ID Theft Prevention

Identity Theft Prevention

Steps you can take to minimize risk

Statistics
10 Million
Number of ID Theft victims in the U.S.
$1,620
Average fraud amount per victim (out of
pocket expense)
$49.3 Billion
Total one year fraud amount
43%
Of victims knew the perpetrator

Statistics Continued
 600 Hours
Average time spent by victims trying to fix the
problems caused by ID theft

 22%
Increase of ID Theft victims from last year
 71%
Of fraud happens within one week of information
being stolen

 An estimated 19 percent of “those attacked” have
clicked on the link in a phishing e-mail. Most, if
not all, large financial institutions and electronic
bill-paying services (such as PayPal) have been hit
with phishing attacks.
“Phishing will be defined later in the presentation”

Because many phishing attacks originate
overseas and because the average life span of a
phishing web site is 2.25 days, the sites are hard
to shut down.
Nearly 1/4 of all victims - roughly 2.5 million
people in the last year - said their information
was lost or stolen, including lost or stolen credit
cards, checkbooks or social security cards.

Stolen mail was the source of information for
identity thieves in 4% of all victims - 400,000 in
the last year.
 ID TheftIS the fastest growing crime in the
country and will continue to be unless we
educate each other on how to prevent it.

When you can do this and make 100 times the
money!

There are no guarantees
 Some things are out of our control.
 If someone wants to steal your identity, chances are they
WILL

 However, you can take steps to minimize your exposure
to and risk of ID theft and Fraud

Ways to Protect Yourself
 Use a Shredder to shred anything with ANY of your
personal information on it
“Confetti” shredder is preferred
 Be wary of “Shoulder Surfers”, people watching you
enter your PIN number
 Do not put checks in your mailbox, drop them off at a
postal mail box, due to check “washing”
-Check washing is the process of erasing details from checks to allow
them to be rewritten, usually for criminal purposes.

Continued
 If you were a criminal looking to steal someone’s
identity, which mailbox would you choose?

PO BOX Mailbox w/mail Locking mailbox

Continued
 Be aware when you are supposed to be receiving credit
cards or checks and check when they don’t come
 Cancel all credit cards that you don’t use
 Do not write your PIN number down
 Do not respond to emails claiming to be from your bank
asking for verification of information, contact them
instead (This holds true for any financial institution)
 Do not carry your birth certificate or SSN card in your
wallet, leave it at home (Unless you need it)

Continued
 Do not print your license number, SSN, phone number,
or birth date on your checks

 Monitor all of your bank and credit card statements,
look for anything on it that you didn’t authorize
 Sign your credit cards immediately; try using “See ID”
along with your signature
Some financial institutions won’t cover fraud when a
card is not signed

Continued
 Don’t answer questions to someone on the phone that
you don’t know
Once again, if they need it, you can call them back
at a phone number that you know belongs to them
 If you are going to be out of town, have a trusted
neighbor pick up your mail for you or have the post
office put a vacation hold on your mail
 Lock all of your important documents in a safe or hide
them

Continued
 Be wary of making purchases on the internet, if you do
try and use a card with a small limit and verify that the
website is secure (https) https://www.wellsfargo.com
 When you pay with your credit card, make sure the
person you give the card returns yours and not a fake
one
 When you leave a receipt make sure the account number
is x’d out
If it isn’t, walk receipt to server and don’t leave it
behind

Continued
 Watch for “Skimmers”
A device that copies the information on the
magnetic strip on debit and credit cards

Above camera is used to record you entering you PIN number.

Continued
 Never leave any valuables in your car, especially in
plain view (Always lock your car, even when it’s
parked at home)
 Never leave your purse/wallet unattended
Especially when shopping and putting things away
after shopping
 When at restaurants make sure your purse is zipped up
and keep it under the table, attached to your foot, if
possible

Continued
 Check with your insurance company to see if they cover
for ID theft
 Keep a list (Photo copy) of all your card numbers along
with customer service phone numbers in case of theft
DO NOT keep the above list in your purse or
wallet. Keep it in a safe or somewhere safe at home
 Get a copy of your credit report every four months and
review it for errors

Protect accounts
 Place passwords on your credit card, bank, and
phone accounts.
 Avoid using easily available information like your
mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last
four digits of your SSN or your phone number, or
a series of consecutive numbers.
 When opening new accounts, you may find that
many businesses still have a line on their
applications for your mother's maiden name. Ask
if you can use a password instead.

Protect information
 Secure personal information in your home,
especially if you have roommates, employ outside
help, or are having work done in your home.
 Ask about information security procedures in your
workplace or at businesses, doctor's offices or
other institutions that collect your personally
identifying information.

Continued
 If you were a criminal looking to steal someone’s
identity, which house would you choose?

A home with an open garage is an easy target for thieves.

Protect information
 Don't give out personal information on the phone,
through the mail, or on the Internet unless you've
initiated the contact or are sure you know who you're
dealing with.
 Be wary of filling out surveys, entering contests, etc.
Many marketing services contract with state prisons to
use inmate labor to process these forms. Some inmates
are employed as telemarketers

Protect your mail
 Deposit your outgoing mail in post office
collection boxes or at your local post office, rather
than in an unsecured mailbox
 Whenever possible, deposit outgoing mail before
the last pickup of the day, not where it will be left
in the collection box over a weekend or holiday

Protect your trash
 Shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications,
insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank
statements, expired charge cards that you're discarding,
and credit offers you get in the mail.
 Basically, shred anything that you wouldn’t want a
criminal to have.

Protect your trash
 To opt out of receiving offers of credit in the mail,
call: 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688). The
three nationwide consumer reporting companies
use the same toll-free number to let consumers
choose not to receive credit offers based on their
lists. Note: You will be asked to provide your
SSN which the consumer reporting companies
need to match you with your file.

Protect your SSN
 Don't carry your Social Security card; leave it in a
secure place.
 Give your SSN only when absolutely necessary,
and ask to use other types of identifiers. If your
state uses your SSN as your driver's license
number, ask to substitute another number. Do the
same if your health insurance company uses your
SSN as your policy number.

Maintain vigilance
 Carry only the identification information and the
credit and debit cards that you'll actually need
when you go out.
 Be cautious when responding to promotions.
Identity thieves may create phony promotional
offers to get you to give them your personal
information.

Maintain vigilance
 Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work; do
the same with copies of administrative forms that have
your sensitive personal information
 When ordering new checks, pick them up from the bank
instead of having them mailed to your home mailbox
 Recently, cell phone numbers were released to
telemarketers. To opt out of receiving these calls, dial 1-
888-382-1222 from the cell phone you want blocked.
This will take your number off for 5 years.

Scams:
Phishing
The act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an
established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the
user into surrendering private information that will be used
for identity theft. The e-mail directs the user to visit a Web
site where they are asked to update personal information,
such as passwords and credit card, social security, and bank
account numbers, that the legitimate organization already
has. The Web site, however, is bogus and set up only to
steal the user’s information.

Phishing emails will have you click on a link that redirects you
to their website.

Here is an example of another link on a phishing email.

Vhishing
Similar to “Phishing” except it uses both email and the
telephone
How Vhishing works ? First, you get an email message saying the
security of your bank account is compromised and you have to dial a 1-
800 number to verify the account information.

Once you fall in the trap and dial the number mentioned in the e-mail,
you are asked, using automated messages, to type your 16-digit card
number. The call can then be used to harvest additional details such as
security PIN, expiry date, date of birth, bank account number, etc.

Please advise clients not to call the 1-800 number listed in the email.
Clients should always call the number listed in the back of their card or
the number listed on the legitimate Citicards site.

Notice the grammar and spelling errors. Also, notice the handwritten name at the
top. This is done so that Mass-Producing the letter is quicker.

This is the check you get in the mail with the letter. If they
are going to send you the money to pay for your
“Processing Fee” why not just send you your winnings?

The Western Union “Nigerian”
Scam
 First off, you receive a letter in the mail claiming, you
have won a prize via Western Union
 All you have to do to claim your prize is send in a small
“Processing Fee”
 You call the phone number given and speak to a Western
Union “Detective” (The phone number usually shows
up as a local call due to call spoofing)
 The “Detective” asks you to send in the small fee to an
address in Jamaica

When this scam came out I googled it and this is what I got.

Western Union Scam
 Things to watch out for with Scams
Money being sent from somewhere outside the U.S.
Call coming from a local number (Spoofed number)
Caller has a heavy accent
One thing is always a dead giveaway

Scammers WILL ALWAYS ask you to send
them money before you get anything……

Western Union Scam
Continued
 Caller was only asking for $160.00 dollars
Per victim, this amount is very little

Let’s say, that these scammers call 100 people a day
and only 20 fall for the scam (Low guess)
That’s 600 victims a month
600 X $160.00 = $96,000 dollars a month

What other jobs pay $1,152,000 a year? Where do I
sign up?

Craigslist and KSL “Nigerian”
Scam
 You list an item for sale on Craigslist. The asking price
is $500.00 dollars
You get an email from a “Buyer”
Tanx for your prompt response. I am interested in purchasing your items.
Please provide your name and address for payment. I am paying by Cashier
check. You should receive payment this week. As per pick-up, I will make
arrangement with the manager of my shipping.moving company to come
forpick-up after payment has been received by you. I would appreciate if you
take the posting off craigslist today and consider it sold to me. Do have a nice
time….
This is what you get in the mail
Notice the spelling and grammar errors.
*KSl and Craigslist are very reliable websites and they do everything in their
power to curb these scams. Their sites are only used as examples.

 If you question the buyer about the check here’s what
you get
Sorry for getting back o you late. I and my husband had a little
misunderstanding immediately I read your mail. I was waiting for him to get
back so that I can know what is really wrong and why you havnt gotten the
payment yet. Well Micheal did swear with his life that he send out payment to
you via regular mail and that he even made a mistake with the amount he wrote
on it. I’m very sure you will get our payment any times from now….Kindly be
on the look out for it.is there any Grocery store around you. Let me know
when you read this. Happy weekends to you.

You question the check again and now you get
Don’t tell me you didn’t get my previous e-mail huh? This is a error that was
made by my husband and he is laying down there at the hospital. Well what
you got is our payment for the items and you need to take it to the grocery store
they will help you to cash it out. You can then deduct the amount and send the
rest to the details I send to you via Western union and Moneygram. To John
Smith, Keyport, NJ.

 The person you send the money to is a real person that
believes he has a legitimate job and has W-2’s and
email applications to prove it. They too have been
victimized
 They believed that they were working from home
acting as a “Distributor” for a company overseas.
When he gets the money from “You”, he takes his cut
and ships the rest off overseas to his “Boss”
Things to watch for
Getting over paid for an item
Only correspondence with buyer is through email
Buyer wanting to ship an inexpensive item across the country
Buyer wanting money sent back to them

Reverse Craigslist and KSL
“Nigerian” Scam
Works just like the previous scam, only in reverse

 This time, you’re trying to buy something off of KSL or
Craigslist

Notice how cheap this is and when you call the number listed, it’s
disconnected so you email that seller and this is what you get.

 Hello,
My name is James Noorlander and I'm glad to see your interest in purchasing my RZR.
What can I tell you in a few words is that I am an individual seller, I am not a dealer
and this is my first type of posting on KSL. The vehicle is personal property and I am
going to sell it because I was promoted to my work and I had to move with my family
in another location (we must do sacrifices all the time) and now I live in Quebec
Canada. In conclusion, I don't need it anymore and I decided, after a discussion with
my wife (sometimes is very difficult to be persuasive, you know what I mean) to sell
my rzr. The vehicle is in mint condition and it has only 235 miles on it. If we reach an
agreement, I am willing to take care of the shipping to your address. Shipping will take
7 days maximum. I have managed to obtain a low cost shipping, only $400 and I
presume it would be fair to split the shipping cost so, we'll pay $200 each. Meaning,
that the rzr and the shipping/handling will cost you $5,800. I think this is reasonable.
As I know that my current situation is pretty special I want the deal closed only
through eBay's Vehicle Protection Program in order for you to be 100% protected. You
will make the payment to eBay and they will hold the money until you receive the rzr.
Only after you receive it and you inspect it(for 5 days from the moment you receive it)
eBay will release the payment to me, in this way we are both protected. Please get
back to me asap if you decide to buy, and include in your e-mail your full name and
address where you want it shipped so I can start the deal with eBay. You will receive
all the transaction payment and shipping details from them.
Best Regards,
James

*This is an actual email from a scammer.

Email “Takeover”
 You get an email from your email provider wanting
you to update your information by clicking on a link.

 You click on the link and update your email by
providing your email address and password.
Guess what happens next

 Everyone in your address book gets this
Hello,

How are you doing?hope all is well with you and family,i am sorry that i didn't inform you
about my traveling to England for a program called Empowering youth to fight
racism,Hiv/Aids,and lack of education.

I need a favor from you as soon as you receive this e-mail, I misplaced my wallet on my
way to the hotel where my money,and other valuable things were kept. Urgently assist me
with a soft loan of $2,500 to sort-out my hotel bills and get myself back home.

I will appreciate whatever you can afford and i'll pay you back as soon as i return,Kindly
let me know if you can be of help? so that i can send you the details to use when sending
the money through western union.

Best Regards,
Katie

 And Yes, people fall for this on a daily basis

SMS Scam (Text)
Thousands of people have gotten a text message warning of unusual activity on their U.S. Bank
accounts, but U.S. Bank said the message is a scam to try and get people to give up personal
information. Erich Schroeder called WCCO-TV after he got a text message on his work cell phone.
Schroeder said, "It says you need to verify your U.S. Bank account unusual activity call at 866-XXX-
XXXX.“ For Schroeder the tip off was easy, he doesn't have a U.S. Bank account. "I'm figuring
there's a lot of people who would have a U.S. Bank account and probably would go through and
potentially get into trouble," said Schroeder. When WCCO called the number the text message said to
call, a recording asked for personal information.
The recording says: "Welcome to U.S. Bank. Please follow the next step to verify your account. You
will be asked to provide three additional pieces of information which are linked to your account,
including your credit card number.“ U.S. Bank said as far as it knows, no one has lost any money in
the scam. The bank has turned over the information to the FBI and the Federal Trade Commission has
shut down at least one of the phone numbers.
U.S. Bank issued a statement saying, "We would never ask a customer to place their personal
information in jeopardy by contacting them and asking them to divulge it over the phone, via email or
text messages.“ Scams via text message are becoming so widespread there is actually a new name for
it -- "smishing" -- a takeoff of SMS text messaging and phishing. Smishing has another form that is
also dangerous. You get a text message that urges you to download an item on your phone and it turns
out to be a virus. If you do get a text message like this experts say don't respond, but call your bank's
customers service number.

Grandma and Grandpa Scam
 You get a phone call from your “Grandson”
 The caller knows the name of your grandson and
sometimes even sounds like him (Info can be bought)
 He claims to have been arrested in Canada and he needs
money to get out of jail and to fix his car
 He asks you to send money via Western Union to
Canada
 If you send money to him in Canada, there is little to
no chance of getting your money back or of someone
being arrested

Jury Duty Scam
The caller claims to be a jury coordinator. If you protest that you never received a
summons for jury duty, the scammer asks you for your Social Security number and date
of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. Give out
any of this information and bingo, your identity was just stolen.

The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma , Illinois , and
Colorado . This (swindle) is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over
the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they are with the
court system. The FBI and the Federal Court System have issued nationwide alerts on
their web sites, warning consumers about the fraud.
Snopes site: says this is real fraud. http://www.snopes.com/crime/fraud/juryduty.asp
FBI site: warns about the fraud.
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm

What To Do If You Become a
Victim
 Cancel all of your credit/debit cards and alert your
bank if checks are missing
 Contact your local police department
The investigating agency can be any agency that
falls into the following:
1. Where you live
2. Where the crime occurred (Ie. Where checks or
credit cards were used)
3. Where your information was taken from

What To Do If You Become a
Victim Continued
 Put a fraud alert on your credit by calling the three
credit reporting agencies
Experian 888-397-3742
Equifax 800-525-6285
Trans Union 800-680-7289
 Make a toll-free call to the Federal Trade Commission’s
Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-IDTHEFT
 Start a report with the Utah Attorney General’s Office
(IRIS) Identity Theft Reporting Information System at
http://www.idtheft.utah.gov

Conclusion
 Following these guidelines will help to minimize
potential losses from ID theft.
Remember, nothing is full proof
 If you don’t think it’s worth it, think about all you will
have to do to clean up your credit after you’ve been
victimized by an ID thief

Contact Information

Sergeant Martinez
Orem Department of Public Safety
Support Services Division

jcmartinez@orem.org
(801) 229-7080
Follow the Orem Department of Public Safety at
www.oremdps.blogspot.com

ID Theft Prevention

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