Identity Theft | Causes and Ramifications
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Identity Theft | Causes and Ramifications
Any time you interact with people online, or in fact offline, you will come into contact with those who are less honest or upright than you might hope they would be.
While this is paramount in your online interactions, it bears some consideration also in your offline ones as well.
Particularly in the genealogy community, we share information that is of a personal and sometimes a sensitive nature.
Many people suppose that its possible to hack someones computer and take the information that we might want, however it bear in mind that most people today don’t find it necessary to hack a computer, but more profitable, and more easily accomplished to hack a person. Most of those who steal identities today use what is called “social engineering” to accomplish the task,.
What this means is that they get the information from those who’s identities they want to use simply, in some cases, by asking, or by finding a reason why they require it to help them with a given task.
The computer can be patched to accomplish a higher level of security but there is, unfortunately, no patch for human’s who don’t practice good sense with their interactions.
Having personally tested the theory behind social engineering, I found that in about ten cases out of twenty, in people I considered to be otherwise intelligent and bearing a great deal of common sense, when telling them I needed certain information to be able to do a task for them, they provided it, no questions asked, even though in most cases it wasn’t information I really needed to accomplish that task.
There is no substitute for common sense.
If someone is setting up your genealogy website for you, they do require your logins, but they do not require your social security number or your bank account.
Certain types of information can be used to find other information, and that should be zealously guarded, and used online only when strictly necessary.
In many cases, Phishing expeditions, or emails are sent to you using links that you are told to click, purportedly from the bank, your credit card or some other type service that you use. When you click that link you are on a site that is gathering the information that you type into the login , and while your account will not open, you’ve quite effectively given your login information to a keystroke logging software that keeps it to use on your legitimate account.
A good practice to get into is to never click a link in an email, even if it seems secure and legitimate.
Instead, using the URL of the company itself, type that into the browser window, (I.e. if the email is purportedly from paypal, don’t use the link, but instead, go to paypal.com and check your account for problems.
Information that you should never divulge to someone that you are not certain can be trusted:
Bank account numbers
Credit card numbers
Social security number
Date of birth
Drivers license number
In many cases your drivers license number can be used to find out your full name and date of birth, which can then be used to find social security numbers, or credit information.
Conversely, the social security number is the personal fingerprint if you will, providing a vast array of information about your banking, your address, your credit and many other types of information that you may not want to share with people.
While I don’t advocate trusting no one online, or supposing that everyone is a thief, I do advocate good sense. In the same way as you would when using your credit card at any retail store, practice some common sense online.
Using good sense and a bit of caution you will enjoy your online time, enjoy your search for your ancestors and gain information, not headaches.
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July 30th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
It’s so easy to give out info of any kind these days with the emergence of new technologies. Scary how easy it is to become a target these days… Thanks for sharing!
November 24th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Identity theft is on the rise.It is so hard not to be a victim.
I recently was the victim of a debit card numbers skimming scam.I believe the store across the street from my house are the perpetrators.Unfortunately,I will never know because the bank I use has decided that because the fraud was done in my neighbourhood at a store I have been using for 10 years,my case is most likely ‘friendly fraud’.This means they believe someone I know did it.Funniest thing about it is that my mother’s bank said the same thing.Two different banks ,same ‘investigation’ results.
I am at a loss as to what can be done about this.I have gone through the complaint process at my bank and also called Interac…nothing seems to be a help.
When the people who should be safe gaurding us and our info the most make excuses that help the bad guys,what’s left for the victims?My family and I are stuck.In my opinion both banks have called us liars.
At the store in question I noticed new employees and new Interac equipment.Coincidence?Not to me.I confronted the store manager about it and he didn’t look surprised.Interesting.No doubt to me the employees he no longer has are working elsewhere and doing the same thing again.
December 10th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
YOu’re exactly right. Its difficult now to not be victimised. I’ve had this happen to me recently and its not a picnic.. I at least caught mine in time before a lot of damage had been done but it was still a real pain in the neck..
ALways make sure first of all that the store you use online is secured. by checking the https at the top.. mine was done by someone who acquired it from my isp which makes you nervous.. doesn’t it.