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Cringely on Identity Theft

Posted by michael on from the who-ordered-all-this-porn dept.

Boiled Frog writes "Prompted by the theft of his mail, Cringely investigates how easy it is to steal identities from government publications. In this article he explains how he got the identities of 300,000 people which he calculates to be valued at $65 billion dollars. If Cringely can do it, anyone can."

20 of 630 comments (clear)

  1. Article is spot on. Happened to me.. by Lysol · · Score: 5, Informative

    I had my identity stolen about 8 years ago. It suuuuuked!

    In San Francisco, when some people move out, they throw all this crap they don't need anymore on the curb. I saw this thoughout the city, time and time again, so when it came time for me to move, I did the same.

    I got rid of almost everything! This included, tons of old papers - possibly old pay stubs. Big NO NO! At one point, I even noticed some people looking through the big pile. "Just people who like crap", I thought.

    Six months later, the Postmaster General Attorney's office in San Jose calls me saying they've arrested someone on postal fraud that had my name and info in his little black book. It was under a section that basically was ready to have a drivers license and social security card issued in my name with this guy's picture!

    To make a long story short, the guy went to prison and I had to notify all agencies where I had any type of id or credit/bank card to put a watch on them for the next six months.

    My lesson learned: shread everything.

    However, online, this is a totally different issue and the only thing I can suggest and do about that is to check into companies and try to make sure they are responsible about how they store your credit-card information. I've personally written to all the online companies I use to ask as how they protect my information. If it ever seemed like they weren't up to snuff, I explained my concerns and asked for some sort of reassurences. Although, I must admit, that's not the best thing and sometimes letters to the BBB and other groups/agencies are necessary.

    1. Re:Article is spot on. Happened to me.. by BWJones · · Score: 5, Informative

      To make a long story short, the guy went to prison and I had to notify all agencies where I had any type of id or credit/bank card to put a watch on them for the next six months.

      Good to hear this person actually went to jail. I should add that the other thing you should do is check your credit history and cancel all old credit cards that you may not even know are still active. A friend of mine had someone get access to three old credit cards that he had cut up, but had not actually cancelled the accounts. A couple of years later he was surprised to find the companies were telling him he owed $30k worth of charges.

      --
      Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
    2. Re:Article is spot on. Happened to me.. by The_K4 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Wrong. A closed account still shows on your credit report, It won't drop off for 4 years. It will show as "closed" but will indicate your history. Run your own report some time and look at the non-revolving accounts! By leaving it open you lower your avaliable credit. Also having a large number of open accounts LOWERS your score! It's better to have 2-4 cards with high credit limits then 7-10 with average limits, and will give you a better score. I closed 3 old cards that I never used, my credit score went UP and then the 3 cards I still had all offered to raise my limits. If you have old cards taht you don't/won't use...>CLOSE THEM! they hurt you alot more then they help.

    3. Re:Article is spot on. Happened to me.. by Sapwatso · · Score: 5, Informative

      Not entierly complete either. Sometimes closing accounts can hurt your credit score too, for example if there were recent late payments on the account, or if closing the account makes your (credit in use)/(avalible credit) ratio too large. Bottom line is that the credit score calculation is very complex. If you are concerned with it enough to open or close accounts to change your score, you should probably consult a financial planner. (IANAFP)

    4. Re:Article is spot on. Happened to me.. by bug506 · · Score: 5, Informative

      I'm not sure if you are still in California, but if you are you can get a "security freeze" put on your credit report.

      This is different from the "security alert" that most people tell you to put on your credit report when fraud happens.

      With a "security alert," basically it's just a notification to creditors that they should be careful. They can still get your credit report. Apparently, many creditors ignore this warning so you are not guaranteed that someone else isn't applying for credit in your name.

      With a "security freeze," no one can get your credit report (with a few exclusions such as the police with a court order). It's much much safer.

      The credit report agency sends you a PIN that you use to temporarily or permanently remove the security freeze. For example, if you are applying for a mortgage in the next 15 days, you can remove the security freeze for 15 days, and it will be put back on once that period of time is up.

      The credit report agencies do not want people to know about this option because if everyone takes advantage of it then their whole system fails.

      Under California law, there is no charge for a security freeze on your credit reports IF you have ALREADY been the vicitim of fraud. (Someone used some of my checks and stole my credit card number before, so I qualify). If you have not ALREADY been a victim, you can pay some ridiculous amount to have it put on (on the order of $50/year).

      I believe Texas may have a similar law (because my letter including the PIN from one of the agencies said "security freezes are only available in California and Texas" and that if I move out of CA then I have to notify them so that they can remove the security freeze).

      For the last year, I played the credit report agencies' game. I PAID THEM $80/year to get access to MY OWN INFORMATION to make sure no one was using my credit fraudulently. When I renewed a couple of months ago, they changed their policy and limited the number of times a year you could view your credit report. So I dropped them, and was going to sign up with a competitor (still playing the game) when I found out about the security freeze.

      For more info:

      http://www.privacy.ca.gov/financial/cfreeze.htm

      http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/legislation_ca li fornia_sb168.html

      Of course, if you are not in California (or Texas I think), then you can try seeing if your representatives in DC will make this a national requirement.

      Joey

  2. Which goes to show you... by Flabby+Boohoo · · Score: 4, Informative

    why you use a PO box, like I do.

    Don't have to worry about such things.

    1. Re:Which goes to show you... by grub · · Score: 5, Informative


      Good idea but many places won't deliver to a PO Box as they've been used for fraud for eons. They want a brick & mortar delivery point.

      --
      Trolling is a art,
    2. Re:Which goes to show you... by jargoone · · Score: 4, Informative

      Go to one of those shipping/copy places like Mailboxes, Etc. Lots of those have boxes, so your address will be their address, with a number after it, like

      123 This St. # 666

      They'll take and sign for packages for you, too.

  3. Credit monitoring services by jargoone · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'm usually not paranoid, but talk of identity theft, and nearly being a victim (copied credit card when I visited Mexico), convinced me subscribe to a credit monitoring service. They notify you right away of changes to your profile, and give you free periodic credit reports. I'm trying to start a small business, so it's more important now than ever.

    True Credit turned out to be the cheapest at $11/quarter for the basic service. This is not a referral link, and I'm not affiliated with them in any way. Just sharing information.

  4. Money isn't the issue by Doesn't_Comment_Code · · Score: 4, Informative

    Most instutions will cover your butt now if you get your ID stolen. So it isn't the money that costs you, its the work.

    You have to apply for coverage, and show evidence that your ID was in deed stolen. That can take months or years! And a lot of effort goes into all that. One of the worst parts is trying to restore your credit rating. While the whole process really shouldn't cost very much money ( $1000) it costs a quarter of your life to repair all the damage.

    --

    Slashdot Syndrome: the sudden, extreme urge to correct someone in order to validate one's self.
  5. Avoiding the Post Office. by BWJones · · Score: 4, Informative

    From the article:"No, I mean what are you going to do about replacing my book?"

    "Why would we replace your book?"

    "BECAUSE YOU LOST IT????"

    This is exactly why I use Fed Ex or UPS when ordering things. They can track your packages and they take responsibility when they screw up. Perhaps the Postal Service could take a lesson?

    --
    Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
    1. Re:Avoiding the Post Office. by stratjakt · · Score: 5, Informative

      Priority mail with insurance.

      Fed-Ex or UPS won't replace your item if you didn't get insurance, either.

      We just got a PC shipped back to us from the field by UPS. The box was smashed, and the machine looks like CowboyNeal sat on it. Picking it up I could hear all the fancy shmance electromonical doodads rattling around inside the twisted case.

      UPS won't do shit about it, because the fool didn't pay the 5 bucks for insurance.

      --
      I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
  6. Scary websites... by Cassanova · · Score: 4, Informative

    My wife and I tried buying something on the web on this one particular site. It asked me to register since I was buying stuff for the first time there. Filled up everything on the "new account" page and hit "register me". The page came back in error saying the id I was trying to register was already taken so I had to try another one. Not so bad. What was bad though was THE PAGE RE-LOADED WITH ALL THE FIELDS IN IT PRE-FILLED WITH THAT ALREADY-EXISTING USER ID's DETAILS! Address, phone number, first/last names everything on there for the taking.

    Scaaary. We politely backed out of the site and decided to buy elsewhere.

  7. Re:You want some wine with that cheese? by YU+Nicks+NE+Way · · Score: 4, Informative

    I don't suppose you thought about the fact that the suggestion is hilariously funny?

    Your employer is the one entity which is required to ask for your SSN -- it's used to pay your FICA and Medicare taxes, as well as to route your employer's contribution to your account. Those taxes? Well, if Social Security is still around when you retire, they're what sets your benefit level...

  8. It happens more than you think! by mr_resident · · Score: 5, Informative

    After I had my ID swiped by a ID-less loser, I started taking precautions:

    Xerox/scan all your bank cards, credit cards, drivers license, etc front and back. Write down all the contact info and make sure you keep a copy in a safe place. NOT YOUR WALLET! If anything is lost or stolen call immediately!

    Open a second bank account to use for online transactions. I transfer only the amount of money I need to cover gas, lunch, online stuff to it. I don't use an ATM card on my primary checking/savings. If someone grabs a carbon, they don't get access to anymore than the few bucks I keep as a buffer.

    And as many have and will say here: Don't give out your SSN, check your credit report regularly for new lines of credit and shred early - shred often!

  9. Will the REAL Robert X. Cringely please stand up? by camusflage · · Score: 5, Informative
    You're closer to the truth than I think you knew.. I dare you to ask PBS and Infoworld who Robert X. Cringely is. From an old wired article:
    Unfortunately, in 1995, as PBS was editing Triumph of the Nerds, InfoWorld fired [Mark] Stephens [who had written the Cringely column for years--ed] - which was sort of like firing Mary Ann Evans from being George Eliot. InfoWorld thought that it ought to have exclusive dibs on the Cringely name. (In a spooky twist, if anyone really owns the rights to the Cringely name, it is probably Cringely's girlfriend's father, who put an imaginary "Al Cringely" scapegoat on his PR firm's masthead decades ago. The surname was eventually imported by InfoWorld.) Cringely still feels the betrayal deeply - first because, as he sees it, InfoWorld dismissed him without warning, and second, because they accused him of trademark infringement for continuing to use the name that he had done so much to build. "InfoWorld sued me," he says, still sounding incredulous. The case was settled out of court; InfoWorld kept the trademark, and today, another scribe's Cringely column appears in its pages every week. But the company was ordered to pay Cringely's court costs, and he was given license to use the coveted name professionally - "As long as he doesn't use it in computer publications," InfoWorld's editor, Sandy Reed, who fired him, clarifies. "PBS we don't compete with."The lowly Cringely, as ever, somehow came out on top.
    --
    The truth about Scientology, Xenu, and you: Operation Clambake
  10. Cause and Prevention by nanojath · · Score: 5, Informative
    One of the issues not often addressed is the misuse (in my opinion, and some would argue by its original intention) of the Social Security number as a universal identifier in so many public and private functions. It happens for convenience - the SS # is government issued, unique and relatively difficult to spoof, so it's handy. But it shouldn't be allowed. The SS # should be used by the government for tax identification and issuance of SS and related benefits only. Unfortunately nobody wants to open this huge can of worms.


    There is certainly a degree of catch-22 involved between convenience and security. When my wallet was stolen with license and SS card (dumb to carry both but I recently needed them starting a new job)a few years back, I was glad that I was able to get a new drivers license with no identification except a birth certificate copy I was able to get with just my SS number and no identification - but the ease of doing so certainly gave me pause for thought.


    In addition to the sound advice of shredding, a good idea is to lock your credit reports from being issued without your consent and opting out of pre-approved CC offers. Instructions for both at this article - http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/TechTV/tech tv_fraudprevent030815.html


    I'm just thankful my house has a mail slot that drops into an inaccessible bin inside the home.

    --

    It Is the Nature of Information to Transgress Artificial Boundaries

  11. wait until this happens to you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    The newest scam are VINs, the vehicle identification number. Once you have that and the proper books, you can cut keys.

    With the key, you just drive it off the shopping mall lot. And there's no sign of forced entry, so the insurance company says "you left the key in the ignition, tough for your claim. Happened to us on vacation. And 10 year old clean cars are in more demand for the body parts, it isn't just the new Hondas.

    Tape over that damned number.

  12. Re:Will the REAL Robert X. Cringely please stand u by redplasticcup · · Score: 4, Informative

    here's a link to that Wired article. Pretty interesting reading, I hadn't known that the Infoworld Cringely was fake.

  13. VIN numbers by afniv · · Score: 4, Informative

    Read more on VIN numbers and stoen cars at snopes.com:

    http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/vin.asp

    As stated in the link, I highly doubt anyone can just steal a car of the shopping mall lot. It takes too long to get a key made. You will be home by then. Also, I think covering the VIN number may be illegal in some states/countries.

    --
    ~afniv
    "Man könnte froh sein, wenn die Luft so rein wäre wie das Bier"
    Richard von Weizs