Advice on Combating Identity Theft

[Allan_L]

Hi Friends.
I recieved this in email today.
I never pass these on, however this seems reasonably good advice.
However, I assume no responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained.
But it sounds good, and may help someone here.
I appologise in advance if this has already been posted.

[Octane]

Finally, a spam email with some truth in it.

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/credit.asp

Regards,
Humayun

[supernova1965]

I never answer emails from anyone that I don't know or unsolicited source
and be carefull when putting your trash out that bills and stuff with your details on to make them unreadable.:thumbsup:

[Ian Robinson]

Easiest ways to ensure your identity is secure :

- don't use internet banking
- don't keep any personal or financial information on you computer (it's too easy to steal electronically).
- never let your credit card out of your sight.
- never ever answer phone or internet surveys
- never ever give any personal or financial details over the phone or to people who knock on the door (no matter what).
- never throw out rates, water bill, power, light, phone bill or anything else that can "collected" and used to steal your identity.

TRUST NO ONE.

[Esseth]

Also just remember...

YOU HAVE NOT JUST WON $1,000,000

[JethroB76]

Dont forget the tinfoil hat..:lol:

[snowyskiesau]

Even though the source appears to be from the USA, it's all good advice.

Not sure about the 'Photo ID' required bit on the credit card though. Do local CC companies permit this?

[leon]

I'm with H, anything that I don't recognise it is deleted.


Leon

[Benno18]

Yes they do. They wife workes at a large department store as a supervisor, and she has had a woman have that on the back of her card. All that happens is the person gets there drivers licence/passport out and shows the operator. And there you go. (the woman had MS and couldnt sign properly)

I figure you pretty much need at least one of these items to get, credit card. The person (stealer) would have to go to some great lengths to steal the credit card, realise that it has the 'photo id required' tag on the back, get a fake drivers license with the same name as the credit card, and THEN go use it. :screwy:

Some great advice though.

[marki]

I have a phone system set up on my accounts. Money cannot be transferred without my explicit approval. This is a good security measure even if you lose your cards or someone knocks off your identity. The moment a request is made to transfer money the bank calls you.

Mark

[DavidU]

Yes I have (had) this, very good indeed. If someone stole my identity they would get a nasty shock !

[blindman]

Clever post.
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers Nev

[Ric]

Handy advice Allan, thanks for posting that.

Whenever we have to throw away old documents firstly we shred them and then put the shreddings in the worm farm. The worms do a fantastic job of totally destroying everything in a matter of days.

Our fruit trees also appreciated the end result from the worms as well.

Cheers

[TrevorW]

Change your indentity

[stephenb]

Everytime this issue arises on forum, I strongly urge people to download this ABC Radio Nation episode from 2007, titled Your Money Dot Con.

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/stories/2007/1955341.htm

It is a big file, but it is a wonderful insight into the fragility of internet and phone security.

[Allan_L]

I remember about ten years ago, when I bought a little electric document shredder, my wife rolled her eyes and asked "Why do we need that!?

But now, she uses it more often than ..... the dishwasher (which she bought).

But wait....
Then just to be sure there are no criminals out there with lots of sticky tape, its into the compost bin, and recycled into garden enhancer.

Additionally, she refuses to give her first name to anyone, only her surname and first initial. And if ever a letter turns up with her first name on it, she rings them and demands to know how they got it. And demands they change it.

Once she followed a trail of on-selling of her name and eventually it ended at the local council! Boy did she give it to them !!!

It is sad to think this is where we have come to.

[Wavytone]

Actually it is no laughing matter. I've already had two attempts at identity theft and one was fairly disconcerting in several respects:

a) how little information he needed to defraud a major telco with whom I never have had any dealings (and never will);

b) that the attitude of the telco was to sue me first, don't even bother to ask;

c) that the telco also proceeded to assemble a pile of other data on me via land title and rental records in order to establish my identity, and then attempted to initiate fraud charges against me on the basis that I was using a false identity.

It wasn't until I said, OK, lets see you in court and I'll gladly go after them for costs and punitive damages that it began to dawn on them that I was not the person they were after.

The legal wrangling dragged on for 4 years before the telco finally gave up. They didn't have the common decency to apologise, however.

[Bobbyoutback]

That tel-co needs naming , what a pathetic run organization :mad2:
Good on you for sticking up for yourself !

Cheers Bobby.

[mac]

I'm another one who uses a document shredder. Identity theft is still quite new in NZ, but when I lived in the UK it was rife. So that's when I first bought a cross-cut shredder.

[DavidU]

I have a card board box next to the open fire place. EVERYTHING goes into it and on cold nights It keeps me warm.
I kept buggering up the shredders.

[mac]

Ahh yes, an open fireplace is the ultimate 'shredder'! :)