Identity Theft: Why Would Anyone Want My Identity?

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© 2009 Charles D. Knutson Identity Theft: Why Would Anyone Want My Identity? Dr. Charles D. Knutson Brigham Young University www.charlesknutson.net

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Identity Theft: Why Would Anyone Want My Identity?. Dr. Charles D. Knutson Brigham Young University www.charlesknutson.net. Identity theft. This is the information age Everything is electronic "Who is who?" is a trickier question Your identity is extremely valuable Brief Quiz: - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of Identity Theft: Why Would Anyone Want My Identity?

Page 1: Identity Theft: Why Would Anyone  Want  My  Identity?

© 2009 Charles D. Knutson

Identity Theft:Why Would Anyone

Want My Identity?

Dr. Charles D. Knutson

Brigham Young University

www.charlesknutson.net

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© 2009 Charles D. Knutson

Identity theft

This is the information ageEverything is electronic

"Who is who?" is a trickier questionYour identity is extremely valuableBrief Quiz:

Who has been a victim at any level?Credit card purchase that you didn't makeSomeone uses your information

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Some statistics

2003 to 2006Decrease in number of victimsIncrease in value of crime

9 million Americans each year$56.6 billion in 2006Average time for victim to resolve:

40 hours73% of crimes involve credit cards

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True story - Michelle Brown

"Over a year and a half from January 1998 through July 1999, one individual impersonated me to procure over $50,000 in goods and services. Not only did she damage my credit, but she escalated her crimes to a level that I never truly expected: she engaged in drug trafficking. The crime resulted in my erroneous arrest record, a warrant out for my arrest, and eventually, a prison record when she was booked under my name as an inmate in the Chicago Federal Prison."

-- U.S. Senate Committee Hearing, July 20004

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Not a true story…

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Forms of identity theft

Financial identity theftCriminal identity theft Identity cloningBusiness/commercial identity theft

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Financial identity theft

Use someone else's personal information to obtain goods and services

Credit card fraudLine of credit fraudLoan/mortgage fraud

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Criminal identity theft

False identification to avoid arrest or incarceration

Illegal immigrationTerrorismEspionageBlackmail

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Identity cloning

Use someone else's information to assume control of their daily life functionsBills, mail, financial affairs, civil affairs

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Business/commercial

Use business name and information to obtain credit

Or perform some other financial transaction

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Self-revealing crimes

Intent is to take advantage and then abandon the scam

Leaves the victim picking up piecesLoan fraud in someone else's nameEquipment or merchandise securedFirst notice of payment comes to victim

(moment of discovery)No intent to maintain the scam

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Non-self-revealing crimes

Intent is to maintain the scam indefinitely

Victim may never knowVictim may be deceased...

Concealment from authoritiesMost common motivation

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General Responsibility

PersonalAll personal information must now be

considered private!Government and business

Data must be protected at all costs

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Identity Theft - Techniques

Dumpster divingSkimmingComputer spywareShoulder surfingHackingPhishing

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Identity Theft - Techniques

SpamSocial networksStealing

The old fashioned wayChange of address

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Dumpster diving

Obtain physical access to garbage, discarded documents

Yes, this actually happensMail stealing

Unlocked mailboxes on street

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Skimming

Specialized deviceClerk swipes cardStores credit card information International travel

Make sure credit card doesn't leave your sight

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Skimming

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Computer spyware

More in presentation on malicious software

Software installs on your computer without your knowledge

Captures and communicatesKeystrokes, passwords, credit card

information

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Shoulder surfing

Stand near someoneEspecially in a crowded setting

Watch PIN, any other personal information that can be seen

May also be done at a distance with telescope or binoculars

More devices being made saferATMs, keypad entry systems

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Hacking

Thieves electronically penetrate databases

Obtain all kinds of personal informationOften credit card information

This is a very very large topic!

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Phishing

More in "Malicious Email"Email from "trusted" sourceClick email link goes to forged siteEnter username and passwordThey now access your account

And any other account where you use that username and password combination

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Spam

More in "Malicious Email"Direct user to site to purchase

somethingYou provide credit card or other

personal informationNo real product

Recognize reputable sitesNot all spam involves identity theft

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Social networks

More in "Social Networks"MySpace, Facebook, etc.People post personal information

Full name, birth date, mother's maiden name

Anything else that can be leveraged to guess passwords

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Stealing

The old fashioned way...Purse, walletMailLaptop!Sticky note near your computer

where you wrote down all your passwords

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Change of address

File change of address form with the post office

All mail for victim redirected to youUse financial tools that show up

Bank statements, loan applicationsUse personal information

Social security statement, check stub

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Some statistics

Low-tech methods for stealing personal information are still the most popular for identity thievesStolen wallets and physical documents

– 43% of identity theftsOnline methods – 11%

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Now that I'm paranoid? What do I do?Creative passwords

Not a real word, numbers and lettersDo not carry your social security

card with you!Credit report checkList of all accounts and service

phone numbers in a safe place

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Now that I'm paranoid? What do I do?Photocopy contents of your wallet

or purseCredit cards, driver license, etc.

Always err to the paranoid side when receiving a phone callVerify phone number and call back

Nothing personal in the trash

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Shredder tips

Dr. K's rule of thumb:If you wouldn't want to read the

contents of a document on the front page of USA Today (or widely distributed newspaper of your choice)... SHRED IT!!

Cross-cut shredderNot vertical slicesToo easy to put back together

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Shredder tips

Pre-approved, sign and mail offersCredit cardsLoan applications

Anything privateNot just blatantly useful, but anything

private

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Free credit report

Credit report companies required by law to provide a free credit report annuallyhttps://www.annualcreditreport.com

This is the ONLY true websiteCheck your report each year

Look for any suspicious activity

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Credit card promotions

Remove your name from promotional lists

Firm offers of credit or insurance, derived form your credit rating

888-567-8688Experian, Equifax, TransUnion

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Phone solicitation

National do not call registrywww.donotcall.gov

Effective for five yearsStill allows surveys and non-profit

organizationCell phones excluded from

telemarketers

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Questions?

Internet Safety Podcastwww.internetsafetypodcast.com

Internet Safety Wikiwiki.internetsafetypodcast.com

Dr. Charles Knutson

[email protected]

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