Check’s out of the mail

Though people may think they are beyond the reach of identity thieves, most everyone has a metal target right in front of their house or at least in their neighborhood. That target would be their mailbox. While there’s been a lot in the news about phishing attacks and other electronic forms of identity theft, some still prefer the old fashioned way: committing a little postal fraud.

Don’t start suspecting your mail carrier of shady business. Most identity thieves grab your account statements and other sensitive mail after they’ve been delivered properly. They will either take them from unlocked boxes, find them on the ground if you drop them or they blow away, or wait to get them when they’re on their way out after being delegated to the garbage can or recycling bin.

The bad thing about this type of identity theft is that it’s very common. But the good thing is that it can be easily prevented. Some things you can do to keep the thieves at bay are:

• Slice, shred or ink out: Don’t throw away papers with the personal information intact. The best option is to shred, but you can also slice through the info with a knife or letter opener or cross it out by using a pen and some pressure. Note that writing over the info with a marker isn’t good enough. The thieves can still read it if they hold the paper at the right angle.
• Grab the mail ASAP: If you’re home, don’t let it sit in an unlocked box. If you’re not home and you know you’re expecting a sensitive item, ask a trusted neighbor who will be to retrieve your mail for you. Same goes for when you’re on vacation.
• Look for the big blue box: If you need to send a letter that you don’t want identity thieves to see, don’t gift wrap it for them by placing it in your mailbox and then putting up the flag. Find an official USPS box and drop it there instead. If nothing else, it will give you peace of mind.
• Go for electronic statements: The less paper statements you get, the better. This not only keeps them from getting in the wrong hands since they don’t make that arduous trip from company to mailbox to trash, but it can also help to save some trees, which is a pretty good thing to.

If it’s too late for the advice and a thief has already nabbed your mail, report the crime to the United States Postal Inspection Service. Mail theft is a felony and if the thief is caught you best believe he or she won’t be trying it again soon.
Sadly, not all thieves are found out though, so signing up for an identity theft protection serviceis probably in your best interests at this point. That way you can be alerted right away if anything funny tries to get past your credit file.

Defining identity theft

Sally goes to the bank and apply for a mortgage, certain that she’ll qualify for a reasonable loan and soon will be moving into that dream home she’s been eyeing. That’s until the bank representative returns from doing her credit check. Strangely she has $25,000 in delinquent payments on a boat loan that has completely demolished her credit rating. What’s even stranger is that she doesn’t even own a boat.

Okay, so how does this define identity theft? It’s basically a textbook case. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes of the 21st century. To accomplish this crime, thieves get a hold of a victim’s personal information, such as his or her name, address, Social Security number, birth date, credit card numbers or account passwords. They then use this information not to run up accounts this person already has but instead to create new ones. That way, when the victim checks his or her statements, there’s nothing out of the ordinary. He or she only finds out when the accounts the thief has created show up on a credit report or when denied new credit or even employment because of negative marks.

Other types of identity theft include medical identity theft, where the thief uses someone else’s personal information to obtain treatment, either to hide a medical condition or take advantage of insurance benefits. Another type occurs when a person uses another individual’s identity to establish U.S. citizenship or to commit crimes and not get apprehended.

Another popular form of identity theft is criminal identity theft in which a criminal uses an innocent persons identification to escape the law. Law enforcement is well aware of this tactic but unfortunately some still slip by an innocent people end up in jail until they clear up the mess. LifeLock is the best identity theft protection service when it comes to protecting you from criminal identity theft.

Over 200,000 Army Reservists Personal Information on Stolen Laptop

The Army Reserve is currently contacting over 200,000 national Army reservists regarding the theft of government laptops that included personal identifiable information on them. The incident is currently under investigation in Morrow, Georgia, and the Army Reserve is in the process of notifying those whose information may be at risk.

The information was stored on a CD-ROM, which was inside of one of three laptops that were stolen from the offices of Serco Inc., a company that was contracted by the government to store the information. Serco, Inc. is based out of Reston, Virginia, but their Morrow, Georgia offices were the ones in which the laptops were stored.

Formal investigations are underway, and the Army Reserve will be reviewing their data management practices and procedures in order to avoid a security breach in the future. In the meantime, the Army Reserve will be offering credit monitoring services and assistance to Army Reserve members and their families.

Almost 10,000 Individuals at Risk for Identity Theft After Laptop Stolen from New Mexico Health Department

Some 10,000 recipients of low-income health insurance in the state of New Mexico are encouraged to place fraud alerts on their credit accounts and to consider identity theft protection services after a laptop was stolen from the New Mexico Human Services Department sometime near the end of March, 2010.

This laptop, which was being used by an employee of a subcontractor dealing with claim processing for dental benefits from the New Mexico Medicaid program, had his laptop stolen from the trunk of his car. This laptop had unencrypted patient information, which included names, Social Security numbers, and other personal information that can put thousands at risk for identity theft.

Notifications are being sent out to those who may have been affected, and additional information is being supplied to those who have any questions as to the security and safety of their personal data.

Incorrect Disposal of Documents Leave Unknown Number of Cash Advance Customers at Risk for Identity Theft

Fast Cash Plus, Inc. of Knoxville, Tennessee is under investigation after an individual was aware of paper litter around his property. This paperwork was found to have come from a dumpster by Fast Cash, Inc. in a Knoxville, Tennessee shopping center down the street, and included personally identifiable information such as bank account numbers, signatures, and other client paperwork that should have been disposed of through shredding.

The manager of Fast Cash Plus, Inc. stated that the documents were old and no longer current, and that they disposed of the items in a closed dumpster.

Although the disposal of the documents is not considered illegal, it is still a breach of safety and security for past customers of Fast Cash Plus. Even though they are not responsible for the incorrect disposal of the documents, but they could likely be sued if customers find identity theft stemming from the collection of these disposed documents.

For any past or present customers of Fast Cash Plus, it is highly recommended that they consider credit protection or credit monitoring servicesin order to monitor their financial and personal accounts for unusual, suspicious activities that could be a result of identity theft.

Identity Theft Protection Services Worth The Money

Identity theft protection services just got a hearty promotion from Ray Martin on CBS Money Watch. While these services sometimes get a bad rap as being a waste of money, Martin has this to say, “I think that if you are concerned about ID fraud and prevention, then the nominal fee for these services is well worth the cost.”

He goes on to explain that it is especially important, according to consumer advocates, for people in the following situations to have such a policy:

*Past identity theft victims
*Those who rarely check their credit reports
*Individuals with a lot of money in the bank
*People who regularly travel abroad

These are individuals that either have the most to lose or are at a high risk of being victimized, either because their information is already out there for thieves to see or because they don’t keep credit monitoring as their top priority or it proves to be difficult for them.

The article also brings up the fact that people can have problems getting reimbursed by a protection plan if identity theft happens to them before the plan gets put in place. This means that it’s important to sign up for a plan not when you realize you’ve been a victim of identity theft, but now – so that you can use the plan as a preventative measure.

You may get into an argument with someone who says that you can monitor your credit on your own for free. You could also – maybe – check and see if people are using your information online through a private search agency. This would not be an easy task, most likely, and it would certainly be time consuming to do.

Martin offers the following words to use against naysayers, “I can cut my own lawn but I might be inclined to pay for the convenience of having someone do it for me.” You could also bring up the fact that there are 10 million victims in the United States each year, and it’s likely some of them were trying to monitor their credit on their own too.

Kentucky Mammography Suite Loses Patient Information after Computer Hard Drive Theft Occurs

The Medical Center at Bowling Green in Kentucky is currently contacting it’s mammography patients regarding a computer hard drive that was found stolen and reported to Bowling Green Police on April 18, 2010.

The computer, which was located in a private, non-public area of the mammography suite, was not password protected or encrypted since it was in a locked, private office area. It is unknown at this point whether the theft was internal or external, and there are currently no suspects according to police.

If you were a patient of The Medical Center at Bowling Green’s mammography suite, it is highly recommended that you find the best credit monitoring service to protect your personal and financial accounts from suspicious or fraudulent activities.


Physical Therapy Office in Monticello, New York Under Inspection After Personal Information Found Dumped in Outside Dumpster

DRC Physical Therapy Plus in Monticello, New York is being investigated after officials found boxes of manila folders and personal information of their patients thrown in a dumpster behind the Thompson Square Mall. These files, which included private patient information, included Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, and other pertinent information used in identity theft.

Not only is this improper disposal of private documents, it is also a breach of confidentiality in regards to the way medical records should be handled and disposed of. This is a violation of federal laws regarding the handling of personal, private medical records.

The boxes of patient information were found by fellow neighboring company that noticed the information about a week ago, but didn’t inspect to see what was exactly in the boxes until later. That is when she contacted authorities.

DRC Physical Therapy had an eviction notice taped to their door, but the neighboring worker stated that the company had left the location months back. Even so, the disposal of documents into the dumpster is against federal law and leaves a lot to be investigated in terms of finding the reasoning and person responsible for the materials. Medical or financial identity theft could occur as a result of this improper disposal, so identity theft protection services are recommended for any past patients of the DRC Physical Therapy Plus office in Monticello, New York.


Identity Protection Service Provides the Opposite: Student Records Missing and Mishandled by Scanning Company


United Imaging, a company that supposedly digitally scans documents in order to increase security, is instead under speculation after Chattanooga State got wind that their students’ documents were not being handled correctly.

Upon further inspection, officials at Chattanooga State found their students’ paperwork scattered and unorganized at United Imaging, and noticed that some 2000 records were missing entirely from the batch given to the company in the first place. Although the purpose of having United Imaging scan the documents to disk was to make the information more secure, the missing and mishandled documents cause reason for concern for Chattanooga State.

Chattanooga State is currently going through the records to try and contact the students whose information was missing from the batch. In the meantime, any student attending Chattanooga State should monitor their financial records for unusual activity, and it is strongly advised that they use a credit monitoring service or identity theft protection service to ensure that their information is safe and secure and will not fall victim to identity theft practices.

Theft of Medical Laptop in South Korea Raises Red Flag for Medical Identity Theft

Dr. Robert Levine, a neurologist studying tinnitus (ringing in the ears) with the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary was lecturing in South Korea when his laptop was stolen on or around February 19, 2010. This laptop, which held data belonging to the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, had client information of over 3,500 patients that had been treated by Dr. Levine, as well as 60-some participants of a clinical study Dr. Levine was working on.


The laptop, which was reported stolen to South Korea police, contained such information as names, addresses, birthdates, contact information such as telephone numbers and email addresses, and other medical information including diagnoses, prescriptions, and test results. As far as Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary knows, there was no financial information or Social Security numbers stored on the laptop.


The company had LoJack coverage on their laptop, which allows the company to track and monitor the computer’s use if stolen. It has been shown that a new operating system had been installed on the computer, but the software used to read the medical information was not reinstalled. Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary is still taking the proper precautions and notifying those who were participants of Levine’s studies and patients of his in order to protect them and allow them time and information to identify any medical identity theft that may occur as a result of this oversea theft.


Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary is providing affected individuals with one year of free credit monitoring services to allow them to monitor their financial accounts for any suspicious and unusual activity that may result in identity theft.


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