How Is Identity Theft Committed?

How does an identity thief accomplish the feat of stealing another person's identity and "becoming" that person? It seems like it should be a pretty tough thing to do, right?

Here is the great paradox: Back in the good old days, before Social Security numbers, computer databases, driver's licenses, credit bureaus, and all the other ways that various government and commercial entities track people, there was no such thing as identity theft. Impersonation, sure, but not the outright stealing of someone's identity. Back then, a criminal might roll into town and say, "Hi, I'm Sharon SoAndSo of Philadelphia. I'd like $20 in credit at the general store."

If "Sharon SoAndSo" looked like a trustworthy person, she got credit. Her name didn't much matter. If she robbed the local bank and skipped town, the U.S. Marshall Service might make a trip to Philly to inquire about Sharon SoAndSo, and when they saw with their own two eyes that you were not the woman who robbed the bank, they knew that that person was impersonating you.

Now things are different. We're all just numbers. If your numbers find their way into the wrong hands, the person who has them can steal your identity. The worst part? For all intents and purposes, they are you.

Basically, identity theft is accomplished when the criminal gets their hands on enough information about you to fill in the blanks. If they know your date of birth and your address, they can accomplish more than you think. (NEVER throw birthday cards in the trash without shredding them thoroughly first!) If they get their hands on your Social Security number, you're as good as toast. (Keep a record of every place you submit your SSN so that if your identity is stolen, you can give that information to the authorities to help them track down the crooks.)

I'm not going to give much more information than that for obvious reasons. Basically, protect your personal information because in this day of data mining, it is you. The IRS agent who shows up on your doorstep to audit you for income you earned as an exotic dancer in Seattle (when you live in Miami) doesn't care if you look like a nice person. They care about the taxes "you" didn't pay as you led "your" double life in Seattle.

Protect yourself. This is real.

Identity Theft Horror Stories... and YOU

Hellish tales of terror are not only for Halloween when it comes to identity theft.

The ghosts and goblins are everywhere: They're hacking your computer, working in your doctor's office, even sifting through your trash late at night, patiently putting the pieces of information together that give them enough of you to steal your life.

But you're smart, right? You protect yourself. If that nice receptionist at your dentist's office turns out to have a shopping addiction and uses your Social Security number to get a credit card, you'll find out about it fast, right? I should certainly hope so. Because if you don't, you could end up right in the middle of one of these true horror stories:

• You could be buying materials for terrorists.


• You could be buying guns for criminals who use your identity to pass background checks.


• You could be helping a sexual predator blend in to the community. (This story is VERY common.)


• You could be helping a tax cheat fly around the world in style.


• You might just find yourself accused of a heinous crime you did not commit, maybe something totally disgusting.


• You could end up spending years trying to clear up your destroyed credit rating.

Oh, I could go on, but you're smart. You get the point. Everyone knows that when you face a threat, you protect yourself. It's so easy to do!

The great thing about protecting yourself from identity theft, though, is that you are also protecting society. How? The earlier identity theft is picked up on, the better the chances of nabbing the crooks. The investment of 30 cents a day that you make in your own safety and that of your loved ones is also an investment in society. Think of how much better the world would be if we all made it tougher for the scumbags of the world to steal our personal information. Think of how much easier you will sleep at night while keeping the horror of identity theft at bay.

It's a no-brainer. Try it for free!

You Should Buy Identity Theft Protection

People who know me have asked me about this blog. They're like, "What's up with that identity theft protection blog of yours?"

And I act puzzled even though I know what they're getting at, "What do you mean?"

"It looks like you're just trying to sell that identity theft protection product."

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Well, it's just... a little crass of you. You're usually so informative."

This offends me a little, frankly. Crass? Trying to protect people from the fastest growing crime trend in the world is crass? Is that even a word? Jeez, it's not like I'm telling people they can make a jillion dollars on the Internet if only they pay $399 for my special secret "program." The product I'm promoting happens to be freakin' amazing, inexpensive, and -- I dare say -- necessary in this day and age. Every time someone tries it, it makes them safer. It makes me feel good to help people protect themselves. What's wrong with that? It's an honest dollar.

Do I want to sell you something? Not exactly. I want you to be safe, and I want to give you a chance to try a way of being safe for free. If that's crass, then so am I.

Oh, and by the way, this blog is informative.
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PS -- I'll make you a deal right now: I won't sell you anything you don't need. You need this

The Best Protection Against Identity Theft

Remember when you were a kid, how safe you felt in the presence of your parents? Everybody wants that feeling. Personally, I would give almost anything to have that feeling again.

Imagine your guardian angel, constantly hovering over your shoulder to protect you. No matter how strongly you believe in this entity, you cannot know for an indisputable fact that it exists. Wouldn't it be nice to remove that doubt!

I'm not going to beat around the bush here: You are under a constant threat from identity theft. It is something worth worrying about. If it happens to you, it will be a headache at best and a total nightmare at worst. The statistics and facts say that there is a very good chance that you will become a victim at some point. I wish I could tell you that it's all ponies and rainbows out there, but the world is full of creeps, crooks, and criminals. Those people will do everything from stealing your money to committing other crimes under your name.

You want to protect yourself from that, don't you? People have said that e-mail notifications from their identity theft protection services feel like a guardian angel sending them a message. It's like your mom holding your hand as you crossed the street when you were little. It's a great feeling!

Best of all, it helps law enforcement to catch these creeps and put them away so that they can't harm others. Identity theft often occurs over a period of months or years before the victim finds out. In that case, it is almost impossible to catch the offender. If you get a notice within minutes of strange activity, you can call out the cavalry and catch the thieves within hours. It's amazing, let me tell you, and it's happening every day now. Working together, we can put a dent in this crime that affects 10 million new victims each year.

Are you ready to protect your family and join the fight? Try it for free.

How do Identity Thieves Steal Your Personal Information?

This is a common question. Everyone should know that identity theft is a huge problem, but few understand how the thieves steal the identities of honest, law-abiding citizens.  Why would an honest person even think about it?

This is a difficult post for me to write because I am walking a fine line between helping people to prevent identity theft and giving the criminals ideas. It will be a bit general for that reason, but if you keep reading, I can help you.

First of all, secure your computer. Statistics say that only 11 percent of identity theft is carried out by hackers and crackers, but that still represents a substantial number of people.  Ten million new victims of identity theft are minted each year.  If 11 percent of those identities were stolen online, it adds up to over a million people.  Lock down your computer and be safe.  Especially if you're on a PC, you can easily protect your Windows PC from Malware, but don't get complacent if you are on a Mac. You should use browser passwords and clear your browser cache from time to time. Not opening e-mails from people you do not know is easy, and everyone knows not to give anyone any information by e-mail -- legitimate businesses do not ask for sensitive personal information through such insecure means, and you are smart enough to realize that if you've read this far.

Once your computer is secure, realize that almost 90 percent of identity theft happens in the real world. The thieves that you need to worry about are the patient ones who piece you together bit by bit. They will go through your garbage at home and at work, getting your address, family information, birthday (Don't throw birthday cards away without shredding them completely!), job, salary -- and anything else you give them. Well, they would get that stuff except that you are smart and careful enough not to give it to them.

Of course you should never carry around your Social Security card or passport because those are open invitations to identity theft.

If you fill out forms (at a doctor's office, the DMV, or bank, for example), cover your paper from other eyes.

Know exactly where you may have applied for credit or given personal information so that if your identity is stolen, law enforcement can talk to those people who had access. You will be prepared to help them.

Of course you know enough to monitor your identity with one of the very powerful tools available. This way if you do end up compromised, you should be able to nip it in the bud and go on your merry way.

If you do what I have suggested, you will make life much easier for yourself. Can you protect yourself? You can now.

Could You Become an ID Theft Victim?

Did you hear that Ben Bernanke's wife was a victim of identity theft? If the chairman of the Federal Reserve, one of the most powerful men in America, can become a victim, you had better believe it could happen to you.

Bernanke was affected when someone stole his wife's checkbook, and the thieves only took money -- a few hundred thousand dollars. They were caught rather quickly. That is what we in the identity theft protection business call "getting off easy."

The people who have it really tough are the ones who don't find out about it until long after the thief has started a whole new life in the law-abiding citizen's name. Imagine getting a knock on the door from an IRS agent saying you owe back taxes because of undeclared taxes on the tips you made as a stripper at that club in Vegas. Never mind that you live in Muncie and have never set foot in Vegas -- when a crook gets hold of your information, they can become you for tax purposes. In that example, the criminal might be a felon trying to make a new start at life but not wanting to tell their parole officer that they're working in a strip club.

Look, I know you might be thinking, "This guy is just trying to scare me into trying one of those identity theft protection products."

To which I say, "You're darn tootin' I am!" If even one person's nightmare is alleviated by using that product, I have accomplished my mission in this life. (In case you're wondering, I am a proud affiliate of that product. Everybody's got to eat.)

Sex Offenders Using Stolen Identities

The more I study identity theft in this country, the more it shocks me. If you go on YouTube and search for "sex offenders," then watch the newsy videos, you will see that in many cases, they use stolen identities to avoid detection. One guy was even working at a carnival, as in, around children! That guy was not just a sex offender, he was a career criminal with a long list of arrests and convictions. Something tells me that he is not the only person in the country working around children and pretending to be someone he is not: an honest, law-abiding citizen like you and me.

I wish I could get everyone to take the steps necessary to protect against the danger of identity theft, but I can't. All I can say is that when someone becomes a victim, they are usually embarrassed about it the way rape victims sometimes are, thinking it's their own fault somehow. Well, I hate to tell you this, but if you are not doing everything possible from shredding your documents to monitoring your financial data, it might just be partially your fault if you are unlucky enough to have your information compromised and abused by a criminal.

Here is a great article on the subject.