Protect your ID

With the increasing prominence of online transactions and data management systems, identity theft has become an everyday concern for the common citizen. By hacking into bank account databases or soliciting personal information through cleverly designed schemes, prospective identity thieves now have more techniques at their disposal than ever before.

An insidious new form of ID theft is the fake check, which involves a scam artist answering a classified ad and offering to pay for the advertised item with a personal check, cashier’s check, or corporate check.

Before the check is sent, however, the scammer devises a way to “accidentally” write the check for more than the item’s price. They then request that the recipient deposit this check and then wire them back an amount equal to the difference between the “erroneous” check and the advertised item price. Unbeknownst to the victim, they have deposited a check from an intentionally under funded account, which then bounces. The victim is then liable for the full amount of the fraudulent check.

Besides the fake check scheme, many other methods are used by ID thieves. These include “dumpster diving” for account numbers in garbage, phishing, changing the victim’s address, and stealing their wallets or financial statements. They can then use this information to gain access to existing accounts or create new ones, rent items, or claim government transfer payments in the victim’s name. Due to the multitude of schemes employed by such criminals, it is essential that you safeguard your account numbers and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs).

If you suspect that your identity has been stolen or is about to be stolen (e.g. your wallet has been stolen), you can freeze your credit report to prevent unconfirmed access, close accounts you suspect to be affected, or file a fraud alert.

This can be negotiated by contacting one of the credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion) and posting either an initial alert, which will remain valid for at least 90 days, or an extended alert, remaining on your report for seven years.

You may also want to file a police report on the incident and the suspected perpetrator. Unfortunately, some police departments remain hesitant to file such reports. In such cases, filing an ID theft report with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will help them identify threats and catch the perpetrators. You may also want to contact other police departments for assistance.

Although we have discussed several methods of recovering from identity theft, the most effective method is to remain vigilant to potential theft schemes and avoid them in the first place. Remember that while identity theft may seem ubiquitous in today’s electronic society, there are ways to safeguard oneself.

Written by Elizabethtown College Students In Free Enterprise, a nonprofit organization that teaches others the principles of free market economics. Students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to visit the SIFE blog at http://etownsife.blogspot.com/. Contact sife@etown.edu with any questions.

This article was originally published in the Etownian on Thursday, January 31st.