail out all of their year-end documents, including W-2s, 1099 forms, creditcard summaries, and brokerage statements.  Additionally, on any given day, there are more than one million credit cards in the mail stream, part of the 700 million pieces of mail delivered daily.

People don’t understand that “walkers” follow mail carriers and look through your mail for any bonanza they can find.  Mail thieves know the prime time is between 9 am and 3 pm.  

Others take advantage of the dark of night and/or consumers’ tendencies of not checking mailboxes each day.  Some thieves even go so far as to open the envelopes, copy the documents, then reseal your mail and place it in your box again a day later. 

Precautions

The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) recommends the following precautions:

• Get a P.O. Box at a US Post Office and use this for sensitive mail. The Post Office does background checks on employees and uses surveillance equipment.  Note:  If you use a service at a store with mail boxes, it is considered delivered once it enters the store.

• During this critical month, have your mail held at the post office, with photo identification required for pickup.  This is similar to a “vacation” hold.

• Don’t use the excuse that you always get the mail when it arrives.  Postal deliveries are not always at the same time and you can’t make sure you are standing next to your box at the right moment.  That 30-second window is all a thief needs.

• Keep a monthly calendar of when items arrive and if they seem delayed, call the sender to find out why.  If you suspect mail theft, call the Postal Inspector’s Office immediately.  Do not report mail theft to your local Postmaster.

• Consider installing a strong locked mailbox. 

Pre-Paid Legal Services offers legal plans AND a plan called the "Identity Theft Shield". This plan not only monitors your credit bureau information and notifies you if something changes, but they also have a team of fraud investigators that will go to work for you to restore your identity should it be stolen. The legal plan (which includes a free will as part of the service) and the Identity Theft Shield cost $1.19 per day. I recommend that you give me a call and let me explain in more detail what these plans include--pre-existing conditions are not included on the Identity Theft Shield!

Identity Theft Feared as Hackers Hijack Medical Server to Play Black Ops

Identity Theft Shield would protect these people and RESTORE their identities if Identity Theft had taken place. For $12.95/month why would you consider NOT protecting yourself and your family?

Logan Westbrook | 14 Jan 2011 8:06 am

Filed under: logan westbrook, call of duty black ops, hackers, indentity theft, pc, ps3, server, shooter, xbox 360

Trespassing Call of Duty players exploited an unseen vulnerability to gain access to a server containing sensitive person information.
Seacoast Radiology, a medical firm based in New Hampshire, has warned its clients to be on the lookout for possible identity theft after its servers were hacked by gamers looking to play Call of Duty: Black Ops. The server in question contained details like names, addresses, social security numbers, and medical histories for nearly quarter of a million patients.

In a message on a site established to inform people about the breach, clients were reassured that no credit card details were contained in the records, and not every record had a social security number attached. Investigators from ID Experts, who were brought in by Seacoast to determine the cause and source of the security breach, believe that the hackers only used the server to play games, and didn't access any client information, but says that anyone affected should remain vigilant.

A system admin discovered the breach in November, after noticing an unusual drop in bandwidth. It's not known exactly how long the hackers were using the server, but the vulnerability that they exploited has since been identified and fixed. Investigators think that the people responsible could be based somewhere in Scandinavia, although they also warn that anyone capable of hacking a server is also capable of spoofing an IP address.

Hopefully, this really is just the internet equivalent of trespassing. That doesn't make it ok, but it's a lot better than the much more malicious alternative of someone actively trying to take advantage of tens of thousands of sick people.
Source: The Register via Gizmodo

Debt collection looms large as legal plan issue

By Editorial Staff

January 5, 2011

In a sign of the times, the 38 independent provider law firms associated with Pre-Paid Legal Services across the United States and four Canadian provinces responded to more than 79,000 requests to handle debt-collection issues in the first half of 2010 – accounting for 7% of the 1.1 million overall requests for assistance during that timeframe.

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Resources for protecting your identity

Resources for protecting your identity   Identity Theft issues are everywhere in the news. They always happen to 'the other guy', right? That's what the other guy used to think. Intelligent Identity thieves don't go after high profile net worth people. Typically they go after a large number of average consumers for small amounts of money over a long period of time...they may tap you again and again and again without getting caught... We can point you to many good sources of information on how to protect your identity. News articles, FTC reports and booklets, the Post Office... all good sources of information on how to prevent theft and what to do if you suspect it's happened to you. Check out my website at http://www.prepaidlegal.com/idt/koehlerfromaninssv to find out about the Identity Theft Shield protection and restoration. Contact me at 217-919-0457 for more info. Protecting you 24/7, Tony Koehler PS. Add the IDT Shield to your asset protection plan for a One-Two Punch against the fastest growing crime in America. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tony Koehler Independent Associate Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. H: 217-919-0457 email me Learn about the Identity Theft Shield at: http://www.prepaidlegal.com/idt/koehlerfromaninssv

Fox Business special

I'm not sure how long this will be up, but if you weren't able to watch the Fox Business special on January 1, here is a link where you can watch it. Take a look at the video and then give me a call at 217-919-0457. We can get you signed up and on your way to owning your own business TODAY!