identity proofing: 6 More Places to Put Your Identity on Lock Down
- 08/15/19 06:05 AM
If you have been thinking about a credit freeze, you probably should know that the process is designed so that a creditor cannot see your credit report unless you specifically allow it. This process blocks any potential creditors from viewing or pulling your file, which makes it much more difficult for an identity thief to apply for new credit using your name or information. For links to freeze your credit at the 3 major bureaus go to How to Freeze My Credit. However, there have been reports of people complaining of having accounts opened in their name while having credit freezes. … (7 comments)
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identity proofing: DNA Tech is Catching Bad Guys and its Great and Scary
- 10/09/18 08:15 AM
In 1996, a 12-year-old Washington state girl was raped and murdered. However, it wasn’t until June 2018, that an arrest was made in the case. How did this happen? DNA technology.
The man arrested is Gary Hartman, and he is accused of killing and raping 12-year old Michella Welch. Donald Ramsdell, the Tacoma Police Chief, has said that computer modeling, police techniques, and advances in DNA identification has led his team to arresting Hartman on June 20th.
This case goes all the way back to March 26th, 1986. Welch and her sisters were in Tacoma’s Puget Park. She left her sisters there and went … (12 comments)
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identity proofing: 2017 Was the Worst Year for Identity Theft EVER!
- 09/26/18 07:34 AM
Javelin Strategy & Research recently released its Identity Fraud Study, and it revealed that the number of identity theft victims rose by 8% in 2017 when compared to 2016. That’s almost 17 million people, which is a record high. Despite more information and industry efforts to make people aware of these practices, $16.8 billion was stolen due to ID theft in 2016.
The study also showed a shift in how ID theft fraud was being done. Credit card accounts were the most common targets for new account fraud, we also see that there is a big uptick in other accounts being targeted, … (4 comments)
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identity proofing: The Term “Identity Theft Protection” is Often a Lie
- 04/05/18 08:02 AM
If you are working for an IT security company, I have a message for you: the term “identity theft protection” is way overused and even abused as a marketing term. We know that this term is used to sell services and products, but does it really protect a user from being the victim of identity theft? No.
This is no different than labeling a food as “natural,” even though it is not actually “organic.” At best, this is incorrect information. At worst, it’s a total lie.
Every company with security solutions out there claims that they can protect identities. But, a firewall does … (1 comments)
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identity proofing: Identity Fraud Victim every two Seconds
- 06/03/15 11:43 PM
Yes, identity fraud is SO common that someone becomes a victim every two seconds. The 2014 Identity Fraud Study, as reported on javelinstrategy.com, turned up some alarming results.
Though the dollar amount stolen had decreased over the year preceding the study, the number of victims had increased. People at highest risk were ages 35 to 44.
Account takeover—when the thief takes over a pre-existing account—made up 28 percent of ID fraud losses in 2013. But the greatest risk factor for becoming a victim of identity fraud is the data breach. In that year, 30 percent of people who were notified of a data … (2 comments)
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identity proofing: Why Hotels Check your ID
- 03/04/15 08:53 PM
I know someone who tried to make a hotel reservation over the phone. She goes by the name “Kelcie,” but her birth name is Frances. She hates her birth name. When making the reservation she used the name Kelcie, which is what’s on her credit card and checks, but her driver’s license says Frances.
She was told that when she arrived, she’d need to present a photo ID. She asked if there’d be any problem since her driver’s license said Frances and the reservation said Kelcie. She was told most definitely. “Why should they care if the name on my photo … (3 comments)
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identity proofing: What is Catphishing?
- 03/02/15 08:54 PM
What is catphishing? It certainly isn’t Garfield lazily sitting in a canoe holding a fishing rod. Catphishing is when a fraudster fabricates an identity and tricks someone via cyber communication into a phony emotional or romantic relationship—usually for financial gain to the scammer—because eventually he’ll hit the victim up for money.
But another reason for catphishing is to lure someone into having a “relationship” with the scammer—to either ultimately publically humiliate them with this information if they’re well-known, or, to prove to a significant other that they’re capable of cheating. Not all catphishers are fraudulent. Sometimes, a person will catphish to … (0 comments)
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identity proofing: Synthetic Identity Theft hard to detect
- 12/22/14 09:30 PM
A criminal can do a lot with “only” your Social Security number, says a report from darkreading.com. Okay, so he doesn’t have the name that goes with the number. Big deal—he’ll just make one up to go with it! This is called synthetic identity theft.
And this crime has proven worthwhile for the crooks. Nowadays, there’s an increased risk for this crime, says a report by ID Analytics. This is because thieves exploit new SSN randomization practices, says Dr. Stephen Coggeshall, author of the report, and chief analytics and science officer for ID Analytics.
In 2011, the SS Administration began … (0 comments)
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identity proofing: 7 Things You Can Do To Protect Your Identity
- 12/11/14 09:04 PM
One of my favorite commercials is a guy working out with his personal trainer. The trainer asks him if he’s been eating his vegetables every day. When he replies, “When I can,” the trainer bops him on the head. He could have had a V8!
Just like the man thought that eating his daily vegetables would be hard, sometimes protecting your identity seems like a chore. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are 7 “duh” steps you can take to protect your identity this holiday season and all year round.
Inspect credit card statements. Make a habit of … (21 comments)
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identity proofing: 2 Ways to Prevent Military Identity Theft
- 10/23/14 11:01 PM
You’d think that servicemen and women would be better protected than civilians from identity theft, but their risk is higher, since their Social Security numbers are used so often and also abroad. In Iraq, it’s painted on their laundry bags!
Ohio wants to introduce a bill to stifle military ID theft.
When a military individual has damaged credit and accumulated debt, they are subjected to disciplinary action. ID theft can delay or cancel a military person’s deployment and lead to revocation of security clearances.
The FTC says that ID theft among service individuals is on the rise. Last year, 22,000 … (1 comments)
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identity proofing: 3 Stupid Simple Tips to protect your Identity
- 10/21/14 10:55 PM
For anyone who goes online, it’s impossible to hack-proof yourself, but not impossible to make a hacker’s job extremely difficult. Here are three things to almost hack-proof yourself.
Two-factor authentication. Imagine a hacker, who has your password, trying to get into your account upon learning he must enter a unique code that’s sent to your smartphone. He doesn’t have your smartphone. So he’s at a dead-end.
The two-factor authentication means you’ll get a text message containing a six-digit number that’s required to log into your account from someplace in public or elsewhere. This will surely make a hacker quickly give … (4 comments)
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identity proofing: Identity proofing proves who You are
- 09/15/14 11:24 PM
Identity proofing is proof of whom you are. Proving one’s identity starts with that person answering questions that only they themselves can answer (even if the answers are fictitious), such as their favorite movie, mother’s maiden name or name of their high school. Since most people provide real answers (that can be found online) rather than “Pointy Ear Vulcan Science Academy” as the name of their high school, this technique is on its way to the dogs.
Michael Chertoff, the former chief of the Department of Homeland Security, stated, “I’m going to submit to you that in the 21st Century, … (0 comments)
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identity proofing: Graduates beware of Identity Theft
- 07/03/14 11:06 PM
Worried about finding a job after you graduate from college? Worried about paying off your debts? It gets uglier: New college grads need to think about their identities being stolen. One-third of identity theft complaints come from young adults.
A new college graduate will often have a clean credit history. If the new college graduate discovers, however, that their credit score is inexplicably low, it’s probably because their identity has been stolen. This can be a nightmare.
Compounding the issue is that some businesses will check the job applicant’s credit report and use this information against them by not hiring.
… (1 comments)
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identity proofing: The Future of Identity Theft
- 04/27/14 03:15 AM
Identity theft evolves as technology progresses. The Identity Theft Resource Center explains the future of this crime.
Definition of Identity
The definition will swell up to include biometrics and behavior, not just driver’s license number and SSN. So your identity can be defined by how you move a mouse and your keystroke patterns.
Medical Identity
There’s no focal mechanism for the mitigation of medical identity theft, making it easy for thieves to keep getting medical treatment. Many people get their medical identity stolen without knowing it.
Statistics
Crime rate statistics are not telling the whole story. The illusion is that … (2 comments)
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identity proofing: Beware of Employees Who Lie About Their Identity
- 03/10/14 10:29 PM
It's way too easy for anyone to pretend to be someone else. When hiring, make sure you use identity proofing measures so you don't get scammed.
When hiring, the first concern most companies have is determining how effective an employee will be. In fact, the first concern should be determining if the person is actually who he or she claims to be. Regardless of the nature of your business, an employee masquerading behind a false identity can wreak havoc on your company.
Michael Chertoff, the former chief of the Department of Homeland Security, stated, “I’m going to submit to you … (1 comments)
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If you have been thinking about a credit freeze, you probably should know that the process is designed so that a creditor cannot see your credit report unless you specifically allow it. This process blocks any potential creditors from viewing or pulling your file, which makes it much more difficult for an identity thief to apply for new credit using your name or information. For links to freeze your credit at the 3 major bureaus go to How to Freeze My Credit. However, there have been reports of people complaining of having accounts opened in their name while having credit freezes. … (7 comments)
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