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Glyn Norman asked:
The Today show on May 8th gave an interesting expose of the latest techniques identity thieves are using to steal your identity and money. The technique is called ‘skimming’ and involves replacing the genuine card reader, with a card reader installed by the thieves. Recently in Rhode Island, two ‘Stop and Shop’ stores found that two of their point-of-sale machines had been broken into, replacement card readers installed, and 1000 cards compromised.
With skimming at the ATM, the ATM is rigged to steal the card info with an unauthorized card reader, while a hidden camera makes a note of the PIN number as you punch it in. The card information is then loaded onto a blank card, and the crooks can then go to the bank and withdraw money until your account is empty. Most bank customers do not have a daily transaction limit on their account, just a per-transaction limit, so the thieves can make a $200 withdrawal again and again, until there is no more money left in the account.
Admittedly, most banks will reimburse you for such theft, but it can take weeks, and in that time, you’ll have to make do without your money. Almost $1 trillion is transacted through ATM machines in the USA every year, and experts estimate that $50 million of that is lost to skimming.
The TODAY show team, in partnership with Washington Mutual Bank, set up a unauthorized card reader (which they bought online) at the door of one of their Times Square branches. This was a door that previously required no card swipe to enter. These are the statistics: 16 people opened the door without swiping the card, but 18 people did swipe their card through the unauthorized reader. If these cards had the Visa or Mastercard logo on them, the crooks could immediately make online transactions, even without knowing a PIN code.
This is what you can do to protect yourself:
• request a “per-day” transaction limit on your ATM card, eg. $500. This is then the maximum amount that could be stolen in a day.
• check your accounts regularly, either online, in person, or over the phone
• when typing in your PIN, look out for any new or different equipment at the ATM and shield your hand carefully, so no hidden camera could see what you type
• subscribe to an Identity Theft Protection Program, such as the Identity Theft Shield, available at http://officialIDguard.com which offers continuous credit monitoring and identity theft repair if your identity is ever stolen.
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The Today show on May 8th gave an interesting expose of the latest techniques identity thieves are using to steal your identity and money. The technique is called ‘skimming’ and involves replacing the genuine card reader, with a card reader installed by the thieves. Recently in Rhode Island, two ‘Stop and Shop’ stores found that two of their point-of-sale machines had been broken into, replacement card readers installed, and 1000 cards compromised.
With skimming at the ATM, the ATM is rigged to steal the card info with an unauthorized card reader, while a hidden camera makes a note of the PIN number as you punch it in. The card information is then loaded onto a blank card, and the crooks can then go to the bank and withdraw money until your account is empty. Most bank customers do not have a daily transaction limit on their account, just a per-transaction limit, so the thieves can make a $200 withdrawal again and again, until there is no more money left in the account.
Admittedly, most banks will reimburse you for such theft, but it can take weeks, and in that time, you’ll have to make do without your money. Almost $1 trillion is transacted through ATM machines in the USA every year, and experts estimate that $50 million of that is lost to skimming.
The TODAY show team, in partnership with Washington Mutual Bank, set up a unauthorized card reader (which they bought online) at the door of one of their Times Square branches. This was a door that previously required no card swipe to enter. These are the statistics: 16 people opened the door without swiping the card, but 18 people did swipe their card through the unauthorized reader. If these cards had the Visa or Mastercard logo on them, the crooks could immediately make online transactions, even without knowing a PIN code.
This is what you can do to protect yourself:
• request a “per-day” transaction limit on your ATM card, eg. $500. This is then the maximum amount that could be stolen in a day.
• check your accounts regularly, either online, in person, or over the phone
• when typing in your PIN, look out for any new or different equipment at the ATM and shield your hand carefully, so no hidden camera could see what you type
• subscribe to an Identity Theft Protection Program, such as the Identity Theft Shield, available at http://officialIDguard.com which offers continuous credit monitoring and identity theft repair if your identity is ever stolen.
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Posted in Identity Theft Shield | 
Tags: Mastercard Logo, Transaction Limit, Washington Mutual | 
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Keith Londrie asked:
Attorney General John Ashcroft called identity theft as “one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States”. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the leading governmental agency which keeps records on identity theft, estimates that over 9 million Americans (or 4.25% of all adults) are victims of ID theft on an annual basis, resulting in $52.6 billion losses to businesses and financial institutions. Even the 9/11 or September 11th hijackers were believed to have been identity thieves, using stolen passports and Social Security numbers to obscure their trail. Beyond doubt, identity theft crimes have reached epidemic proportions with subsequent catastrophic consequences.
Identity theft crimes are not new, but they have become more persuasive in the past decade. Advances in computer hardware and software along with the growth of the Internet have significantly increased the role that identity theft plays in crime. Individuals can hire credit-monitoring services that alert them when there are changes in their credit report. One such company, Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. in conjunction with Kroll, Inc. has developed a unique solution for victims of identity theft. This service referred to as the “Identity Theft Shield” is available to Pre-Paid Legal Services members. With the Identity Theft Shield, you have the added security of knowing that experienced professionals from the world’s leading risk consulting company are there to fight for you.
To prevent identity fraud, experts recommend that you review your credit report regularly. The ID Theft Shield makes this task easier. You receive prompt notices if any new accounts are opened in your name or if derogatory notations are added to your credit report. On an average, ID theft victims spend more than 250 hours and $2000 to clear their names. With Identity Theft Shield available at just $9.95/month, the cost of combating ID fraud crimes is much less. This monthly fee provides benefits to you, the member, and your spouse. At this cost, it is well worth the time and money to keep your affairs private.
Truly, Identity Theft Shield is the most factual and comprehensive solution to ID theft restoration. However, at times, even the best backup plans Fail. Therefore, you must learn to depend on yourself to set up your own identity theft shield and minimize your risk. Some things to do would be to shred all paperwork with important account information on it, don’t just throw it away in the trash because one of the simplest methods of Identity theft is for the theif to go through trash cans and dumpsters. Memorize pin numbers, do not carry them with your credit cards; Just to mention a couple thoughts.
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Attorney General John Ashcroft called identity theft as “one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States”. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the leading governmental agency which keeps records on identity theft, estimates that over 9 million Americans (or 4.25% of all adults) are victims of ID theft on an annual basis, resulting in $52.6 billion losses to businesses and financial institutions. Even the 9/11 or September 11th hijackers were believed to have been identity thieves, using stolen passports and Social Security numbers to obscure their trail. Beyond doubt, identity theft crimes have reached epidemic proportions with subsequent catastrophic consequences.
Identity theft crimes are not new, but they have become more persuasive in the past decade. Advances in computer hardware and software along with the growth of the Internet have significantly increased the role that identity theft plays in crime. Individuals can hire credit-monitoring services that alert them when there are changes in their credit report. One such company, Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. in conjunction with Kroll, Inc. has developed a unique solution for victims of identity theft. This service referred to as the “Identity Theft Shield” is available to Pre-Paid Legal Services members. With the Identity Theft Shield, you have the added security of knowing that experienced professionals from the world’s leading risk consulting company are there to fight for you.
To prevent identity fraud, experts recommend that you review your credit report regularly. The ID Theft Shield makes this task easier. You receive prompt notices if any new accounts are opened in your name or if derogatory notations are added to your credit report. On an average, ID theft victims spend more than 250 hours and $2000 to clear their names. With Identity Theft Shield available at just $9.95/month, the cost of combating ID fraud crimes is much less. This monthly fee provides benefits to you, the member, and your spouse. At this cost, it is well worth the time and money to keep your affairs private.
Truly, Identity Theft Shield is the most factual and comprehensive solution to ID theft restoration. However, at times, even the best backup plans Fail. Therefore, you must learn to depend on yourself to set up your own identity theft shield and minimize your risk. Some things to do would be to shred all paperwork with important account information on it, don’t just throw it away in the trash because one of the simplest methods of Identity theft is for the theif to go through trash cans and dumpsters. Memorize pin numbers, do not carry them with your credit cards; Just to mention a couple thoughts.
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Mark A Priganc asked:
Oh, I can hear the gasps. “What do you mean Identity Theft cannot be prevented?”
I **** to be the bearer of this bad news. But, someone had to tell you.
I know for the past five years the media has used the term ‘prevent’ when covering Identity Theft. That is to no fault of their own, they don’t understand the true nature and scope of this crime.
Prevention is a myth. Maybe someday it will be preventable. So, for now we need to understand this crime a bit better in order to mitigate the damage that can be done. Stated simpler, we can take measures to lessen our exposure to the thieves.
I know there are people that will read this and say, “My company can prevent this crime” or “I have a service that says they prevent Identity Theft”. Sorry, that is just called marketing. I actually work with a product called the Identity Theft Shield. Guess what, I am not going to tell you that the service I work with can prevent Identity Theft, because it can’t. What a quality Identity Theft product should do for you is act as your early warning system for trouble on the horizon. Next step would be to do the restoration for you, and provide top-notch lawyers to defend and guide you throughout the crisis. I’ll cover more on products within the market in another article.
Back to the business at hand.
My reasoning for making the bold statement of prevention is a myth, is because: Your information is already out there in the public domain! If you were ever born, obviously you were; you are reading this article, your personal information is out there. It is in the realm of 0’s and 1’s. Everything is digitized, and placed in databases. Databases for which, you have no control over. Databases are hacked on a daily basis. Back-up tapes are ‘lost’ and stolen. As of this writing there has been more than 246 Million US residents personal (Non-Public Information) exposed to potential Identity Theft*.
Let’s look at an example of information in the public domain. Arizona: This state has the highest occurrence of Identity Theft in The United States.
Would you like to know one of the reasons why?
Several years ago, about the same time Identity Theft appeared on most peoples radar screens, the state decided to put all court records online (that would be the World Wide Web). Court records are gold mines of information for thieves, like Social Security Numbers, Dates of Birth, and Mother’s Maiden Name. You get the picture?
Oh, you don’t live in Arizona. That’s ok, most states and counties have followed suite with this practice. Congratulations, you are included in the mess.
I’m pretty sure you don’t have that warm and fuzzy feeling right now.
So, what do you do from here?
First, stay tuned for future articles from me on this topic. There will be plenty more.
Secondly, I’m not going to put you on edge without offering some hope. I like to use metaphors to make a point. I find this to help most everybody. Interpret it as you see fit:
If I were to feed you a fish, you would receive nourishment for the day. If you venture out to sea on your own, you will learn to survive.
To be continued…
*Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
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Oh, I can hear the gasps. “What do you mean Identity Theft cannot be prevented?”
I **** to be the bearer of this bad news. But, someone had to tell you.
I know for the past five years the media has used the term ‘prevent’ when covering Identity Theft. That is to no fault of their own, they don’t understand the true nature and scope of this crime.
Prevention is a myth. Maybe someday it will be preventable. So, for now we need to understand this crime a bit better in order to mitigate the damage that can be done. Stated simpler, we can take measures to lessen our exposure to the thieves.
I know there are people that will read this and say, “My company can prevent this crime” or “I have a service that says they prevent Identity Theft”. Sorry, that is just called marketing. I actually work with a product called the Identity Theft Shield. Guess what, I am not going to tell you that the service I work with can prevent Identity Theft, because it can’t. What a quality Identity Theft product should do for you is act as your early warning system for trouble on the horizon. Next step would be to do the restoration for you, and provide top-notch lawyers to defend and guide you throughout the crisis. I’ll cover more on products within the market in another article.
Back to the business at hand.
My reasoning for making the bold statement of prevention is a myth, is because: Your information is already out there in the public domain! If you were ever born, obviously you were; you are reading this article, your personal information is out there. It is in the realm of 0’s and 1’s. Everything is digitized, and placed in databases. Databases for which, you have no control over. Databases are hacked on a daily basis. Back-up tapes are ‘lost’ and stolen. As of this writing there has been more than 246 Million US residents personal (Non-Public Information) exposed to potential Identity Theft*.
Let’s look at an example of information in the public domain. Arizona: This state has the highest occurrence of Identity Theft in The United States.
Would you like to know one of the reasons why?
Several years ago, about the same time Identity Theft appeared on most peoples radar screens, the state decided to put all court records online (that would be the World Wide Web). Court records are gold mines of information for thieves, like Social Security Numbers, Dates of Birth, and Mother’s Maiden Name. You get the picture?
Oh, you don’t live in Arizona. That’s ok, most states and counties have followed suite with this practice. Congratulations, you are included in the mess.
I’m pretty sure you don’t have that warm and fuzzy feeling right now.
So, what do you do from here?
First, stay tuned for future articles from me on this topic. There will be plenty more.
Secondly, I’m not going to put you on edge without offering some hope. I like to use metaphors to make a point. I find this to help most everybody. Interpret it as you see fit:
If I were to feed you a fish, you would receive nourishment for the day. If you venture out to sea on your own, you will learn to survive.
To be continued…
*Privacy Rights Clearinghouse
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