Identity Theft – Are
You Ready For The Next Wave?
As
everyone knows unless you have been asleep like Rip Van Winkle identity theft
has become the #1 crime wave in the U.S.A. according to the FBI and the US
Postal Service.
Now
a new fear has raised its head because of the recent federal and the state
laws that go into effect on January 1, 2008. For years anyone in the country
illegally could (and still can) purchase any type of document on the street
from some vendor.
These fake documents can range from a Social Security card, drivers license,
green card or practically anything else people are willing to pay for. These
Social Security and drivers license numbers actually belong to other people
(possibly even you) and can wreak havoc on the lives of the victim of the
identity theft.
Recently the Arizona Republic ran a three-page article (August 19,
2007) on how easy these documents were to obtain.
Arizona and
Phoenix are both
rated #1 in identity theft.
Arizona police have seized 2,134 fraudulent documents in the last two years.
And note, that’s just what they found, not what’s out there.
Further the Arizona
Republic says
police have received 3,400 identity-theft complaints from
January 1, 2006 through
June 30, 2007.
According to the Arizona Republic the
authorities fear the identity theft industry will grow as migrants look for
ways to circumvent the state’s new employer-sanctions law and a new Bush
administration crackdown on illegal workers.
With the job markets for illegal immigrants closing the police statewide are
looking for more identity thefts in order for illegal immigrants to obtain
authentic numbers.
“It’s
growing and it’s pervasive,” says Lt. Giles Tipsword of the Phoenix Police
Department’s property crimes bureau. “This is a multimillion-dollar industry”.
To
give some idea of the size of the identity theft industry look at these
figures:
-
$1.5 million dollars in cash seized from fraudulent-document makers
operating in
Arizona in the last 2 years
-
491 fake green cards
-
487 Social Security cards bought by undercover officers
-
172 drivers licenses bought by undercover officers
-
147 computers seized
-
217 people arrested
-
And you know they didn’t get them all, that goes without saying
Arizona’s new employer-sanctions law requires companies to verify worker
eligibility through a federal database. Lawmakers in other states are taking
steps to make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to get fake documents.
And under new rules by the Bush administration in August employers face
prosecution if they don’t fire workers whose names and Social Security numbers
don’t match.
However, nobody expects the identity theft industry to dry up and disappear.
If anything, those in the know say they expect it to get bigger and more
sophisticated as criminals who make fake documents adapt to meet the demand.
The
database can’t flag documents made with stolen identities, where the names and
numbers match.
According to Leesa Berens Morrison, the director of the Arizona Department
Homeland Security, “There is a good potential for an increase in identity
theft and also an increase in the manufacture and sale of fraudulent
documents.”
In July, Arizona
Governor Napolitano signed a tough employer-sanctions law aimed at turning off
the job magnet that draws so many illegal immigrants. That law which takes
effect January 1,
2008 revokes the business license of employers who knowingly hire
illegal workers a second time.
It also requires the
more than 150,000 licensed
Arizona employers to run
Social Security and other data for new employees through the federal Basic
Pilot Program, an electronic verification system. For the record Arizona
businesses employ about 1.6 million workers.
The
Basic Pilot Program is designed to determine whether an employee is authorized
to work in the U.S.
As
a result, local, state and federal authorities anticipate a rise in identity
theft.
They expect to see fake-document makers morphing into large-scale criminal
enterprises producing high quality fraudulent documents made with real names
and real Social Security numbers stolen from someone else.
The
trick here is not to let yourself be one of those!
Identity Theft
Protection
Illegal aliens frequently use illegally obtained identification numbers to
gain employment. Victims of this type of identity theft may not suffer
financial harm initially because of its intended use.
However, down the road the person who stole the identity may decide to see if
they can get a credit card, or buy a house or car – do you see where this is
going? They become you! Even if
they don’t it will still take you many hours to unravel the web they will have
woven.
Here Is What You Can Do
To Protect Yourself
-
First – subscribe to
LifeLock. There is no finer protection available. And all for about $10
per month.
-
Review all bank and credit card statements monthly.
-
Notify banks or credit card companies immediately of any unauthorized
activity.
-
Write “Ask for photo ID” next to your signature on the back of your credit
cards.
-
Ask your credit card company to stop sending blank checks with statements.
-
Carefully review your
credit reports. If you subscribe to
LifeLock they will order copies mailed to you.
-
Keep documents with personal information, credit card account information
and PIN numbers in a safe place.
-
Use a credit card, not a debit card when ordering on-line or by phone.
Credit cards offer greater protection to consumers.
-
Guard your Social Security number. Never carry your Social Security card
with you.
-
Do not give out your Social Security number unless it is required for
employment, bank account or other legitimate purpose.
-
Do not put your Social Security number on your driver’s license. Up until a
few years ago
Arizona used Social Security numbers for the drivers license numbers. If you
are one of those that still have an old drivers license like this go down to
the MVD and get it replaced!
For more information on identity theft
click here.
Reference: Arizona Republic
Article August 19, 2007
