1. #1 Consumer Fraud Complaint – 5th straight year!
Identity Theft
#1 Consumer Fraud Complaint
– 5th straight year!
Since 2002, it is growing at over 40% per year
The cost to Americans last year, $52.6 billion
25% of victims discovered the misuse 6 months later!
72% offline
12% online

2. Definition Theft of your Identity!
It occurs when someone, without your knowledge, acquires a piece of your personal information and uses it to commit fraud.

3. Are You a Target? Do you: Put outgoing mail in your mailbox?
Use a credit card in restaurants?
Use a debit card in stores?
Have mail delivered to your mailbox?
Leave your car unlocked?

4. Are You a Target? Do you: Lock your purse or wallet in your car?
Lock your laptop/pda/cell phone in car?
Put out the garbage?
Put out the recycle?
Leave your house unlocked?

5. Are You a Target?
Do you:
Give confidential information to phone solicitors?
Answer official-looking requests?
Answer official-looking mail requests?
Deal with companies that store your information on computer?

6. Which Age Group Are You In?
Over lowest rate
35 – highest $ amount
25 – highest rate
Children – growing rate

7. Who are the Bad Guys? Your Friends Your Family Your Co-Workers
Employees with access to your confidential information
Old-Fashioned Criminals
Over 50% by family, friends, neighbors
35% a relative
18% a friend, neighbor, in-home employee
6% a person with access to personal data
16% a stranger

8. How Do They Do It? Friends, family, co-workers have easy access
Strangers use these techniques:

9. How Do They Do It?
Steal your outgoing mail
Skimming

10. How Do They Do It?
Steal your card
Steal incoming mail

11. How Do They Do It? Dumpster Dive Burglarize your house
Burglarize your car
Dumpster Dive
Burglarize your house
Social Engineering – phone
Scams
Mail Scams
Hacking

12. What They Do With Your Information
Purchase high-ticket items
Take out loans
Assume your identity
Commit other crimes

13. What They Do With Your Information
#1 – Use your credit card
#2 - Get utility and phone service
#3 – Commit bank fraud

14. Avoid Becoming a Victim
Post your mail at the post office
Don’t let your credit or debit card out of your sight
Get a PO box or lockable mailbox
Lock your car
Don’t leave valuables in your car

15. Avoid Becoming a Victim
Don’t carry SSN card
Don’t carry extra credit cards
Don’t carry your checkbook
What is printed on your
checks?
Shred credit card offers

16. Avoid Becoming a Victim
Shred all documents with
personal information
(or go to Wal Mart)
Lock the doors of your house
Store SSN, account information in a secure place

17. Avoid Becoming a Victim
Don’t give personal information
over the phone, mail or Internet
unless you initiate contact
Don’t respond to scams
Don’t respond to mail scams
Cancel unused accounts
Get a credit report

18. Avoid Becoming a Victim
Clean out your purse, wallet, organizer
Check your monthly statements
Opt Out!
Purchase ID Theft Insurance
- OR –
Stay home, lock your doors and communicate with no one!

19. Avoid Becoming a Victim
Watch your wireless use in airports, cyber cafes, other
public access computers

20. If You Become a Victim Who pays? Document, Document, Document
Contact local law enforcement
Contact the FTC
Contact your credit card company
Contact the three credit bureaus

21. Trends Parents using children’s identity
Organization misuse of customer/client/employee data

22. Trends
Credit Card Duplicator

23. Identity Theft
Are You Scared?
Do You Think You Are Safe?

24. Questions? Marsha Powell Tompkins Cortland CC Broome County
Government Security