IDENTITY THEFT Nicholas Michalak Agenda What is Identity

IDENTITY THEFT Nicholas Michalak

Agenda • What is Identity Theft? • Background of Identity Theft • Legislation Against it • Different types and Examples • What Information Attackers Look For • Ways Attackers Can Find Sensitive Information • Ways to Try to Prevent it • What to do if You are Victimized • Conclusion

What is Identity Theft? • Identity Theft • refers to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain • Often Categorized with Fraud and Extortion • Fraud – deceiving a victim into doing something again their financial self interest • Extortion – using a threat of harm to get a victim to pay money or perform some action to avoid the harm

Background • Prior to the late 1990’s Identity theft was not considered a federal crime • There was little jurisdiction regarding it • In many cases people could easily get away with it • Factors that increased the risk: • Internet boom • Online shopping and electronic banking • Social media • Increased number of credit card transactions

Legislation • Fall 1998 Congress passed the Identity Theft and Deterrence Act. • Prohibits “"knowingly transfer[ring] or us[ing], without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of Federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable State or local law. " • This includes acts such as: • Credit card fraud • Computer fraud • Mail fraud • Financial institution fraud • Etc.

Types of Identity Theft • Individual Identity Theft • Carding – attackers steal credit card information • Bank Account Theft – attackers steal information that allows them to access victims bank account • Online Stock Account Theft - attackers steal information that allows them to sell, trade, and buy the victims stocks • Corporate Identity Theft (less common) • Attackers can illegitimately apply for and get access to company credit cards for personal use • Financial and Intellectual Property Theft – attack get access to a firms intellectual property and sell this information to other criminals or corporate competitors

Information Attackers Search For • Social Security Number • Bank Account Number • Credit Card Number • Telephone or Calling Card Number • Usernames and Passwords • Other Personal Information • Attacks are basically interested in anything that they can used in order to either steal from you directly or use to get approved for a loan or credit card in your name.

Ways Attackers Can Find Sensitive Information • Using spyware and keyloggers to obtain sensitive information such as passwords and login details • Recovering information that has been deleted from a hard drive • Using binoculars and cameras to spy on ATM’s from far away • Taking a wallet or purse that is not being supervised

Ways Attackers Can Find Sensitive Information • Using offers to apply for credit under a different name and address • Dumpster diving to get their hands on data • Piecing together pieces of paper that have been torn or shredded • Taking mail from mail boxes. • Exploring social media websites

Preventing Identity Theft • Be careful when shopping online • Do not store information on a stores’ website • Make sure the site you are using is legitimate • Be conscious about what you put on social media websites • Do not display sensitive information • Do not post information about your location • Choose good passwords and pins • Do not use the same password for all accounts • Never store passwords on your computer • Avoid easily guessed passwords such as pet names, birth dates, phone numbers, etc.

Preventing Identity Theft • Protect your computer • Make sure you have a strong regularly updated firewall, anti-virus program and anti-spyware program. • Beware of phishing scams • Often include false lottery wins, request for money to “help” someone, etc. • Before opening an e-mail link, check on the government department that is responsible for updating on regular scams. • Do not accidentally give away your details • Before getting rid of your computer, wipe out all of the information

Preventing Identity Theft • Never answer unsolicited e-mails • Avoid opening e-mails that do not make sense to you or are from an organization that you are unaware of. • Have your virus protection turned on. • Be aware of your surroundings • Shade the monitor area while at an ATM • Shield the keypad as you type in your pin number • Shred important identification documents • Use a shredder to shred important documents and then use two different trash cans to dispose of the documents.

What to do if you are victimized • Act quickly • Cancel cards immediately • Contact the police • If you fail to act quickly this can cause out of pocket expenses and tarnish your reputation • It often takes much longer to recover from identity theft then it does to actually commit the crime. • Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) • You can contact them online, by telephone, or by mail. • They provide information and refer the complaints to appropriate entities.

What to do if you are victimized • Contact the Social Security Administration • Call if you suspect your social security number is being fraudulently used • Contact all financial institutions • You may need to cancel accounts, place stop-payment orders, and change your ATM card, account, and PIN number.

Conclusion • Defined Identity Theft • Discussed the background and legislation • Types of Identity Theft • Talked about how attackers retrieve information • Explained what to do if you suspect you’ve been vicitimized

Sources • "USDOJ: CRM: About the Criminal Division. " USDOJ: CRM: About the Criminal Division. United States Department of Justice, n. d. Web. 29 Nov. 2013. <http: //www. justice. gov/criminal/fraud/websites/idtheft. html>. • "Prevent and Report Identity Theft. " USA. gov: The U. S. Government's Official Web Portal. N. p. , n. d. Web. 29 Nov. 2013. <http: //www. usa. gov/topics/money/identity-theft/prevention. shtml>. • "Identity Theft Resource Center -. " Identity Theft Resource Center. N. p. , n. d. Web. 29 Nov. 2013. <http: //www. idtheftcenter. org/>. • Oliver, James M. , Ph. D. , ed. Pearson Custom Business Resources. New York: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2010. Print.