Protecting personal data

Protecting personal data

By: Charles Slat
3/17/2007 – By: Charles Slat story updated March 17. 2007 12:45AM

n Identity thieves snare personal data and financial information and use it to access bank accounts, run up charges on credit cards or defraud businesses.

In Bedford Township in recent weeks, some homeowners putting mail out for pick up have found they’ve been putting up a red flag that tells the world they’re ripe for an identity theft rip-off.

“When you put that mail out the night before, do you know who comes by at 4 or 5 in the morning? It’s not the mailman, but the thief stealing your information,” says Monroe County Prosecutor William P. Nichols.

“I’d rather you not take your mail out to the mailbox and pull up that flag,” Mr. Nichols told seniors during a seminar on ID theft at the Monroe Senior Center.

Mr. Nichols, in cooperation with area police agencies, has been making the rounds of area senior centers, warning the elderly that they’re prime targets for ID thieves. An identity thief snares personal data and financial information and uses it to access bank accounts, run up charges on credit cards, or defraud businesses.

It’s not a small problem. In 2006, approximately 8.4 million nationwide were victims of identity theft, which ripped off Americans to the tune of $49 billion. Most ID theft victims in Michigan are over 40.

“They call it gray gold,” said Aaron Simonton, Monroe Center director, referring to the aging population that ID thieves prey upon. Older residents are prime victims because they usually have money, they’re available, accessible, and often trusting.

One ruse that’s been popular is cold-calling of seniors to warn them that they face arrest because they haven’t responded to a jury duty summons. To avoid arrest, they’re told, they simply have to provide their name and Social Security number for verification. The data can be gold for ID thieves.

Mr. Nichols said ID thieves get personal information through various means, including over-the-phone, mail or e-mail scams; theft of a wallet or purse; mail theft; Dumpster diving, or rummaging through trash; theft of data from where you are a customer, patient or student; completing a change of address form that redirects your mail to another location; or obtaining a copy of your credit report by posing as your landlord, employer or someone else with legitimate access to the information.

Brad Martin of Monroe, special agent with the Office of Inspector General of the Social Security Administration, urged consumers to protect their Social Security number and not carry the Social Security card with them.

He acknowledged that businesses, sports team registration forms and other entities sometimes ask for Social Security numbers. “You can say no, but they don’t have to do business with you either,” he said. “If a business asks you for the number and you don’t think they need it, ask why they need it. Just inquire, do they really need that number. Then ask the business how they’re going to protect your number.”

He said businesses often will accept some other less crucial form of personal information.

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