Last night, my wife and I watched Identity Thief, starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy, and it was surprisingly entertaining. I would give it an overall rating of “not bad.”
The movie follows a man, from Colorado, as he tracks down a woman, in Florida, that has been racking up extraordinary balances on his credit cards. Long story short: he finds her, they experience a few life-threatening incidences, and they form a unique bond.
When the movie ended, I spent 5 minutes determining how easy it would be to steal someone’s identity. I also spent 5 minutes determining how I would steal someone’s identity.
This is not the same as OJ Simpson revealing how he would have killed his wife “If He Did It.”
***I have not stolen anyone’s identity and I do not want to steal anyone’s identity. The purpose of this article is to shine light on the issue (and ease) of identity theft. After reading “how I would steal your identity,” which required 5 minutes of thought, I hope that everyone will be more vigilant and aware of the dangers.***
7 Simple Ways I Could Steal Your Identity
I am not a technology guru, so I would not be able to use some of the high-tech methods commonly used today. I could not add a skimming device to an ATM nor could I hack into any servers. What I would do is much simpler.
1. I Would Become A Tax Preparer
Each year, millions of Americans hand over loads of personal information to highly-untrained tax preparers. Not only is this information “handed-over,” but it’s often left there or input into a database (for later review). You leave paystubs reflecting how much you make, W2’s with your Social Security Number, credit card statements, bank account numbers, and mortgage information. There’s a few things I would do with this:
- Sell Your Information
- File Your Refund For Myself
2. I Would Call You Pretending To Be Your Bank
My first job out of college was with a division of a bank that specialized in financing. We financed mortgages, auto loans, and equity lines; as well as retail financing for purchases such as furniture, AC repair, and jewelry. If a customer financed furniture, they probably had no idea it was financed through my bank. Even so, I would still call this customer to review their account. A lot of times, I would leave a message for the customer. When they called back, it was impossible for me to remember everyone I called, the only way for me to identify them was to search by Social Security Number.
Think about that.
Customers would return my call and voluntarily give me their personal information because I was calling from a credible company. Even if it happened to be a wrong number, they would still offer their information.
If I wanted to commit fraud, I could call a handful of people, tell them I’m calling from the local cable company or largest bank and there’s a great chance of me getting information from them.
3. I Would Go Through Your Trash
Your trash says a lot about you. It often tells where you bank. With this information, I tell your bank that I changed my address and get them to send me a new debit card. A simple search online would tell me your mother’s maiden name if they decided to ask me for additional information.
4. I Would Steal Your Mail
This goes along with #3 because your mail usually becomes your trash. Additionally, I would search for outgoing checks to pay bills. This would give me your bank account number and routing number. I could also find incoming gift cards if you have an upcoming birthday.
5. I Would Become A Restaurant Server
When I was 15, I worked as a busboy at a restaurant. The interview process was anything but grueling. If I got a job at a restaurant, I would take pictures of your credit card with my iPhone. Do you have any idea where your credit card goes when it leaves the table? I didn’t think so.
6. I Would Set Up A Credit Repair/Monitoring Website
This would be ironic.
A lot of Americans are trying to improve and/or monitor their credit. I have witnessed a number of credit professionals popping up around town. All I would have to do is put up a sign offering credit repair and wait for the calls to come in. “Thanks for calling Identity Theft Specialists, this is A. Blinkin. Before we get started, I’ll need a little bit of information from you.” Too easy…
7. I Would Send You An Email
I would purchase the domain name “[Insert Local Bank Name] Fraud Prevention.com.” I would send out thousands of emails from Admin@YourHometownBankFraudPrevention.com and ask you to verify a few pieces of information. You could respond to the email or I could provide you with a “more secure” telephone number to speak to one of our fraud specialists. Out of the thousands of emails, I bet I could get a few bites.
What would I do with all of your personal information?
I would apply for credit cards. Lots of them. In your name.
***I have not stolen anyone’s identity and I do not want to steal anyone’s identity. The purpose of this article is to shine light on the issue (and ease) of identity theft. After reading “how I would steal your identity,” which required 5 minutes of thought, I hope that everyone will be more vigilant and aware of the dangers.***
