| Identity theft targets kids, and relatives often the perpetrator
While only a small percentage of identity-theft victims are children, the number is growing, and the impact on the victim's credit, confidence and relationships could be devastating. The crime can go undetected for years and is most commonly committed by a family member, according to a report released this week by the Identity Theft Resource Center, a San Diego nonprofit organization. Fortunately, simple precautions, such as keeping your child's Social Security number secret, can prevent some of the abuse. For instance, you can check your children's credit reports at credit bureaus to nip identity theft in the bud. .
Buyer, Beware - Especially Online
As you make a list and check it twice, check yourself for safety against identity theft. It's a big problem this time of year, with more people shopping with their credit cards, and shopping online. Stealing your ID is not that difficult anymore. Consumer advocates say you protect yourself by being aware of your surroundings while using your card. Also, keep an eye on the clerk while the transaction is being processed. "There are different devices called skimmers," said Chad Reiflin of the Credit Education Bureau. "Folks can use to skim our cards and steal and store information. So just as being street smart, you need to be credit smart - and smart about what's going with your information and what is happening with your card." While shopping online, make sure the site is secure.
Brown backs biometrics
Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown has said the UK will use biometrics on a national scale for cross-border control, for anti-terrorist measures and to combat identity theft. Brown, who has in the past been silent over such issues, said supermarkets and banks will use biometrics in the future and the government would follow them. He said: "Today Californian supermarket shoppers are paying with a finger-scan at the checkout and Japanese cash machines are asking for a finger-scan rather than a PIN. The reason is simple: they are more secure against fraud and theft. "And with passports now requiring biometrics, a necessity people understand, 80 per cent of the adult population will have to register their biometrics to ensure our borders are secure and so they can travel freely across the world." But as part of his speech at the Royal United Services Institute yesterday, Brown cited inaccurate Home Office figures of �1.7bn as the cost of identity theft to the UK.
ID theft prevention tools tested
You or someone you know has probably already been a victim. Identity theft is a huge problem that just gets worse this time of year. More shopping for gifts means more opportunity for thefts. Crime Tracker 3's Sophia Choi show you how to protect one of the most important items you can own, your identity. One slip up, and you could be stuck fighting bogus charges for 880 days. That should get your attention. Something that caught our attention were special pens, the makers of which claim prevent check fraud. We put it to the test. The pens boast specially formulated ink. Detective Kim Thomas tested it against a Gel Rollerball pen and a regular ink pen. After cutting the checks into pieces, he soaked them in a variety of chemicals from gasoline to acetone.
Considering the amount private info that goes into a mailbox, keep it ...
| Stand-alone mailboxes are like treasure chests. They can hold missives from family, bills, junk mail, birthday cards -- but more importantly, correspondence with personal information.
Mailboxes need security measures, such as locks and keys, to keep prying people from seeing or stealing private letters. They also can help minimize vandalism.
''It's a big issue -- mail theft,'' says Bruce Franklin, who owns All Valley Masonry in Fresno, Calif., and has built custom mailboxes for the last 12 years. ''It's not about [stealing] a check anymore. It's about identity theft.''
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Thwart thieves by freezing credit
When it comes to keeping a thief from obtaining credit in your name, consumers have a tough weapon in the form of a so-called security freeze. When you freeze your credit report, you thwart would-be thieves by preventing creditors from checking your credit history. Few lenders will lend you – or a thief – money without first checking your credit report. Texans got added muscle in September, when a new law took effect that allows consumers to freeze their credit report without first having to have a police report. Previously, Texans couldn't freeze their credit reports unless they were victims of identity theft. .
Holidays, parking lots can make for robberies
Still, when a stranger has your name and address and personal information, thoughts of identity theft haunt you for months. Parking lots at the holidays are prime targets for this kind of theft, even in our area. So keep valuables in your trunk, advises AAA Mid-Atlantic. Park in a well-lit place where people are constantly walking past. Try to survey your car as you approach it. Is someone suspicious lurking around? Have your keys out, and survey your car--are the windows intact? Are the tires deflated? Are there obstructions near your wheel? Try to park so you approach your driver's side door, AAA recommends. That way, someone won't surprise you as you open your door. And always check your back seat before you get in the vehicle. Dear Kelly: I've noticed there is a new traffic sign on State Route 218 toward Smith Body Shop (40 mph, watch for turning vehicles).
Yuma lawmaker victim of ID theft
State Sen. Amanda Aguirre, who has made identity theft prevention one of her legislative priorities, says she became a victim of the crime earlier this month when a credit card of hers was used fraudulently. "My immediate thought was this couldn't be happening," Aguirre said. "It's a reality check that anyone can be a victim of identity theft." Aguirre said she received a call earlier this month on her cell phone from her credit card company, which wanted to confirm whether she had bought some shoes. The following day, she got another call asking whether she had bought what appeared to be clothing. Both transactions, which were made online, were done using her credit number. In total, the purchases amounted to more than $3,000. The purchases were ordered from stores in North Carolina and California and supposed to be mailed to addresses in those states.
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