Identity Theft Awareness

With every year setting new records for data breaches (nearly 1,600 last year alone), I'm wondering if the public is becoming fatigued and numb to the news of another breach. Even the massive Equifax breach, which compromised very personal and critically non-changing information of at least half of the adult population, I've found people not knowing about it and even more not understanding what it means.  That may change after people start filing their taxes, only to find that someone else has filed a false return ahead of them. Studies from social media activity are being reported, showing that people who have been notified of a data breach that affects them are simply ignoring the notice. They aren't changing passwords or enrolling in protection services, just hoping nothing happens. If their credit cards are compromised, they are inconvenienced, but they get a new card and never check to see if anything else is amiss.  The winners are the thieves, because there is litt...

Every year, tax experts and the IRS have cautioned us to file our tax returns early. Not only does it help to get any refunds back to us quicker, there has been a history in recent years of tax identity fraud — thieves filing returns in our names and getting our refunds. Basically, file before the bad guy files. Whoever gets there first gets the refund.  While this has been true for several years, it is even more applicable this year, because of the Equifax breach last year. Remember that at least half of the adult population in the US have has very personal data stolen: names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security Numbers — more than enough to create fake W-2’s and file false returns.  If you have been following the Equifax breach in the news, you may have wondered why so few cases of fraud have shown up yet. Quite likely, this tax filing may be a key reason the thieves have been sitting on the data.  Whether you use a tax prep service or do it yourself,...

The Identity Theft Resource Center says that there have been 69 data breaches reported as of 1/24/18.  This is a decrease of 9% from last year's 76 breaches at this point, but breaches in the business sector accounts for 48% of these 69. Last year, by the way, was a huge record number of breaches -- 1,579 -- up nearly 45% over 2016's pace. Like this year, the business sector led the way with 55% of the reported breaches.  Hacking was the predominant cause of the breaches. Here is the article from the ITRC: https://tinyurl.com/y6vryz4w #idtheft #identitytheft

A former Boston, Massachusetts, clerk at its Registry of Motor Vehicles was sentenced to one year in prison for creating a false drivers license.  Three other former clerks were also charged. According to an article ( https://tinyurl.com/ycbcwqj7 ), they were making the IDs for illegals in exchange for cash, using stolen data of US citizens. I share this to show that our identities are not safe even from government agencies, as if you didn't know that already. #idtheft #identitytheft

I have long cautioned parents that the identities of their children are prime targets of identity thieves. Think about it -- someone getting an infant's Social Security Number has use of that number for years before a parent (or the child) discovers it, perhaps when the child gets a job or applies for financial aid for college. The thief can open credit card and bank accounts, get jobs, or maybe even buy/rent housing. Personal example: I have a friend who is an illegal alien. He is working, paying taxes. I asked how he was being employed, given his illegal status. "Oh," he said, "I bought this card when I crossed the border, and it makes me legal."  What kind of card was it?  Likely a Social Security card, perhaps a child's, or an adult, or even a deceased person. Recently, I have read an article where there is a website on the dark web marketplace discovered to be offering infant's data for sale. The website's ad says, "get em befor tax...

#idtheft #identitytheft Nearly everyone has at least one credit card these days, if not multiple cards, and we depend upon them to buy everything we use on a daily basis.  Think of the last time you wrote a check for groceries.  Most people don't even carry enough cash to buy a burger at a drive-through! Thieves and identity thieves know this and are targeting the retail industry with renewed vigor (see http://www.darkreading.com/endpoint/lockpos-malware-sneaks-onto-kernel-via-new-injection-technique/d/d-id/1330757). For most of us consumers, we are not aware of -- nor need to be aware of -- the "back office" workings of the industry, yet we ultimately are the ones affected by these dangers and have to be proactive in protecting our credit. While I'm quick to encourage you to enroll in an identity theft protection service, why wait until your account is compromised? These services, while they might ward off a compromise, have their strength and main value in pr...

In my last posting, I mention about a CPU chip flaw in nearly all computers -- Apple, Google, and Windows alike -- that can be exploited by quasi-viruses called Meltdown and  Spectre that steal data from devices. The theft process is very complicated and technical, so if you want to know the details, search for it. I'm avoiding that here. Suffice it to say that this is a serious enough exposure that every chip maker, computer maker, and browser developer is working on solutions, and will likely be a rollout of solutions over time.  Already, Microsoft, Google, and Apple have released OS patches, so you need to apply these as soon as you can.  Down the road, expect even more updates. I call these exploitations "quasi-viruses" because these aren't viruses in the traditional sense and therefore aren't being picked up by regular antivirus programs. I've put a request in to PCMatic, since they block by whitelist instead of blacklist (can't install app unless...

Being an iPhone user for many years, I must start off this post with a disclaimer that I am out of my comfort zone talking about Android phones.  I just know that historically Android-based phones have a significantly higher incidence of viruses than Apple iPhones.  In fact, there has not been any easily available antivirus apps for the iPhone -- just not needed -- whereas there are several for Android devices. Why is that, you may ask?  I believe it has to do with Apple's tight control of the architecture and what is allowed to be added to the App Store. Recently it has been discovered that iPhones and Androids as well as most PC and Mac CPUs are vulnerable to a chip flaw that allows quasi-viruses like Spectre and Meltdown. Apple is working on some solutions, as other chip venders like Intel and AMD are doing, so that isn’t what I’m addressing with this post. Regardless, I have recently read an article that discusses in extreme and painful detail why Android phone ...

Have you shopped at Forever 21 apparel retailers?  The company announced last November that they had been hacked between April 3, 2017, and November 18, 2017.  Yesterday, the retailer announced the findings from a third-party team, saying that in some stores, the encryption technology was not active, which exposed customer point-of-sale (POS) payment card data -- names, credit card numbers, expiration dates, and internal verification codes -- certainly enough to make online purchases or recreate credit cards. Obviously, if you made any purchases at any Forever 21 store between these dates, you should consider contacting your credit card supplier and getting a new card, even if the local store says they weren't hacked.  Just a safe plan, in my opinion. More on this at https://tinyurl.com/yd5mjwyb #idtheft Before any identity fraud with your card is confirmed, you might want to consider getting a protection plan from IDShield.  As you know, my site is http...

This isn’t about identity theft, but I thought it worthwhile to share anyway. One of LegalShield’s competitors in the legal industry is LegalZoom. An interesting article has appeared where they are being sued for using non-attorneys for some of their forms. Of course you pay extra to speak with an attorney. LegalShield let’s you always speak with a legitimate and highly rated attorney, and our forms are free with a membership. Here is that article about LegalZoom: http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/LegalZoom_UPL_lawsuit_trademark