| Technology today has made our world much | | | | do not need any longer instead of just |
| smaller, and has given us amazing tools | | | | tossing the paperwork into the trash. |
| such as the Internet, high speed | | | | Identity thieves will also try to dupe |
| Personal Computers [ PC's ] and medical | | | | you into giving personal information |
| technology that we could only dream | | | | either in person, over the phone or by |
| about no so very long ago. | | | | using fraudulent official sounding |
| With the good comes the bad. Many today | | | | e-mails. And of course, today's personal |
| have their privacy invaded by | | | | computers can hold plenty of information |
| unscrupulous groups and individuals in | | | | useful to fraudsters. It is very |
| our society intent on obtaining personal | | | | important that we use proper firewalls, |
| information by whatever means. These | | | | use reliable and up to date anti-virus |
| thieves have the tenacity to use the | | | | software and programs that can identify |
| very technology that has been truly | | | | and weed out spam, trojans or other |
| beneficial to everyone and use it | | | | mal-ware. |
| against the unsuspecting public. The | | | | It is in your best interest to be wary. |
| identity thieves trick the unsuspecting | | | | Be suspicious of anyone seeking too much |
| public and gain this personal | | | | personal information, and don't be |
| information via such methods as hacking | | | | afraid to challenge them by asking "why |
| personal files on the Internet and using | | | | do you need those details?" - a |
| rouses like spam and other tricky | | | | legitimate enquirer won't mind you |
| techniques such as phishing to steal | | | | asking. Make sure you store all |
| your identity. | | | | important documents and details, such as |
| Understanding how the unscrupulous | | | | your birth certificate, national |
| obtain this private information help us | | | | insurance number, receipts and bank |
| to look at ways to make it harder for | | | | statements, in a safe place. |
| these low-lives to play their game. | | | | As mentioned earlier, anything |
| Thieves can use even the most mundane of | | | | containing personal information that you |
| personal details to help them "verify" | | | | intend to throw out should be destroyed |
| that they are someone they aren't. One | | | | before it is put in the trash bin. Using |
| of the most common ways of obtaining | | | | a household paper shredder is not taking |
| personal details is "trash bin raiding". | | | | things too far. If you think you have |
| This tactic is surprisingly common in | | | | become the victim of an identity thief, |
| affluent areas and is spreading out of | | | | report it to the police, local authority |
| towns to the countryside; with 75% of | | | | and relevant government departments or |
| local authorities now admitting it | | | | companies immediately. |
| happens regularly in their jurisdiction. | | | | We should also keep personal information |
| An exercise carried out with the support | | | | stored on computers in "encrypted" |
| of the English Nottingham City Council | | | | folders. Encryption scrambles the |
| and Nottingham Shire Police analyzed the | | | | contents of your chosen folder so it |
| contents of hundreds of household bins | | | | cannot be read by anyone else. You can |
| to see what people were throwing away. | | | | "unscramble" the contents using a |
| It found that a whopping 86% of domestic | | | | password. Many well-known software |
| rubbish contained information helpful to | | | | companies offer free downloads to help |
| fraudsters. | | | | you with encryption, or encryption can |
| Three quarters of the bins that were | | | | be an option under your standard |
| checked contained the full name and | | | | operating system. |
| address of at least one person from the | | | | Making sure that all our private |
| household, while 20% of trash bins | | | | information is kept from roaming eyes |
| contained a bank account number and | | | | may not sound too hard to do. But there |
| other data that could be linked to the | | | | are many people who are aware of this |
| name and address of a person from the | | | | problem, know how to protect their data, |
| house. | | | | but either through neglect, laziness or |
| So don't keep all of your bills, | | | | just not taking the time to do what is |
| receipts and other personal documents in | | | | suggested, are sitting ducks for the |
| an obvious place and if you can lock it | | | | personal data thieves. |
| away, do so… If you don't have | | | | Please....don't let you or anyone in |
| anywhere to lock it, try and keep it | | | | your family be that person. Thoughts and |
| somewhere out of the way, or separate it | | | | intensions are great but without action |
| out. | | | | there is no accomplishment. Put these |
| Consider investing in a good paper | | | | recommendations into effect today! |
| shredder! Shred any documents that you | | | | |