Identity Theft - Can it happen to me?

Identity Theft is becoming more prevalent in our technological world. Who knows what is contained in those bits and bytes flying around in the invisible world of cyberspace? Although we may not be able to eliminate the risk completely, Rocking Chair Wisdom indicates there are some things we can do to reduce the risk and to protect our Life After Retirement.

Deter - Detect - Defend - Avoid is the tag line used by the Federal Trade Commission to define it's logo for the web site dedicated to identity theft.

The following information is taken from a brochure provided by the Consumer Response Center of the Federal Trade Commission and distributed by the United States Postal Service.

Common Ways Identity Theft Happens

• Dumpster Diving: Identity thieves rummage through the trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it.
• Skimming: Identity thieves steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card.
• Phishing: Identity thieves pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.
• Changing Your Address: Identity thieves divert your billing statements to another location by completing a "change of address" form.
• "Old-Fashioned" Stealing: Identity thieves steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records from their employers, or bribe employees who have access.

Not included in the FTC brochure is a new twist on the Phishing method mentioned above. Phishing asks potential victims to follow a bogus link in an e-mail to a site requesting personal information. Vishing asks the potential victim to call a phone number included in the bogus e-mail. Usually when a person calls this number there is an automated response asking them to provide personal information.

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