There’s a new breed of thieves on the internet,
and they’re going phishing.
What they’re stealing is all the information
that they need to pretend to be you, run up bills
in your name and ruin your good credit. What’s
worse, you might not even know – until you
try to get that loan for your new car.
Phishing is the practice of sending out
emails or setting up web sites that solicit your
personal information. Often, the web site
or email appears to be from a legitimate business
with whom you have an association – your internet
service provider, your bank, PayPal or another company
with whom you do business. It will ask for information
that only you can provide – your password,
your PIN number or your social security number,
for instance. With that information, the thief is
free to access your accounts and even establish
others in your name that you won’t know about
– until they prevent you from getting a loan
or credit card.
Ten years ago, identity theft
was rare enough that cases of it were treated with
suspicion that the victim was simply trying to get
out of paying bills. These days, it’s a growing
concern among credit card companies, banks and the
general public. A thief who gets hold of your social
security number and identifying details can:
- Open credit cards account using
your name
- Establish loans using your name
- Sell your house (it’s extreme, but it’s
happened!)
In short, once a thief has the information that
he needs to pass himself off as you, he can run
up thousands of dollars of bills in your name and
totally ruin your credit – and if he does
it cleverly enough, you won’t even know. What’s
more, even a small use of your identity can have
repercussions that last for a long, long time. I’m
a living example of a ‘minor’ case.
About six months ago, I called the phone company
to request a minor change in my service –
my daughter was off at school and I wanted her to
be able to make collect calls if she had to. I was
informed that no changes could be made to my account
until I paid off the charges on a six year old closed
account. The charges aren’t great –
less than $300 – but the telephone number
to which they’re charged is not mine, never
was mine and is in a city that I’ve never
visited, let alone lived in. It was opened using
my personal details, including social security number.
The case has been referred to the Attorney General’s
office after months of wrangling and phone calls,
but until it’s settled, I can’t have
my phone service transferred, can’t make changes
to my phone service and can’t add a second
phone number to my account. I don’t even want
to think about how complex it would be if it involved
multiple accounts and services.
There are some simple steps that you can take to
avoid being a victim of identity theft.
