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It Takes a Thief
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Former con artist Frank Abagnale says that the best way to avoid identity theft is to cover your tracks-- or better yet, shred them. Today, he helps kick off ShredFest NYC, an event dedicated to kicking unwanted personal documents to the curb, confetti-style.
Have you had your identity stolen? What's your strategy for disposing of personal documents? Comment below!
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Comments
I once had my identity stolen and lost about $2500 from my bank accounts due to withdrawals from local ATMs. E'm convinced, however that this was an inside job from the bank, since just before the theft, I had requested a new debit card to be sent to me because I had left my old one at my brother's house when on vacation. No...I know it wasn't my brother.
Soon after I received the new cards...the money started disappearing.
I shred all my papers but never know if the bag of shredded paper goes with the paper recycle or in the trash bin! I do put it with the recycle and leave it for the maintenance folks to decide if that's the case.
I shred everything, and if I throw anything away that has my name and address on it, I rip it in half and throw it away in two different garbage bags.
My question is: is this Frank as goodlooking as the Leonardo DiCaprio Frank?
Are the old style strip shredders good enough? I see a lot of advertising for crosscut shredders.
I realize this is a paper-focused conversation, but the web is highest on the FTC's list of sources of identity theft. I do not want my medical info in particular shareable online, despite the advantages of enabling medical providers to access everything in one place.
I never let medical offices have my social security number to use as my ID, though they always ask for them.
A family member of mine works at Social Security. And she is adamant that there is no reason that anyone other than your employer and your creditors should have your SSN. Period.
A paper shredder is one of the best investments you'll make! The $70 you spend now will pay for itself in tens of thousands of saved dollars. Go to amazon.com and buy one!
so can you refuse to give certain info such as ss# to a storage facilty or gym?
If you try to withhold your SSN you often can't get services. E.g. the gas and electric co. I think they do this so they can find you if you duck out on the bill.
Isn't it time we had a law that says that they have to provide services w/o SSN?
I've taken to giving them a made up SSN, but I still don't feel comfortable and sometimes I get caught and have to give the real one.
so, can you refuse certain onfo such as ss# to gyms or storage facilities?
What constitutes personal information? What information is more valuable than other?
what are simple preventive measures can be taken?
What protection can we use if it does happen?
Is id fraud insurance worth having?
What if we are depriving future historians of important information like our buying habits and relative honesty while reporting taxable income by shredding these documents?
i was a victim of identity fraud. someone stole the letter out of my mailbox from Visa containing a new credit card [to replace an expired card]. isn't it just wonderful that credit card companies send u ur new card thru standard mail? it is just asking for trouble.
Also, beware of those convenient ATMs in delis. Unlike banks, they are not regulated. Often the proprietor of the deli knows very little about who installed the ATM. I woke up one morning to find that $750 had been taken out of my account in Moscow after using one.
I destroy my credit cards with a scissor but cut it into tiny pieces first across the card number then my name the teentsy weentsy pieces that I distribute over the week into different garbage bags days apart.
Ask your guest what the government is doing about the theft of personal ID via corporate and government databases-- wherein the victim may not even be notified by the company that their data was stolen until a year later!
I don't understand why the NYC Police Department doesn't take individual complaints about identity theft more seriously. I had my a credit card number stolen several years ago and did some research to find out more information about the thief. I then filed a police report stating the exact street address where the thief was getting deliveries and running his fraudulent business, but the police couldn't possibly have shown less interest in pursuing this. (In fact, the desk officer who took my report was more interested in watching television than listening to my complaint.)
So if a big part of preventing identity theft is monitoring activity on your accounts and credit applications, what can be done to increase the amount of monitoring done by the average citizen? It costs money to monitor your credit report, should this be free? Should there be a free summary of all credit applications in your name every month? All this seems so easy given the computerized nature of this data.
Do you need to worry about identity theft if you don't have any credit cards and claimed bankruptcy within the last 5 years?
I don't have a shredder -- I cut up my paper with a scissors after blacking out sensitive information. I cut credit cards and dispose of part in one garbage bag and the rest in another bag usually thrown out on a different day.
Is that secure enough?
Hi Brian,
Given that so many people can become victims of identity thief so easily, can your guest tell us where we can better learn how to protect against these problems? Perhaps a book or website...
Love your show!!
my bank cancel my credit card when it was stolen before i even called them. i am very impressed -and a little scared- with the sophisticated algorithms they use to predict my consumer habits. never bought at wallmart before? and immediately my bank suspects fraud?
how much do they know about my spending habits? and how long do they keep these records?
I've always wondered when buying off the internet how "secure" their secure servers are. How do I find out?
Is it true that one can notify the credit agencies that you must be contacted when someone is aplying for credit in your name and they must do so for free.
RE: LifeLock Services
I just read about LifeLock on the ShredFest Website. It says that the Dept of Consumer Affairs is investigating LifeLock for deceptive advertising. It seems that they do not insure folks for $1M, but only if there is identity theft results from their error.
Thanks for all the info. It's so timely
i had the same experience as Dorothy. the NYC Police Department was the worst. i think we must have had the same desk officer...
A good and easy preventive measure is to check your credit card accounts online on a regular, even a daily, basis. You're more likely to be compensated for fraudulent activity if you report it right away.
Question: Can an individual family hire a secure shredding service to come to their home? What are general costs? Please answer on air if you can
Mr. Abagnale said people are responsible for the acts of their "responsible employees." Is this a specific legal term? Could he define it for us? Thanks.
What do you tell companies that dont require your SS# and still demand it. Also, how do you know you needs it and who doesn't?
Please help,
Chachi
Lexis Nexis sent me a letter a few years ago saying that they believe my personal information may have been stolen from their data bases. In order to "compensate" me for the potential risk they have exposed me to, they offered me 3 months of free credit monitoring. I found this to extremely inadequate considering the problems that could come out of this will stay with me for years to come. i asked them for lifetime credit monitoring. Nothing came of this. What are my rights here? what recourse do have with a company like Lexis Nexis that collects my personal information - without my permission - and then loses it?
Last time I looked at my credit report it showed that I had two jobs, or worked at two places that I hadn't. I reported this to the credit bureau (flagged it) and nothing else happened. I did call the two workplaces (one of them American Express HQ in Manhattan) and they said that they cannot give me the information about the SS number of their employees (to confirm that someone is using mine). How indicative is this of having my identity stolen?
Full discloser Frank:
How much is he paid for his endorsement of Privacy Guard:
The following is from Privacy Guard Web page
“Monitoring your credit history is a consumer’s best plan for protecting their identities…In 30 years of fighting fraud, I found only one credit protection program I recommend and use myself – PrivacyGuard."
Frank Abagnale, subject of the best-selling novel and movie “Catch Me If You Can,” and PrivacyGuard spokesperson, is one of the world's leading authorities on fraud prevention, and consultant to hundreds of companies and government agencies worldwide.
BIG HINT:
My mother said the best Mother's Day present I ever gave her was a shredder.
What does Frank recommend for physically destroying a hard drive or old laptop?
In the interest of full disclosure: Frank Abagnale is featured on the homepage of PrivacyGuard.com as a consultant (along with his photo, and, yes, he doesn't look like Leonardo DiCaprio).
Do comapnies such as privacy guard monitor bank accounts? Is it easy for people steal identity through bank accounts?
Please address the issue of how we can refuse to give personal info? The store/business asking won't give their service if you don't give the info. Please ask.
Z
any comments on online fraud, specifically when using wireless internet?
As to SSNs, just give a fake one to places like storage facilities. I.e., switch a few numbers - I've never had a problem doing that....
Is credit-report the only (necessary and sufficient) way to monitor identity theft? In other words, is there anything else (other than credit) that we should be paranoid about?
Thank you.
Someone using my name, SS# got a PayPal account linked to my checking account. The police did nothing, my bank restored my funds. I reported it to the three credit agencies and put a "fraud alert" on my credit reports.
Is this enough to protect me? Or should I pay Privacy Guard to monitor also?
tom from harlem -
you raise a good point I wanted to ask. Did Frank find Privacy Guard, like it and was then asked to endorse, or was he approached first?
My credit card receipts only have the partial credit card number on them. Why should I shred them?
Frank,
It is wonderful that you had a chance to turn your life around and make good use of your talent. Do you have an opinion of the extensive background checks that keep potential employees out of jobs if they have a prison record, drug record or even suspicion of activity?
(I worked in Check adjustments & investigations for over 20 years. Your story is fascinating to me.)
re: social security -- what about your health insurance? databases seem based on socials.
when you look up free credit report only 1 site is free, beware of having to lay down money.
MY ???? how do i dispute a theft?
How is it possible that people can apply with for credit cards and have them approved online without the store calling the real person and verify that they indeed did apply?
When I got back from overseas last summer I had a credit card waiting for me from a prominent Fifth Avenue department store. I called the store's Fraud Dept right away and found out that the person had used my name, address, birthday, social security number and phone number to apply for the card online. The store never called me to verify that I am I.
Two days later I received a statement from the store for $4500 for two handbags with a delivery fee. Needless to say, I filed a ID and I didn't have to pay.
Here's the thing: A local storage place (Manhattan Mini Storage) demanded my SS# on the grounds that they had to do a credit check on my credit card, which has to be used to pay the bill. What can I do?
Z
What is the best way to help the authorities track down an identity theft criminal?
My personal story is that someone used my debit card to attempt to order some expensive electronics equipment online. I had the shipping address for this fraudulent order, but the police were not interested. Is there anything else I could have done?
On Monday, I was almost a victim of a scam. I received a call from a man in Jamaica, BWI saying that I had won 4.5 million dollars. He give me a code no, and told me to call the "cashier" at another phone No. I did. I was told, the company was a, "#1 legitimate world-wide company in existance for 83 years".
I kept waiting for them to ask me to give money to get the millions. Finally they said all I had to do was give them $299 to the Fedex personal who would deliver the check. I said this was a scam and hung up.
My questions are
1. who do I report this to?
2. They now have my first name and marital status - is that a problem?
Thanks,
-CArol
2.
I have to disagree - your bank also requires your SS# and you must provide it to open an account.
My children go to a private school and every year I have to refuse their SS#'s, but when I just keep asking "Why do you need it?" and "What do you do for international students?"(politely!) they always realize they can assign a random number.
is there any way for a national background check to be completed without using your ssn?
If you know who stole your identity and report it will the person be prosecuted?
GIVE ANY NUMBER??? when asked for a Social Security Number? Isn't that potentially fraud? And, what if the number belongs to someone else? I really doubt that is what the FBI would advise ...
Is your driver's licence # private? Is there any reason for a store such as Kohl's to record it? My last visit to Kohls I used thrie credit card and because I had not used it in a while the cashier asked for my licence and recorded mt Driver's ID #
Some companies/organizations get a waiver from the gov't. to allow them to require you to provide your SSN--I've seen forms that state such a waiver is in effect & that they're legally permitted to require it. Even the NY Blood Center was doing this for awhile, but they stopped when identity theft became a well-known issue.
Do you recommend having your home address printed on your checks?
Most companies ask you to write your account # on the check when paying a bill. Do you recommend this ?
Great show !
Thank you.
I heared Frank Abagnale talk about how you will not be reimbursed for stolen money. I am wondering about how accurate that is, since in my own situation my credit-card info was stolen (after a visit in the US, while living in the Netherlands), while I was then still a resident of the Netherlands. The MasterCard loss prevention unit sent me a letter right away, questioning charges made somewhere in Spain and Portugal (where I have never been). When I stated that I did not make those charges, I was immediately reimbursed (about 2000 euros). Possibly different policies in different countries, but the companies are the same. I bet US law makes it possible for companies to act discriminatory in that way.
Someone got a hold of my Chase credit card and used it physically at a Wal-Mart in Oklahoma. I've never been to Oklahoma. Chase called me immediately to let me know and eventually issued a new card. I just don't know how that person got my Chase card; it's never been stolen.
Could you please repeat once again the type of uniball pen you recommend as well as the credit watch agencies you recommend?
Thanks very much.
Don A
This is one of the most interesting and useful shows Brian has ever done. Thank you!
what was the name of the service he uses for himself
how importint is it to protect birth date since many places especialy doctors ask for that even if they don't ask for ss#
In trying to check the information available in public records, as gathered by Intelius.com, I noticed none of the individuals listed with my name (or small variations) none had all information accurately. The former addresses were incorrect; some of the listed relatives were incorrect, etc.
What is your advice about whether I should contact this company to ask the correct the information? Or should I leave as it is, since it in incorrect, nobody will be able to use it to their advantage?
Also, what is the added value of a privacy company service over the freeze of your credit (which I already have as a victim of identity theft)?
Thank your for your help
In mentioning what the law says about when you must provide a social security number, no mention came up about medical situations...dr. offices, hospital visits, etc. If you provide a medical office or institution with an insurance code, do you also have to provide a social security number??
All this rampant identity fraud is great in a way. What it means is that after a while we will all be liberated from the dictatorship of the credit rating gods because their reports are discredited (pun intended) by all this fraud.
All the more reason to spread our credit risk by getting credit OUTSIDE the USA.
What is the name of the uniball pen for writing checks?
The Fellowes shredder OD1500C chews through everything...piles of paper, cd's, staples.
http://www.amazon.com/Fellowes-High-Performance-Personal-Confetti-Cut-Shredder/dp/B00016ZLD4
1. Are the NYC mobile units microshredders?
2. We receive many, many credit card solititations with our name and address embedded. I shred the two portions with our names and address. Is it necessary to shred these things?
I've lost my social security card. No one has asked me for it, but should I try to get a new card? If so, how do I go about getting it?
For Don A:
The Uniball 207 gel pen & Privacy Guard.
How did this type of fraud get called "identity theft"? If a crook uses my name to con a creditor or bank to give them money, how is that my problem or fault?
It is the creditor's or bank's incompetence , and the creditor's or bank's money. Calling it "identity theft" seems like a clever way of shifting blame and liability away from the responsible parties.
BIKE SCAM
HA HA HA
Exactly the people who allowed their rents/home prices to double every 2 years!
Don't they have tricks in Ohio or wuddever?
Oh, also: why does the Fair Credit Reportng Act make it so difficult for individuals to personally obtain a credit report (asking for driver's license, SSN, proof address, last two addresses), but is it so easy for corporations (real-estate, banks) to "pull a credit report" simply by putting in a SSN in a web-based program?
The risks for the perpetrator are small because it is difficult for the victim to prompt action. I had great difficulty getting the police precinct on W. 54th to take my statement. My Chase visa credit card was stolen (unbeknownst to me)and the same day $800 of charges were made at 3 different Duane Reade stores in Manhattan. The Chase fraud dept called me at 8am the next morning and asked me if they were my charges. We closed the acct immediately. I was in possession of my card though, so I asked them to confirm their issuance of 2 cards (on one of those upgrade deals). They said I was only issued one card. I insisted I had had 2 cards with the same number & expiration #. When I tried to report it to police and even give the Duane Reade store #s to detectives so they could monitor the store videos for the day of the crime, police insisted that I certify whether my physical card was taken or only the # used. When I said there was a discrepancy between Chase's record and my recollection that I had 2 cards, they would not take a statement, even though I had an official Chase statement. They said I had to be certain before they would do any investigation. So I went 3 times to police AND to Chase and it was never pursued criminally. By the way, 3 months later Chase confirmed that "of course" 2 cards had been issued. I figure the spare card had been pickpocketed at JFK. Many lessons plus some level of cynicism about ever being able to pursue criminal activity in this city.
Brian - Did you announce about Frank's connection with Privacy Guard? You really can't let this go by. It loses you credibility when someone sneaks something past like that. Like the A&F shirts behind Obama....
The one company Abagnale suggested, PrivacyGuard dot com, he happens to appear on their Web page, apparently as a paid endorser. Not to bring undue skepticism to bear on Mr. Abagnale, but it would have been good if he'd mentioned that.
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS ARE FOREVER! Unlike credit cards, your SS number cannot be cancelled - think about it. Once your SS# has been compromised, it can be reused forever! In fact there are online brokers of this info who will sell and resell SS#'s. So, if it appears that you have become wise, your number is shelved for a while, only to be tried again 1,2,or 3 years later. Congress must get the SS Admin. up to speed where they can cancel and change SS#'s like the banks, but in the meantime, a credit monitoring service is your only effective defense.
one morning at the subway station, all the swipers were taped up, and one guy is holding the emergency exit open. people gave him their subway card, he swiped it somewhere (??? I can't even remember the details because I wasn't thinking as all), and gave it back to them. I followed suit and gave him my recently purchased $40 card to swipe. in the afternoon that day when i tried to swipe my card, i, of course, found out that my card has been swaped with an expired one.
In response to Maarten's post, the recent changes in bankruptcy laws greatly bent the system to favor the credit card companies. Just for the record, Obama voted against this, Hillary was absent. The credit card companies are mainly regulated by state law so you might want to avoid doing business with a bank based in a state such as Virginia where AG's in OTHER states have had to go in to try to protest people against companies like CapitolOne.
A listener asked how to delete data from their hard drives before disposing of a computer.
There is a free CD-based distribution called DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) which deals with the problem. http://www.dban.org or http://dban.sourceforge.net
You download the image and burn it to a CD. Then just boot from the CD and follow directions. It does a secure delete of the whole disk by overwriting it many times with random data.
You can also buy a CD with the software already burned into it.
What about signatures. Can a credit card company hold you to charges that you did not sign for?
Medicare insurance cards had the beneficiary's Social Security number as part of the Medicare Claim Number. I have a sense-recollection (not verified) that this procedure has been changed prospectively but the older cards use the SS number with the A suffix.
Hi,
When applying for a mortgage my SS# was stolen and somebody opened credit cards and made purchases using my identity. When I found out I did some research and had a very good lead suspecting an UPS store and their employees of having committed the crime. I filed a police report stating the identity theft and a detective was assigned to my case. Overwhelmed with other cases, the detective did not investigate my case and it was never dealt with. I would like to know if I could do anything about this. What would Mr. Abagnale suggest?
I appreciate any suggestions.
Best,
Heidi Riegler
Some banks rigidly insist upon having 'signature cards' for checking accounts, etc. Then these 'signature cards' are never used and all check debiting is done from the check's digital numbers rather than through signature verification...so lost checks may mean lost money through forgery. Is the bank responsible for honoring the forged check??
On telephone scams - the answer is wasy - ANYONE who calls me that I do not know - friend, family, or otherwise - I simply curse LOUDLY into the phone & hang up. I've registered with the no-call numbers & now when I receive ANY uncolicited calls I do not feel the least bit guilty about using language a sailor would blush at to even think ;)
We do vermicomposting with our shredded paper. That's a way NOBODY can read what's been shredded! And we get good, rich soil for our houseplants from the process. No smell if done correctly, and no fruit flies from shredded paper.
Paper shredded is helpful, but not the only way to go.
http://www.identitytheftsecrets.com/go-green-one-piece-of-junk-mail-at-a-time.html
You can always go green and just eliminate a great deal of the mail so you don't have to waste your time shredding.
Also, shredding may not always be the best way to go. Find out why.
http://www.identitytheftsecrets.com/paper-shredders-will-not-protect-your-dentity.html
This thread is closed.
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