It seems there are people in this world who will never draw the line. Identity theft is not being quelled. These are just stories of people who didn’t get away with it.

This past week a man was arrested in Louisville for some interesting charges. He was taken in with $500 in fives, a concealed deadly weapon, and a list of homeless shelters and their respective meal times. Antonio Philips, a “nice and clean cut” 30-year-old Florida man was apparently offering homeless people $5 to tell him their first and last names, date of births, and social security numbers.

This is not the end of the ridiculousness.

A Girl Scout Leader  in Mount Olive, NJ was arrested at the end of  a three-week investigation. Police concluded that she was responsible for applying for credit cards under the identities of other people. She had obtained the personal information of  two of the troop’s volunteers.

One of the victims said a credit card was opened through Capital One. The 30-year-old Kelly Willard, of Budd Lake, and leader of Daisy Troop 4366 had run up a balance of $2,126 on the card in just two days.

“Willard has been charged with identity theft, seven counts of credit card fraud, two counts of false application to secure a credit card, two counts of identity theft, and theft for the items which were purchased using the fraudulently obtained credit card, Anthony said. She was lodged in the Morris County jail in lieu of $1,000 bail,” according to the reporting of NJ.com news site.

Homeless and scout volunteers are just random stories. But be aware that your identity is not safe.

Do not carry your Social Security Card with you unless you need to and don’t participate in sweepstakes, credit card offers, or respond to emails with your information. If “your bank” is supposedly updating its records they will be sure and do it in a credible manner. New Read Flag requirements will help with your protection.

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They did this to New Yorkers. You guys are supposed to be the most cut-throat people in the nation. I don’t really know if IE8 is what they say it is, or not. That’s not really the point. The fact is, they people not only got duped, but also gave out their most precious info. Are we really this gullible when a promise of money is dangled above our heads?! I am personally sickened by how easy it is to con people out of their livelihoods.

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Its no secret that cell phones have become a major player in crime. They make it easier for crimes to be committed. But there is also crime towards cell phones. The theft of mobile phones is way up. If a phone is stolen, chances are you are not going to get it back. There is a market for stolen phones, but generally this is a theft of service. Thieves are doing this for themselves. A stolen phone with cancelled service can still be used. The thief can remove the SIM card, insert their own, and continue using the stolen phone. However, there is a way to ensure they can’t .

If you know your phone’s serial number you can render the device unusable remotely through your cell provider.

If you don’t (no worries, most will not), you can find it this way:

If your phone uses the Global Systems Mobile Communications standard (GSM), you can punch star-hash-zero-six-hash ( * # 0 6 # ) into the phone to reveal your fifteen digit IMEI code. Write this down and keep it somewhere. It might not get you your phone back, but it will foil some punks unscrupulous behavior.

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So I know it’s probably just me who finds it weird to still call it a Social Security Number when the system is in the tank. The system is so overwhelmed that its taking forever for people to win their cases for disability benefits, sometimes taking two years before a payment is made. Anyone who thinks this is going to sustain the Boomer Generation coming in and the Gen Y’er too is just asinine. The spike in the number of applications recently can be attributed to the economic status of the country. The system is dangerously close to being swamped yet again.

But that’s not what we need to cover today. Consider that rant a historical background. What we need to cover today is how you can protect the you withholdings from criminals so you can give it to other people you don’t know instead. Okay, okay…Turning the cynicism off.

People send us emails all the time asking what they can do now that their credit, identity and life are all in jeopardy. The answer is: very little with a lot of patience. The fact of the matter is, a lot of times fraudulent SSNs are just made up and happen to correspond to a real individual. This we have no control over. What we can do is lower the risk on the other percentage of the cases of identity theft. So once again:

• By law, your Social Security number is only required for opening new financial accounts or lines of credit, obtaining a job or for governmental purposes such as taxes or benefits. (That’s it! It’s okay to decline giving it out in other cases.)
• Ask questions: If a company asks for your number, ask under what law they need the number and offer an alternative identification. Only give it out if you feel comfortable with the company, and if you don’t, be prepared to do without its services.
• Don’t carry your Social Security card on a daily basis. Memorize the number. If your Medicare card had your number, make a wallet-sized photo copy for your wallet or purse and black out the final four digits.
• Shred any financial documents that might have your Social Security number before trashing them. Monitor your financial statements closely. And be wary of entering your Social Security number on web sites. (Again if it isn’t registered as secure and is not a job app, gov. site, or financial/credit institution don’t give it out.)
• Your Social Security number can be changed if you can prove you have been the legitimate victim of identity theft.

For more information, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10064.html

Sources: Social Security Administration, Identity Theft Resource Center.

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Knowing where to look to check on your credit is a first big step:

http://www.creditratingbureaus.com/index.html

Here’s a pretty good post I came across as well:

Why Good Credit Scores are Key to Surviving in a Troubled Economy

Credit.com and the free Credit Report Card were featured last night on Channel 2 KTVU‘s special report by Pam Cook.  The report discussed why preserving good credit scores is key to surviving in a troubled economy.

Adam Levin, Chairman and Co-Founder of Credit.com, was interviewed for the piece and explains how your credit card balances are one of the keys to obtaining high credit scores. What is your credit score, how is it calculated and what does it mean? If you missed it, you can watch the full clip here:http://www.ktvu.com/video/23512512/index.html

Special thanks to Erin Smith, a local consumer in the San Francisco area who shared her personal credit story.  The fact that she used our free Credit Report Card before she went to apply for an auto loan makes everything we do at Credit.com worthwhile. Credit.com, promoting financial literacy and consumer credit awareness, one consumer at a time.

If you haven’t tried the Credit Report Card, we encourage you to check it out: https://www.credit.com/ufg/default/ccom_credit_report Not only does it help you understand exactly how your credit scores are calculated and where you stand, it’s really, truly, free.  And be sure to let us know what you think!

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The recent issue to come to light on the subject of identity theft is black market sale of personal info. There are people out there in cyberspace who steal electronics from banks and other institutions or maybe just raid a dumpster to obtain valuable personal info. Either way, they hop on the net and claim to have DOBs, SSN, Account numbers, and dumps (magnetic strip codes). They are acting as a sort of middle men. Not bearing the full risk of the crime, but still making a buck illegally.

The thing to keep in mind is that these are people trying to make money off fraud. They could very well be swindling each other. Maybe they don’t ever deliver information after payment or the info delivered itself turns out to be bogus just to make a quick dollar. Whatever the case may be, the plot defiantly keeps thickening.

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Recently, the people at Facebook decided it would be cool to incorporate their site with other sites. It would give their users a more tailored net experience. The setting would be enacted all around. And users would not be made aware. It’s called Facebook Instant Personalization. What it does is share your personal information with Facebook’s partners so they can personalize their features when you first arrive on their websites. This is probably not a threat to your identity or your finances, but it is a breach of your personal information. It’s not like Facebook asked. They just did it.

This is just capitalism. Facebook back in 2004 was not generating any significant revenues to speak of. Now they have sponsors and affiliate marketers to think of. Hence, the progressively different structure.

I just wanted to make everyone aware of the fact your info is being given out. I mean, it’s not like you are going to stop facebooking, write a concerned email, or delete your profile. We are all hooked anyways. Now you might not be able to hide what groups you are a part of or block your activity on the site from appearing on your profile page, but we still log on.

According to Computer Associates, a multinational computer software corporation headquartered in New York, Facebook even tracked user activity on sites affiliated with its Beacon advertising program, even when those users have opted-out of the program and logged off Facebook. Now this controversial service became the target of a class action lawsuit and was shut down in September 2009. This new wave of change looks vaguely familiar.

If you feel like opting out of their “personalization process”, it’s pretty simple:

• Log in
• Click the account tag in the right hand corner
• Go to Privacy Settings
• Go to Applications and Websites
• Click the Edit Settings button under Instant Personalization

-Uncheck the “Allow select partners to instantly personalize their features with my public information when I first arrive on their websites” box and save.

Otherwise you can do it by a site by site visit by visit basis. “When you arrive on these sites, you’ll see a notification from Facebook at the top of the page. You can easily opt-out of experiencing this on these sites by ‘No Thanks’ on the blue Facebook notification on the top of partner sites.”

Gizmodo.com, gives us a satirical look at the changes to come in the future.

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The government says reporting a lost or stolen card to us will not prevent its misuse. You have to do more than just replace it. Some who is in possession of your card can undoubtedly get more of your personal info. Now, it doesn’t cost you anything to apply for a SSN card, either for yourself or for application of a newborn. But these things are not like debit cards. You can’t just have the government close one and open a new identity for you. This is why they made all these other outlets:

• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (1-877-ID-THEFT or 1-877-438-4338);
• File an online complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov;
• Check your Social Security records (call toll-free 1-800-772-1213; TTY 1-800-325-0778) to ensure your income is calculated correctly
• File a report with the local police or the police department where the identity theft took place, and keep a copy of the police report as proof of the crime

• Contact the fraud units of the three major credit-reporting bureaus:

– Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; or Internet: http://www.equifax.com

– Trans Union: 1-800-680-7289; or Internet: http://www.transunion.com/

– Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (1-888-397-3742); or Internet: http://www.experian.com

But the best way to avoid all this is to not travel with the little blue piece of paper. Keep it at home locked up with the title to your car. I can’t believe it when people tell me they still keep it in their wallet or purse. You know how many times I lost my wallet when I was younger?!

“Hello, yes is this the US government? Hi. This is _________. I seem to have misplaced and misused how the entire system recognizes me. Yeah, I need a new number. Oh you don’t really do that. I see.”

The stance of Social Security on issuing new numbers is like this. They only want you to consider changing your Social Security number as a last resort. The thing being, changing your number may adversely impact your ability to interact with federal and state agencies, employers and others. Why? Well, because your financial, medical, employment and other records will be under your other SSN. If you have done all you can and someone still is using your number, they may assign you a new number. But they cannot guarantee that a new number is going to actually solve your problem. AND you can’t even get a new number if you filed for bankruptcy, appear to “intend to avoid the law or your legal responsibility” (Do alimony and spousal support payments count?), or – and here’s the biggie – if your social security card is stolen or lost and there is no evidence someone else is using it.

Gosh Jim, identity theft isn’t-very funny.

If you value your credit and like being in charge of your life, keep that stupid little card and the content printed on it under lock and key.

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We have heard of some crazy things people do to set scams, steal identities and then the crazy stuff they buy with your money. I have heard recently of women stealing Botox injections and even more astounding is the fact surgical procedures are also being chalked up to identity theft in the past year. It is being called surgical identity theft. It was only a matter of time before this started happening. I mean, healthcare is like 20% of our GDP.

This story really stuck out. And so I felt the need to show the extent of identity theft in 2010. Brace yourselves. This is the story of one woman’s quest to obtain fulfillment. Yvonne Pampellonne was your typical 30-year-old California girl. This typical girl walked into the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery and walked out with $17,000 in lipo and a brand new set of implants. She didn’t pay a dime. She stole a woman’s name to set up a line of credit. She hit the road and didn’t have to pack much, seeing as everything she stole was pretty much right in front of her.
The story gets better. She had implants already. Pampellonne has inherited the alias of “The Breast Implant Bandit”. The Bandit is now looking at six months of hard time after pleading guilty to grand theft boob, identity theft, and burglary.

However did the authorities catch The Bandit? Apparently there is serial numbers on implants. They used the serial numbers of her old set that were removed.

Don’t let your identity wind up on someone’s chest. Here are some tips to ward off surgicial identity theft:

• Watch your credit report and identify any medical debts on the report (make sure they are yours).
• Look at any explanation of benefits that may be sent to you by insurers. If anything appears to be incorrect, contact the insurer or provider for a full explanation. When a statement isn’t yours, don’t ignore it just because it says you don’t owe any money.
• Request and review every benefit associated with being paid in your name by insurance plans to which you belong.

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The thing to remember is that it has become so commonplace that the odds are pretty high that you’ve been a victim or you know someone who has. I cannot stress this enough, be more aggressive with your monitoring. Get in a habit of checking systematically. I don’t care if you have $20,000 in the bank or $20. That doesn’t matter to these guys. It’s not fiat money they are after. Its credit and the doors that open once they get their hand on it. These days people are using stolen personal info to seek medical treatment. Yup, medical identity theft. So stay on the ball people. Watch you statements, for God sakes keep your info under lock and key (particularly on the web, maybe get more spyware or software protection), and take advantage of the government resources.

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