8 Tips for Avoiding Telephone ID Theft Scams
By
The Silver Lake Editors
Authors and Editors of Identity Theft: How to Protect
Your Name, Your Credit and Your Vital Information…and What to Do
When Someone Hijacks Any of These
Submitted to MyShelf.Com
March 2006
TO GET PERSONAL INFORMATION
National #1 Bestseller Gives Readers Practical Tips
for Avoiding These Confidence Schemes
The tool is a bogus phone call about jury duty. And it’s merely the latest in a long line of ID theft tricks explained in the national bestseller IDENTITY THEFT: How to Protect Your Name, Your Credit and Your Vital Information…and What to Do When Someone Hijacks Any of These.
Here’s how the jury duty scheme works.
The thief calls a victim at home and claims to be a jury coordinator or court clerk. In official tones, the thief says that the victim has missed jury duty and a warrant has been issued for his or her arrest.
Most of the time, the victim insists that he or she hasn’t received any summons or notice. The thief offers to “check” the victim’s “file”—but will need to confirm some personal information to do so.
The victim, grateful for the chance to settle the matter on the phone, willingly hands over details: full name, address, Social Security number and date of birth. The “clerk” takes a few moments and then assures the victim that the problem has been resolved.
In fact, the victim’s problems have just begun.
According to IDENTITY THEFT, this approach is becoming more common:
Whatever the details, these schemes are called “pretexting.” And they all involve duping a victim into believing that he or she is speaking to a person of authority from a reliable organization. Thieves like pretexting because it poses a smaller chance of being caught—smaller than skimming data from credit cards and much smaller than stealing purses, wallets or mail.
With all of that personal information, an identity thief can begin searching e-commerce sites for the victim’s accounts…and even banks or other financial institutions for the victim’s money.
At the same time, the identity thief can start setting up “clones”—alternate versions of the victim, complete with their own banking and credit accounts.
What can a person do to avoid these schemes? IDENTITY THEFT offers hundreds of strategies, tips and tactics. But here are a few of the simplest and most important tips for staying secure in telephone conversations:
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Never give personal financial information to anyone who contacts you—by phone or online. If you think it’s a legitimate need, get a phone number and call the person back before giving any information.
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Never give your complete name, address and Social Security number to anyone over the phone. If someone needs to confirm your data, a partial address and the last four digits of your Social Security number should do.
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The same rules apply to dialing your Social Security number into a telephone database—don’t do it. If your bank or another institution uses a telephone security system that requires your complete number, ask for an option.
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Use your Social Security number as little as possible (this also goes for doing business in person). If someone asks for the number, ask why he or she needs it. Ask if there are other options available for establishing your identity.
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Consider using a telephone with caller ID and a log that records the IDs of recent callers. (Some telephone services are sold aggressively and add little value. Caller ID and a caller log are valuable.)
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If anyone asks for your personal information (even partial) on the phone, ask for his or her complete contact information before answering. And write this information down.
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Don’t allow yourself to be rushed when dealing with someone on the phone. If you need a few moments to put the phone down and find a pen and paper—take them. Make sure you are completely sure before you give even partial information.
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Don’t worry about being difficult or uncooperative. The constant emphasis on convenience in online and telephone transactions make too many people unsure about protecting themselves. Be a jerk if that means keeping your privacy.
These tips would help most people talking to fake court clerks.
In fact, most real jury coordinators and court clerks only communicate with potential jurors by mail (though court officials on some counties will contact people by phone). And, no matter how they contact people, all officials insist that they don’t ask for personal financial information.
Book, Editors, Pulisher
Silver Lake Publishing is an independent, nonfiction press specializing in books on personal security, personal finance, economic history and public policy. Its books are available in major bookstores, general consumer outlets, better catalogue merchandisers and online retailers.
IDENTITY
THEFT: How to Protect Your Name, Your Credit and Your Vital
Information…and What to Do When Someone Hijacks Any of These
[at amazon]
The Silver Lake Editors
$11.95
trade paperback
264 pages, 4½” x 7¾”
ISBN: 1-56343-777-5
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