Identity Theft Boo! Are you scared? You should be, you see I’m a ghost and everyday I tap in to the information cyder world. And everyday I have access to you. Worse yet Could be you. According to the secret service approximately one half a billion dollars is lost every year to identity theft online. What people don’t seem to realize is that the internet world is just like any other community. so it ” safe to assume the would act as any natural community would, vast corporations, little guys selling warez, doctors visiting patients in their cyder offices, church organizations, and cyder crime as well as cyder criminals.
With so many new users signing on everyday the cyder world has become a tourist trap so to speak where nameless faceless con artists work the crowds. Ghosts. Anybody can fall victim to a ghost. Nobody is really because our personal information is distrusted like candy on halloween. We use our numbers as identification numbers Credit card numbers are printed on every receipt.
And our license number is used on a daily basis. Despite this there are ways to prevent yourself from falling victim to identity theft. you see a criminal likes easy prey. They don’t want to have to work for it.
It’s like locking your car at the mall, sure someone might break in anyway, but chance are if your doors are lock the will probably move on to another car. First off… Never give your credit card number online out unless you are positive that the company you are dealing with is legitimate and reputable. If you aren’t sure call the better bu rough of business. Never give out your social security number unless you absolutely have to, the only times you are legally obligated to give out your social security number is when you are requesting government aid of some kind or for employment reasons.
Also I have information packets that I will hand out regarding a company that for a small cost has information about everybody. The packets have detailed inform at io on how to have your name and your family members names removed from their data base system. Now you might be thinking ‘ Granted I can see why you wouldn’t want to give out your credit card numbers but What could actually be done with my social security number?’ Everything. This is your most vital information. Say I were. Say I came across your social security number while perusing the school database.
With your social security number I can obtain information about you through the school by oh requesting a transcript for instance. Later could sign on to my account and fill out an application for american express and maybe a master card and oh I could use a new beeper to, this one is shot. By changing your adress to a PO box or an abandoned apartment box. I could pick up my new cards and become you. I could also take it another step and request a new birth certificate, because It’s not at to find out where you were born because the service I men has all of this information for me. I can even get a photo license with your information.
Scared yet? So I charge you thousands of dollars and you don’t even know it until you try to take out a loan for your daughters new car. Granted in most cases you might not have to pay for the monetary damage directly but it will take you years to fix your credit. This is identity theft… As Is aid earlier anybody can become a victim. But now you ave vital information that could prevent you from becoming one. So Never give out your information unless you have absolutely have to.
Do yourself a favor and do your transactions in person. The information is a wonderful place to visit, but just like in don’t let the little mexican guy sell you a gold necklace for$80 bucks and don’t fall pray to the ghosts.