Happy New Year!
I’ve wracked my brain trying to come up with something upbeat to write about in my first post of 2009. But when you’re writing about identity theft, the opportunity to write happy news doesn’t happen very often.
What I came up with instead are projections for 2009. It’s not happy news, but let’s frame it positively as “news you can use”. (more…)
Whether you live in Manhattan, NY, or Manhattan, KS, some of the identity theft risks are the same. A recent New York Times article detailed the uses—and abuses—of your Social Security number once it’s in the hands of condo, co-op and apartment management companies.
Yes, they need your SSN for credit checks and loan applications. But once you submit application, you can only hope they protect your information. Wherever you live, the NYT article, and what their writers learned, will certainly give you pause.
When Ben Kirschenbaum, an attorney representing a realty company in Manhattan (New York), was asked how his client protects applicants’ personal and financial information, he was happy to explain their security policies. (more…)
You think identity theft couldn’t happen to you? My guess is that if it can happen to vice-presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin, it can happen to just about anyone.
David Kernell, 20, was indicted today for hacking into Palin’s Yahoo e-mail account September 16. Kernell isn’t a computer genius. He had just little bits of Palin’s personal information, but that’s all it took to commit what might be the most-widely publicized e-mail hacking to date.
All it took was a click on the “reset my password” button, and he was halfway there. Then, he just answered a simple question like, what’s your zip code? Or, what’s your maiden name? He was in. (more…)
Minnesotan Michele Sorenson could be the poster child for identity theft prevention. Like 80% of other identity theft victims, the certified public accountant didn’t learn of the attack until collection agencies began demanding payment. She then called the national credit reporting agencies and discovered the magnitude of her problem. There had been 30 attempts to open new credit accounts using her identity. But that was just the beginning.
The thief—or thieves—also used her information to acquire a California driver’s license, write bad checks, steal a car, charge medical bills, get telephone service, run up thousands of dollars at department stores and gas stations, and–the piece de resistance—post bail for a jailbird buddy. (more…)
Your interview went well, and they’ve offered you what seems like the perfect job. The pay is good. The benefits are good. There are lots of opportunities for advancement. This could be your big chance.
Unfortunately, there’s also a good chance the human resources manager is an identity thief.
When you sit down to do your new employee paperwork, you’ll be turning over all your personal information to a total stranger. You don’t know her background. You don’t know how records are stored, or who has access to them.
What can you do to protect yourself from one of the most common points of access for ID theft? (more…)
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