SeniorAnarchy.com

Con Men's Best Get-Rich-Quick Opportunity: Identity Theft

What we learn from history is that we do not learn from history. That's Identity theft. For some reason, these many horror stories appear to leave little or no impression on the public. Profoundly hard to understand.

We're sure you wouldn't drink a quart of milk just before riding a roller-coaster. You wouldn't enjoy the ride any more than you'd enjoy the response if you were to walk into a crowded bikers' bar and loudly yell, "You're all a bunch of pussies." We're sure that, on both counts, restraint would hold sway. In fact, you'd most likely flip to the other extreme. Why, then, at this other extreme,do so many people choose to live on the edge when it comes to guarding their identity against theft, when anyone can easily do so? This is one of the big riddles of modern life. A real puzzler. Too much restraint.

Look all around you. We all live in a highly commercialized world. This is a generally-accepted reality. Unfortunately, this very same stage of civilized advancement creates a throwback jungle to navigate, populated by con men at every turn. And, there we all are. Machete in hand, we must cut our way through this civilized thicket--every step of the way--carefully avoiding the headhunter identity thief hiding behind every bush.

Now, though, you can be the master of these shell games instead of the con men, move the peanuts around yourself. In past articles we've covered many of the essential defensive moves you can take. There are still more. Here they are:

> You don't want your credit status to be flypaper for con men. Review your consumer credit reports annually. Do this more frequently at the first hint of wrong-doing. It is important to know early in the game if anyone is opening accounts in your name without your consent. The 3 credit reporting agencies (and toll-free phone numbers) are:

Equifax, 800-525-6285. Experian, 888-397-3742, Trans Union, 800-680-7289.

> Never use your date of birth as a password. Same for your age. Too much help for the guessers. Using these dates would be like giving Bonnie and Clyde "his" and "her" shotguns.

> Never leave, intact, receipts behind--at ATMs,, on counters, at financial institutions, or at gas pumps. Reason for this should be misunderstood only by those with a room temperature I.Q.

> If you don't get a replacement credit card before your present one expires, complain loudly. In fact, it's probably a good idea to complain at least 30 days prior to expiration. Many do not realize it, but the internal policy of the credit card issuers is to send these out well in advance of deadline. Only ignore if you like the whooshing sound of deadlines as they go flying by.

> Same for monthly bills and financial statements. You do not want the computerized footprint of these to loiter in cyberspace too long, easily accessible by con men. Complain. Make sparks, if necessary. Sure, friction can be a drag, but overexposure can cause you a severe case of financial pneumonia.

If and when it all falls apart anyway, despite your best preventive efforts, keep a record--names, phone numbers, and complete addresses where available--of all the people with whom you have discussed your case. Also, all supporting documents. Look at it this way: experience is great--it enables you to recognize mistakes when you make them again.

It should go without saying that you should be prepared against the intolerable temptations born of greed which lurk everywhere these days in our civilized jungle. If you were a blimp pilot you'd have a bird's eye view. Failing that, we suppose, the old fashioned way of book-lernin'-style study will have to do. Remember Murphy's Law of Combat: The cavalry doesn't always come to the rescue.

The Con Man's Blog, and first two chapters of Jack Payne's legal thriller book, Six Hours Past Thursday, are now available online. Both readable for free. You are invited. www.sixhrs.com

MORE ARTICLES:

Become a Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist (CITRMS)
The Institute of Fraud Risk Management ( www.TIFRM.Net) is dedicated to assisting consumers, employees, businesses, and professionals in combating fraud by providing effective education designed to increase their awareness and understanding of fraud and Identity Theft, how these crimes occur, and expert risk management strategies to minimize their associated risks.

PFPC Announces Advanced Online Security Services
Multifactor authentication protects against fraud and identity theft.

How to Prevent Fraud and ID Theft
ACCC provides tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud and identity theft.

Credit Card Identity Theft Protection
Are there really safety nets that protect you from credit card fraud Identity card theft has cost millions of Americans about $5 billion

Bernard Madoffýs Giant Ponzi Scheme: Careful Investors Should Have Known
In what could be the largest case of fraud in Wall Street history, Bernard Madoff allegedly conned $50-billion out of investors Not small-time, unsophisticated, gullible people either

Cyveillance Reports Malware Attacks via Web Sites Grew 30 Percent in Q3 2007: Online Financial Fraud and Identity Theft Report Identifies more
Cyveillance, the world leader in cyber intelligence, today announced its latest "Online Financial Fraud and Identity Theft Report." During the third quarter of 2007, Cyveillance identified a significant shift in the nature of online attacks with malware-based attacks jumping 30 percent to more than 3 million attacks. In addition, attacks targeting consumers in Europe and Asia are growing substantially faster than in the United States, indicating a global expansion of online fraud schemes taking advantage of previously untapped economically developed nations.

Identity Theft - Don't blame The Internet
Identity theft  also known as ID theft, identity fraud and ID fraud  describes a type of fraud where a criminal adopts someone elses identity in order to profit illegally. It is one of the fastest growing forms of fraud in many developed countries.

Identity theft protection & prevention for students
In daily life, very few people stop to think about how effective their identity theft prevention skills are. Of course, many people are not aware that identity theft is the fastest growing type of fraud. Today's youth are especially at risk- the 18 to 29 age range is the quickest growing victim group. Everyone should be educated on identity theft protection, especially parents and students.

AP9 PrivacyMatters 123 Says, "Don't Get Hooked -- Phishing Can Ruin Your Day"
AP9 Privacy Matters 123 warns consumers of phishing and identity theft scams.

Identity Safeguards Launches Identity Theft Blog
Discussion Forum by Industry Experts in Identity Theft Prevention and the Recovery of Stolen Identities

Protect Yourself this Holiday Season with Consumer Advocacy Tips from PissedConsumer.com
Consumer complaints site, www.PissedConsumer.com, has launched a new consumer tips section in time for the holidays, where consumers can learn to protect themselves from fraud, online scams, identity theft, and more.

Identity Theft Prevention - How Do Thieves Steal Your Identity?
When we discuss about identity theft prevention, most people normally think about some irresponsible criminals who steal other peoples identity when non-internet savvy users are being careless and not aware of internet phishing and scams. You might be thinking that they are not familiar with online frauds and they are purely unaware of the risk of privacy invasion.

iovation CEO to Discuss New Frontier of Fraud Management at Merchant Risk Council Conference
Fraud Management Visionary Will Explore How Device Reputation Can Be Used in Parallel with Identity Systems to Stop Online Fraud and Abuse

What Do You Have Guarding Your Identity?
In America, one of the fastest growing crimes is identity theft This crime includes credit card, medical, tax and criminal fraud