Identity Theft Myths Part 1of3 During PYIW

During National Protect Your Identity Week we will be taking a fundamental approach to the issues. In the next 3 posts we'll look at myths, compiled by the National Foundation for Credit Counselors (NFCC) who is sponsoring a "Protect Your Identity Week" October 17 - 24. To help support their efforts, The Santa Fe Group Vendor Council Awareness and Education Subcommittee helped create these tips.

Identity theft is preventable. Like any other kind of crime, there's always a risk of becoming a victim of identity crime. But there are many things people can do to minimize that risk both online and offline, like keeping financial records protected and private, shredding junk mail, and tracking who sees your personal information.
o http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/deter.html
o http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/computer-security.aspx

• Identity theft is only a financial crime. While financial identity theft (theft of information for financial gain) is better known, other types of identity theft can be equally dangerous, potentially costly and time-consuming to resolve. For example, with medical identity theft, personal medical records are used to access medical treatment or drugs, or to make false insurance claims. With criminal identity theft, a person uses faulty or stolen identification to avoid prosecution by law enforcement.
o MEDICAL IDENTITY THEFT:
http://www.worldprivacyforum.org/pdf/wpf_medicalidtheft2006.pdf
o CRIMINAL IDENTITY THEFT:
o http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs17g-CrimIdTheft.htm
o EMPLOYMENT FRAUD:
http://www.idtheftcenter.org/artman2/publish/v_art_solutions/Solution_27_-_Someone_Working_as_You.shtml

• It's my bank's fault I became a victim of identity theft. Some identity crime does originate with the theft of bank records or is perpetuated by lax security practices. However, the majority of identity theft begins elsewhere. Personal information may be stolen with low-tech tools like a lost or stolen wallet, checkbook, or debit/credit card, or more high-tech methods, like skimming, phishing, and hacking.
o http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/computer-security.aspx
o http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/about-identitytheft.html#whatdothievesdowithastolenidentity

• It is safe to give your personal information over the phone to a bank if the caller ID shows that it is your bank. It is never safe to give personal information to unsolicited callers, no matter who they say they are. Caller IDs are easily spoofed. If you believe the caller is legitimate, hang up and call the bank back at its listed phone number.
o http://www.ncpc.org/programs/catalyst-newsletter/catalyst-newsletter-
2009/volume-30-number-1/vishing-a-new-twist-on-identity-theft-threatensconsumers
o http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/computer-security.aspx

Invest in identity theft protection and prevention. Not all forms of identity theft protection can be prevented, but identity theft protection services can dramatically reduce your risk.