Identity Theft is Today's Topic

TODAY IN ROTARY the names of Roger Allred and Lori Wright were read as prospective new members of SGR.  There will be no meeting next week because of the Presidents Day holiday.

Jocelyn Waters spoke on the serious problem of identity theft which is now America’s fastest growing crime (half of which is perpetrated upon victims in the work place) because it is, according to our speaker, “more lucrative than drugs.”   Losses in the USA are in the trillions of dollars and YOU – the victim – are considered guilty until you are proven innocent.

Identity thieves can steal your pertinent information in a variety of ways including from your family and friends, through a data breech, “phishing” (the attempt to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and sometimes, indirectly, money) by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication), even dumpster diving.  “Skimming” is another way in which thieves can steal your identity.  A skimmer is a device designed to read and capture credit care data encoded in the card’s magnetic strip.

The area’s most likely to be affected are:

·               your drivers license

·               loss of finances

·               can result in criminal charges

·               tax returns sent to the thief through the fraudulent use of your Social Security number

·               medical (falsified records show you have several serious pre-existing conditions which make you ineligible for insurance coverage)

You can prevent it from happening but there are any things you can do to make identify theft more difficult for the perpetrators:

1.              Treat your personal information as if it is “loose cash”

2.              Read Privacy Policies on websites before you sign up

3.              Shred your mail “into confetti”

4.              Change your passwords on electronic devices frequently

5.              Don’t give out important information unless you made the call

6.              Shred old bills with account information and names

7.              Protect medical information (remove labels from prescription bottles)

8.              Your debit card is the least safe way to spend

9.              Be careful what you put in public announcements, including obituaries

10.          Limit what information you carry in your wallet or purse (such as Social Security and Medicare cards)

11.          Be careful what you say on social networking sites (plans to be out of town, for instance)

12.          Educate your children and grandchildren about giving out too much information

Thieves want your information so they can sell it – not once or twice .. but over and over again.  Clean-up is expensive, time consuming and can result in loss of employment, the need to hire an attorney and loss of your good reputation.

A recommended good website with more information is www.privacyrights.or