<http://www.indystar.com/articles/3/203066-4663-P.html> Color of Money: Michelle Singletary Identity theft isn't always online crime December 19, 2004 Although online shopping has its risks, your credit-card number and other personal information are just as likely to be stolen in a very low-tech way. To identity thieves, a crowded mall is like Chuck E. Cheese is to children -- a paradise of commotion. Criminals are just waiting for you to leave your purse unattended or open as you hustle around looking for holiday gifts. They love men who carry their wallets in easy-to-pick places. According to an American Express study, consumers have a lot to learn about protecting themselves against identity theft. While 77 percent claim they take precautions to secure their information, nearly half still make the mistake of carrying their Social Security numbers in their wallets. Twenty-eight percent of those surveyed don't check to see if a Web site is secure when shopping online. Here are some tips to help you avoid being a victim of holiday identity thieves: * Write "check photo ID" in ink on the back of your credit card near your signature. This is an effective way of getting cashiers to check the credit card against your photo identification. * Michael J. Zmistowski, a financial adviser in Tampa, Fla., sent this tip to his clients: While shopping, watch out for anyone standing nearby who has a cell phone with a camera. Someone can easily take a clear picture of the data on your credit card. * Come January, you may not want to look at your credit-card statements. But you must. Open them immediately and check for unfamiliar purchases. In fact, keep all the receipts from your holiday shopping sprees in one place so you can cross- check them with your statements. * Don't be a victim of "phishing," in which crooks send e-mails that look as if they come from legitimate companies requesting certain information. According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, phishing e-mails persuade up to 5 percent of recipients to respond. When they do, consumers typically provide information such as credit-card, bank and Social Security numbers or user names and passwords -- resulting in identity theft. Be suspicious of e-mail that is sent to you unsolicited. * Buy a shredder and use it, especially to destroy any store receipts with your full credit-card number. * If you shop online, make sure the site is secure. According to the Better Business Bureau, sites that have technology to secure transactions will have "https" instead of "http" in the Web address of the page that asks for credit-card information. Another indication the site is secure is an icon of a locked padlock. * If you suspect that your identity has been stolen, don't wait until after the holidays to report the crime. You need to contact your creditors and the three major credit bureaus immediately. You need to call only one credit bureau to place fraud alerts on all three of your credit reports. A fraud alert is supposed to result in creditors contacting you before opening any new accounts or making changes to your existing accounts. The Federal Trade Commission has a link on its Web site outlining steps to take if you are a victim of identity theft. Go to www.ftc.gov, and click on the link for consumers. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'