Identity Theft- Here and Now

Shaw High SchoolFebruary 5, 2010

Dr. Shamim KhanTSYS School of Computer Science

Columbus State Universitykhan_shamim@colstate.eduhttp://csc.colstate.edu/khan

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2Identity Theft

The fastest growing crime in America

Approx. 15 million victims each year

Financial losses totaling >$50 billion(http://www.identitytheft.info/victims.aspx)

Even the Federal Reserve Board Chair Ben Bernanke!

What is Identity Theft?

What is Identity Theft?

Using another’s identity for one’s benefit (usually financial gain)

Citibank Identity Theft commercial - Darrel P.

Identity TheftWhat else can identity thieves do?

– Illegal immigration– Espionage– Terrorism

Identity TheftHow does it affect the victim?

Consequences of being held responsible for the thief's actions – financial loss, damaged credit reportCitibank Identity Theft commercial – Thelma & Norma

Types of Identity theft

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Financial Identity Theft- Using another's identity to obtain goods and services.

Criminal Identity theft- Committing a crime with someone else’s identity

Types of Identity theft (cont.)

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Identity CloningUsing another's information to assume his or her identity in daily life.

Medical Identity TheftUsing another's information to receive care, make false claims.

Types of Identity theft (cont.)

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Social Media Identity Theft Use of social networking sites to steal someone’s identity to

disrupt their lives, harass and stalk them.

How Identities Are Stolen

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Illegally obtaining personal identification information such as

NameSocial security numberCredit card numbersFinancial account information.

How Identities Are Stolen (cont.)

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Dumpster Digging Rummage through trash looking for bills, paper with personal information.

Skimming Using a special storage device when processing your card.

PhishingPretend to be financial institutions and send spam or pop up messages to get you to reveal personal information.

IRS Phish

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PayPal Phishing Site Arrives as Attachment

E-mail from "Microsoft“ security@microsoft.com

SUBJECT: {Virus?} Use this patch immediately !

Dear friend , use this Internet Explorer patch now!

There are dangerous virus in the Internet now!

More than 500.000 already infected!

How Identities Are Stolen (cont.)

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Changing your addressDiverting your billing statements to another location by completing a change of address form.

Old Fashion StealingStealing wallets, purses, and mail including bank or credit card statements, new checks, tax information.

How Identities Are Stolen (cont.)

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PretextingUsing pretenses to obtain personal information from people, financial institutions, utilities etc.

Example: The Nigerian Email ScamMessage stating sender has a large sum of money and needs help transferring it out of Nigeria, or some other country.

Typical Nigerian Email Scam Message

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DEAR SIR, URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL I AM MARIAM ABACHA, WIDOW OF THE LATE NIGERIAN HEAD OF STATE, GEN. SANI ABACHA. AFTER HE DEATH OF MY HUSBAND WHO DIED MYSTERIOUSLY AS A RESULT OF CARDIAC ARREST, I WAS INFORMED BY OUR LAWYER, BELLO GAMBARI THAT, MY HUSBAND WHO AT THAT TIME WAS THE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA, CALLED HIM AND CONDUCTED HIM ROUND HIS APARTMENT AND SHOWED HIM FOUR METAL BOXES CONTAINING MONEY ALL IN FOREIGN EXCHANGE AND HE EQUALLY MADE HIM BELIEVE THAT THOSE BOXES ARE FOR ONWARD TRANSFER TO HIS OVERSEAS COUNTERPART FOR PERSONAL INVESTMENT. ALONG THE LINE, MY HUSBAND DIED AND SINCE THEN THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN AFTER US, MOLESTING, POLICING AND FREEZING OUR BANK ACCOUNTS AND EVEN MY ELDEST SON RIGHT NOW IS IN DETENTION. MY FAMILY ACCOUNT IN SWITZERLAND WORTH US$22,000,000.00 AND 120,000,000.00 DUTCH MARK HAS BEEN CONFISCATED BY THE GOVERNMENT. THE GOVERNMENT IS INTERROGATING HIM (MY SON MOHAMMED) ABOUT OUR ASSET AND SOME VITAL DOCUMENTS. IT WAS IN THE COURSE OF THESE, AFTER THE BURIAL RITE AND CUSTOMS, THAT OUR LAWYER SAW YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FROM THE PUBLICATION OF THE NIGERIAN BUSINESS PROMOTION AGENCY. THIS IS WHY I AM USING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SOLICIT FOR YOUR CO-OPERATION AND ASSISTANCE TO HELP ME AS A VERY SINCERE RESPONSIBLE PERSON. I HAVE ALL THE TRUST IN YOU AND I KNOW THAT YOU WILL NOT SIT ON THIS MONEY. I HAVE SUCCEEDED IN CARRYING THE FOUR METAL BOXES OUT OF THE COUNTRY, WITH THE AID OF SOME TOP GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL, WHO STILL SHOW SYMPATHY TO MY FAMILY, TO A NEIGHBOURING COUNTRY (ACCRA-GHANA) TO BE PRECISE. I PRAY YOU WOULD HELP US IN GETTING THIS MONEY TRANSFERRED OVER TO YOUR COUNTRY. EACH OF THESE METAL BOXES CONTAINS US$5,000,000.00 (FIVE MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS ONLY) AND TOGETHER THESE FOUR BOXES CONTAIN US20,000,000.00(TWENTY MILLION UNITED STATESDOLLARS ONLY). THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT WE HAVE MOVED TO GHANA. THEREFORE, I NEED AN URGENT HELP FROM YOU AS A MAN OF GOD TO HELP GET THIS MONEY IN ACCRA GHANA TO YOUR COUNTRY. THIS MONEY, AFTER GETTING TO YOUR COUNTRY, WOULD BE SHARED ACCORDING TO THE PERCENTAGE AGREED BY BOTH OF US.PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS MATTER IS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL AS THE GOVERNMENT WHICH MY LATE HUSBAND WAS PART OF IS STILL UNDER SURVAILLANCE TO PROBE US. YOU CAN CONTACT ME THROUGH MY FAMILY LAWYER AS INDICATED ABOVE AND ALSO TO LIAISE WITH HIM TOWARDS THE EFFECTIVE COMPLETION OF THIS TRANSACTION ON TEL/FAX N0:xxx-x-xxxxxxx AS HE HAS THE MANDATE OF THE FAMILY TO HANDLE THIS TRANSACTION. THANKS AND BEST REGARD - MRS. MARIAM ABACHA

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18Safeguards

E-mail– should be considered like a postcard

– Don’t transmit personal data unless it is encrypted

Social networks (Facebook, Myspace) are open to others

– Don’t post personal data that could be used for identification

– Don’t post anything you would be ashamed of

What Else Can You Do?

Do not give your personal information out over the phone or Internet.

Take all outgoing mail to a U.S. Postal Service mail box.

Use a P.O. Box for all incoming mail.

Buy a document/credit card/CD crosscut shredder.

Credit Security Monitor activity on all credit cards closely.

Checking your credit history at least twice a year.

You can buy identity theft recovery insurance.

04/19/23 Institute of Management Accountants

21Computer Protection

Properly configure all devices

Install firewalls, antivirus, anti-spyware

Removed unneeded cookies

04/19/23 Institute of Management Accountants

22Computer Protection

Do not enter personal information on a website over a non-encrypted connection

Always look for https:// in the address bar signifying it’s a secure page

Keep patches up to date

ID Theft FaceOff Game

http://www.onguardonline.gov/games/id-theft-faceoff.aspx

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24Questions?