Preventing Identity Theft For Dummies

by Arata, Michael J.

• ISBN13: 9780764573361
• ISBN10: 0764573365
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-07-30
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Twenty-seven million Americans have been victims of identity theft in the last five years and the total cost of identity theft approaches $48 billion per year (total costs to businesses are $43 billion and the direct cost to consumers is $5 billion) These staggering statistics have prompted security consultant Michael Arata to provide readers with the resources they need to guard themselves against identity theft In this valuable book, Arata offers easy-to-follow, straightforward advice on understanding identity theft, minimizing risk, maintaining vigilance, choosing who to share personal information with, selecting hard-to-guess PINs, determining victimization, reviewing a credit report, charting a course of action, resolving credit problems, reclaiming good credit, and much more Explains how to recover successfully if identity theft does occur Author Michael Arata, CISSP, CPP, CFE, ACLM, is a veteran of the security industry with more than fifteen years of experience

Author Biography

Michael J. Arata, Jr., has more than fifteen years of security experience. He’s investigated numerous credit fraud cases and currently serves as Director of Corporate Security for Rudolph and Sletten.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	1	(1)
Icons Used in This Book	2	(1)
Where to Go from Here	2	(1)
Part I: Getting the Scoop on Identity Theft	3	(48)
Who's Stealing What . . . and What You Can Do About It	5	(18)
Taking a Look at the Fastest Growing Crime	5	(3)
Who it affects	7	(1)
How it happens	7	(1)
Knowing What Information Is Vulnerable	8	(4)
It comes in the mail	10	(1)
What you throw away can hurt you	11	(1)
The Role of Technology in Identity Theft	12	(4)
Encryption	13	(2)
Authentication	15	(1)
Safeguarding Your Information in Everyday Ways	16	(1)
Finding Your Allies	17	(2)
Getting Back Your Identity and Your Good Reputation	19	(4)
Keeping Tabs on Your Personal Information	23	(16)
Discovering Where Your Personal Information Hides	23	(8)
The important info on the documents you receive	24	(3)
Finding your information online	27	(2)
Accounts you have online	29	(1)
Checks, receipts, and other paper you generate	29	(1)
Government documents	30	(1)
Keeping Your Information Safe but Available	31	(3)
Software to help keep your information safe	32	(1)
Tips to keep your information safe	32	(1)
Accessing your information	33	(1)
Knowing When to Hold 'Em, When to Fold 'Em, and When to Shred 'Em	34	(5)
What to keep	34	(3)
Best practices for destroying what you don't keep	37	(2)
Mike's Anti-Identity-Theft Crash Course	39	(12)
Tips for Preventing Identity Theft	39	(7)
Buy and use a shredder	42	(1)
Order and review your credit report	42	(1)
Guard your personal information	43	(1)
Opting out of pre-approved credit card offers	44	(1)
Opting out of other mailing lists	45	(1)
Government Laws to Protect You	46	(2)
Steps to Take If You Are a Victim	48	(3)
Reporting the crime to law enforcement	49	(1)
Other essential actions you must take	50	(1)
Part II: Determining Whether You're a Victim	51	(42)
Smelling a Rat: Recognizing When You Are a Victim	53	(12)
Suspecting a Thief at Your Mailbox	53	(1)
Recognizing When Something Is Wrong, and What You Can Do About It	54	(11)
Denied credit for a large purchase	56	(1)
Receiving credit card bills from cards you didn't apply for	57	(1)
Receiving calls from bill collectors for stuff you did not buy	58	(1)
Receiving bills for unknown purchases	59	(1)
Large unknown purchases on your credit card bills	60	(2)
Suddenly . . . several unknown charges on each month's bill	62	(3)
Homing In on Bank Statements	65	(8)
Checking Your Bank Statement Religiously	65	(2)
Identifying an Unwelcome Doppelganger	67	(3)
Withdrawals you didn't make	67	(1)
Checks you did not write	68	(1)
Finding bizarre bank account balances	69	(1)
Reviewing Investment Account Statements	70	(3)
Interpreting Your Credit Report	73	(20)
What Is a Credit Report?	73	(2)
Obtaining Your Credit Report	75	(4)
Reviewing the Telltale Information on Your Credit Report	79	(10)
The personal profile section	80	(1)
The account history section	81	(1)
The credit summary section	82	(1)
The public records section	82	(2)
The credit inquiries section	84	(1)
The account history section	85	(1)
Your credit score	85	(2)
Sudden unknown credit score change	87	(1)
Looking for consistency	88	(1)
Pulling it together	89	(1)
Disputing Your Credit Report	89	(4)
Part III: Staying Ahead of Identity Theft	93	(32)
Watching What You Set on the Curb	95	(8)
Protecting Your Mail	95	(2)
Watching What You Throw Away	97	(6)
Monthly credit card statements	98	(1)
Monthly checking account statements	99	(1)
Utility bills	100	(1)
Cell phone bills	100	(1)
Cancelled checks	101	(1)
Expired driver's licenses	101	(2)
Practicing Discretion in Public Places	103	(10)
Carrying Minimal Personal Information	103	(4)
Do not carry your Social Security Card	104	(1)
Memorize your bank ATM PIN	104	(1)
Carry one credit card	105	(1)
Carry personal checks only when necessary	106	(1)
The Walls Have Ears and Eyes	107	(2)
Shoulder surfing	107	(1)
Be careful about what you say	108	(1)
Keeping Track of Important Things	109	(4)
Checking Credit Card Receipts	109	(1)
Losing your wallet or purse	110	(3)
Staying Safe Online and on the Phone	113	(12)
Ordering Stuff by Phone	113	(2)
Ordering Stuff Online	115	(2)
Check Your Monthly Card Statement for Surprises	117	(1)
Beware of Scams to Get Personal Information	118	(7)
Who is calling?	118	(1)
Phishing out a thief	118	(1)
We're from the government	119	(2)
Why financial information?	121	(1)
Bank examiner scam	121	(4)
Part IV: Taking Back Your Good Name	125	(28)
Joining Forces in the Identity Theft Battle	127	(16)
Filling Out the Initial Reports	127	(5)
Placing a fraud alert on your credit report	128	(1)
Reporting the crime to law enforcement	128	(1)
Completing an ID theft affidavit	129	(3)
Taking Care of Compromised Accounts: The First Steps	132	(4)
Call your credit card company	133	(1)
Call your bank	134	(1)
Asking for fraud dispute forms	135	(1)
Getting Straight with the Government	136	(7)
Filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission	136	(3)
What to do if your SSN has been used to get a job	139	(4)
Closing Compromised Accounts	143	(6)
Closing Out Bank Accounts	143	(4)
When your ATM card goes missing	144	(1)
Reporting to check-verification companies	145	(1)
Covering checks that you've already written	146	(1)
Closing Credit Accounts	147	(2)
Opening New Accounts	149	(4)
Opening New Bank Accounts	149	(3)
Maintaining good records	150	(1)
Using a new PIN	151	(1)
Opening New Credit Accounts	152	(1)
Part V: The Part of Tens	153	(26)
Ten Tips to Make Reclaiming Your Identity Go More Smoothly	155	(8)
Follow a Checklist	155	(1)
Keep a Journal	156	(1)
Complete a Fraud Affidavit	156	(1)
Record All Correspondence with Creditors	157	(1)
Follow-up	157	(1)
Place a Fraud Alert on Your Credit Report	158	(1)
File a Police Report	159	(1)
Dispute Charges You Didn't Make	160	(1)
Report Your Stolen Checks to One of the Check Verification Companies	160	(1)
Close Compromised Accounts	161	(2)
Ten Handy Resources	163	(6)
Web Sites	163	(1)
Major Credit Card Issuers	164	(2)
Credit Report Services	166	(1)
Registration Services	167	(1)
Major Banking Institutions	168	(1)
Ten Common Scams and How to Avoid Them	169	(10)
Phishing	169	(2)
The Bank Examiner Scam	171	(1)
The Doctored ATM	171	(1)
Phone Fraud	172	(1)
Card Verification	173	(1)
You Won the Lottery!	174	(1)
Bogus Charities	174	(1)
Bogus Invoices	175	(1)
Phony Brokerage Firms	176	(1)
Temporary Suspension of Your Account	177	(2)
Index	179