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PROTECTING YOUR FAMILY FROM IDENTITY THEFT IN THE CYBER REALM

By Cherie A. Geide, Ed.D. for the  Cybercitizen Partnership

Identity theft is rapidly becoming a major concern among Americans. CBS News reported on February 21, 2002 that more than 750,000 Americans were affected by this fraud complaint in 2001. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at the end of 2001, identification fraud made up 42 percent of the 204,000 fraud complaints filed -- an increase from 23 percent in 2000. Although these statistics include most of the common methods of identity theft -- mail interceptions, "dumpster diving," fraudulent change of address, pick-pocketing, use of the Internet, "shoulder surfing" at ATM machines, and credit card scanning (skimmers) -- education about Internet use and identity theft is one of the categories that should focus on the entire family since children, as well as adults, have access to computers with Internet connections.

The latest report available from the FTC states that it is difficult to ascertain how many hijackings of personal information take place on the Internet since many people are simply unaware how their identities were compromised. This cyber ethics issue of personal identity piracy is certain to be on the rise as computer and Internet access becomes the national norm. The February 2002 study, "A Nation Online: How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet," published by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Economics and Statistics Administration reveals the surprising statistics of family Internet use based on 2001 census figures. "Children and teenagers are the most likely to use the Internet and computers. Ninety percent of children between the ages of 5 and 17 (48 million) now use computers. Seventy-five percent of 14- to 17-year-olds and 65 percent of 10 to 13 year-olds use the Internet. Households with children are more likely to have Internet access than those without children (62 percent versus 53 percent)." Of these Internet users, 39 percent make purchases online.

Since so many Americans of all ages are now Internet connected, what are some of the potential enablers of identification theft online? Consider the following:

• Personal information submitted to fraudulent online contests, sweepstakes, and giveaways
• Online applications submitted to fraudulent sites
• Online purchases from fraudulent sites
• Personal identification and PIN information provided to fraudulent email requests for account updates
• Personal web sites
• Family genealogy sites
• Account numbers and other personal information stored on computer hard drives connected to the Internet

Like most criminals, identity pirates will victimize the easiest prey. With minimum effort there are steps that you can take to reduce the opportunities for criminals to hijack personal information about you and your family via the Internet.

• Ensure that children are supervised during their Internet use and fully understand that personal and family information is not to be shared without consulting a parent or guardian.
• Do not release any personal information to an online site unless you are certain that the site is legitimate. Bogus contests, sweepstakes, giveaways, and company sites may ask for personal information -- social security numbers, birth dates, birth places, credit card numbers with expiration dates, etc.-- that can lead to identity theft.
• Do not release personal identification information and/or PIN numbers upon an email request from an Internet Service Provider (ISP), bank, or other account provider. Identity thieves posing as ISPs, banks, and credit card companies have been sending emails that requested updated personal information.
• Refrain from posting any personal information about yourself or your family on a personal web site that could be used by a thief. Be concerned about family or genealogy sites that post mothers’ maiden names or other family information that could be used to establish a fraudulent identity.
• Do not save account numbers and other personal identification information to a computer hard drive that is accessible via the Internet. Any computer hard drive connected to the Internet is potentially accessible by snooping thieves. Even if you have firewall software installed (this is highly recommended), it is not a good idea to save personal information on the hard drive.
• Run a credit check on yourself (family) at least once per year to ensure that all records are correct. Three principal credit reporting companies are Equifax , Experian , and Trans Union .
  
  Even vigilant Internet users may find they have been targeted by criminal activity. If you find that you are a victim of identity theft, it is a federal crime. Obtain information about filing a complaint by contacting the FTC . Additional information is available on the Federal Bureau of Investigation website. The fraud units of credit reporting companies also will provide information specific to your concern and will provide the steps necessary to clear your credit record of false data.