Accounts you have online

In this Internet age, having accounts that are managed online is commonplace. Using your computer to manage your accounts is fast and easy. The accounts that you may have online include the following:

• Bank accounts (savings and checking)
  
• Accounts for your bill paying service
  
• Insurance (homeowners, auto, life, and health)
  
• Investment accounts, such as 401K, mutual funds, and others
  
• Individual accounts with online merchants
  
• Services like PayPal services
  

Any account you can access online has the potential to be compromised. To access the account, you generally use a PIN (personal identification number, or password). Sometimes the PIN is all numeric, and sometimes it consists of alphanumeric characters.
The danger with online accounts is having a weak PIN, password, or one you need to write down. Once an identity thief figures out your password or PIN, he or she can access your accounts as easily as you do. Money can be withdrawn from the account or moved to other accounts; the accounts can be closed out.
The most secure combination of characters for a PIN or password is a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters, such as TGIF29#$!.

How people find your information online?

Finding your information online is not that difficult. All you have to do is access public records Web sites, and you can find some information. If you own a house, for example, the address, parcel number, the mortgage company, the amount borrowed to purchase, and the purchase price, and the taxes paid or owed on the property are all on file at the county clerk’s office.

• DOB, Sites like anybirthday.com, public Records
• Your name Online, directory lookup, such as anywho.com. All you need is a published phone number
• Real estate, owned Public records county clerk’s office
• Previous and current addresses , Record search Web sites, such as completedetective.com and findsomeone.com. You need a first and last name.
• Your name, DOB, SSN, address, account numbers, balances, and more. Your online investment accounts
• Your name, address, and account numbers, Your online banking accounts
• Criminal and civil court Records, Public databases

Web sites exist where you can pay a fee to obtain information about yourself. The number of searches you request determines the amount of the fee. You can search criminal records, the county clerk’s office, and so on. All you need to do is type in your SSN, DOB, name, and address. The site will search through public records for criminal convictions, civil suits, bankruptcies, and so on. Keep in mind that thieves can search this information, too.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs access to financial records, so the search Web sites are not permitted to run financial inquiries. The FCRA requires your permission to run a credit and financial check. You sign a form to grant permission to a prospective employer, car dealership, or mortgage company to run a credit and financial check. Without the form, they cannot legally run a check.
The FCRA also requires that if derogatory information appears in the report, you receive a copy so you can contest its contents.

What is Mail Napping Fraud?

Mail napping, stealing mail to get information about someone to be used for monetary gain, is one way the identity thief can get his or her hands on your mail and consequently your personal information. In 2002, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service handled approximately 84,000 mail fraud complaints and made 5,448 arrests for mail theft. In 2003, the Postal Inspection Service made 6,000 mail theft suspect arrests.
It is hard to say if this is just the tip of the iceberg. For every mail thief caught, there may be several more that are still out there preying on the mail. Even with the good records of the Postal Inspection Service, parts of the country are experiencing volume thefts. These thefts occur in Tucson and Phoenix, AZ, parts of California, and parts of Texas. The thefts include mail trucks, collection boxes, apartment mailbox panels, co-op mailing racks, and neighborhood delivery and collection units. The mail is stolen to get your checks, credit card applications, and bank statements.
Protect your mail: Don’t leave it in the box overnight or for extended periods of time — not even in a locked mailbox.
Be stingy and keep all your mail for yourself!

The important info on the documents you receive

You receive various documents every day. Some are sent by mail, some are handed to you, and others arrive by e-mail. Many of these documents contain information that is useful to an identity thief.
Awareness is your first line of defense against identity theft. Being organized and keeping track of the statements and reports you receive is important if you are to protect yourself against identity theft. Consider the following:

• Credit card statements: Your credit card statements have your name, the credit card company’s name and phone number, your address, account number, credit limit, and expiration date printed on it. Using just the information printed on the statement, an identity thief can purchase items online or on the phone. The thief can also request a change of address and have the bills come directly to them, although most banks confirm a change of address with a follow-up telephone call or letter. Your credit card statements list all your purchases and payments for the last month’s billing period. By checking your statements regularly, you can determine whether someone else is making charges on your card.
• Bank statements: Bank statements have the account numbers and balances, your name and address, and the name of your bank. If you receive direct deposit paychecks, some banks even print your SSN on your checking account statement. The checking account statement has information about your account activity and, if you choose, all the canceled checks that have been paid by the bank in your name are enclosed with the statement. Use your bank statement as a tool in detecting identity theft. Review the account monthly so that you know immediately if there are withdrawals you did not make.
• Paycheck stubs: Paycheck stubs for direct deposit have personal information on them, including your name, address, rate of pay, and your employer’s name. Some also have your SSN. Shred the stubs after you check your bank account statement to make sure that the right amount of the deposit has been recorded.
• Investment statements: Your 401K statements have a great deal of information, including your name, address, account number, balance, and the name of the company that is managing the account. IRA accounts may contain your SSN. If you have an account with a stockbroker, the quarterly statements have the same information as an IRA or 401K. You should keep the first statement after you opened the account, and then keep two to three years of current statements and shred the rest. The reason to keep the current year’s statement is to check that your money is not leaving the account without your approval or knowledge. Do not just throw your investment statements away — they contain too much personal information.
• Social Security statement: On an annual basis, we all receive an account statement from the Social Security Administration. This statement has your SSN as well as your DOB, address, and current balance with the projected amount you will receive if you work until you are 62 or 65. Because these are annual statements, you can keep more of them. They are not bulky, so you can keep all of them until retirement if you like, but keeping the most current twenty years’ worth is probably sufficient. At minimum, you should keep them to compare numbers year to year.
• Tax information (W-2s, interest accounts, 1099s, and so on): These are the most vulnerable tax documents, because they have the most information. They have your name, your address, your employer’s name and address, your pay for the year, and your SSN. Tax information is useful to identity thieves because the form has your and your spouse’s SSN, your home address, place of employment, pay rate, and so on — all of which can be used to assume your identity. Keep copies of your tax returns for at least five years in a locked file cabinet or safe. This helps minimize theft.

In addition to statements, most folks receive the following documents by mail:

• Pre-approved credit card offers
• Driver’s license renewal forms
• Utility bills
• Direct deposit pay check stubs
• Blank checks for your personal checking account

These documents have personal information, and they come in the mail — which is vulnerable.

Where Your Personal Information Hide?

Your personal information can be found in more locations than you probably realize.

• Your address, Driver’s license, your mail, your personal checks, your employer’s personnel records, medical records, auto registration, government records, business records, utility bills, mortgage information, and credit applications
• Your name, Credit card receipts, your mail, W-2s, driver’s license, online accounts, your employer’s personnel records, medical records, auto registration, government records, business records, utility bills, public records, and credit applications
• Your SSN, W-2s, some direct deposit pay check stubs, annual Social Security statement, government records, your employer’s personnel records, your driver’s license number (in some states), credit applications, student ID numbers (at some universities), and medical records
• Your date of birth, Driver’s license, online sites such as any birthday.com, government records, and credit applications Checking account On your checks, account statements, numbers business records, and credit applications
• Your credit card, Credit card receipts in some businesses, account number account statements, online pay services,