In an interview with Michelle Crouch of Reader’s Digest, former identity thieves volunteered some of their best kept secrets. It’s hoped that by learning the tactics that these thieves took consumers can discover the best ways to protect themselves. Some of the tactics mentioned include the following:
1. Thieves hold their cell phones up when they are behind others in the grocery checkout line in order to snap photos of their credit card or debit card numbers.
2. They can easily recreate U.S. based credit cards by using a machine to make a magnetic strip. This only costs them about $50 for a machine.
3. Some drive through neighborhoods on garbage pickup day in order to pick up bags of trash. They take the trash home with them and sort through it.
4. They tend to shy away from using credit cards with photos on them, but they rarely worry about being asked for ID if the card simply has a signature.
5. Some thieves call utility companies pretending to be you and are able to secure your credit card number simply by asking the clerk which card you used to pay the bill.
6. If you have an unactivated credit card in your mail, a thief can write down the number, put it back in your mailbox and then start using the number after you’ve called and set it up. At times, they can even call and activate them themselves. It depends on the representative they speak to.
7. Dumpster diving and stealing garbage is not simply a nighttime activity. Many thieves will do so in broad daylight. If a passerby asks why, which they usually don’t, it’s not hard for them to come up with a good excuse.
8. AOL customers are prime targets for phishing emails. According to one former thief, they tend to be less computer savvy and more likely to fall for the schemes.
9. Some thieves walk into the offices of small businesses to make pretend sales pitches. Once they’re done with the pitch, they try to steal people’s purses or wallets when they leave them on the floor or in the drawer of a desk.
10. They love when you don’t password protect your wireless Internet connection. It makes it easy for them to access your sensitive data.
While understanding these tactics can give you tips and advice to secure your information, it may be even better to purchase an identity theft protection plan. Think about it. There are 10 million identity theft victims in this country each year. Obviously not all of these people are falling for the above tactics. If you are, today is the day to stop.
The fact is that there is no such thing as full proof protection. Even with an identity theft protection service you are still at risk, albeit significantly less so, so you must continue to be vigilant about protecting your personally identifying information.