Scammers & Identity Thieves Are Not Stupid!

Scammers and Identity Thieve Steal the Information from Millions of Victims Every Year!

ACCORDING TO SOME REPORTS THERE IS A
1 OUT OF 2 CHANCE OF YOU BECOMING AN IDENTITY THEFTIdentity Theft Identity theft is when someone uses another person's personal identifying information, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. In both the U.K. and the United States it is the theft of personally identifiable information. Identity theft deliberately uses someone else's identity as a method to gain financial advantages or obtain credit and other benefits, and perhaps to cause other person's loss. The person whose identity has been stolen may suffer adverse consequences, especially if they are falsely held responsible for the perpetrator's actions. Personally identifiable information generally includes a person's name, date of birth, social security number, driver's license number, bank account or credit card numbers, PINs, electronic signatures, fingerprints, passwords, or any other information that can be used to access a person's financial resources. VICTIM

Identity theft occurs when someone fraudulently uses your personal information to obtain credit, take out a loan, open accounts, get identification or otherwise  use your information in an unauthorized way. Estimates from the Federal Trade Commission suggest that identity theft is on the rise. In fact, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the country—a crime that affects Coloradans and their credit histories.

Identity theft often tops the list of consumer fraudFraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain (money or other assets), or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compensation) or criminal law (e.g., a fraud perpetrator may be prosecuted and imprisoned by governmental authorities), or it may cause no loss of money, property, or legal right but still be an element of another civil or criminal wrong. The purpose of fraud may be monetary gain or other benefits, for example by obtaining a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or mortgage fraud, where the perpetrator may attempt to qualify for a mortgage by way of false statements. A fraud can also be a hoax, which is a distinct concept that involves deliberate deception without the intention of gain or of materially damaging or depriving a victim. reports that are filed with the U.S. FTCFTC The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) U.S. antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. The FTC can also act as a clearinghouse for criminal reports sent to other agencies for investigation and prosecution. To learn more visit www.FTC.gov or to report fraud visit ReportFraud.FTC.gov and other enforcement agencies. While the FTC does not have criminalCriminal A criminal is any person who through a decision or act engages in a crime. This can be complicated, as many people break laws unknowingly, however, in our context, it is a person who makes a decision to engage in unlawful acts or to place themselves with others who do this. A criminal always has the ability to decide not to break the law, or if they initially engage in crime to stop doing it, but instead continues. jurisdiction, it supports the criminal investigation and prosecution of identity theft by serving as a clearinghouse for identity theft reports, part of the FTC’s Consumer Sentinel report database.

THE NUMBER OF IDENTITY THEFT CASES MORE THAN DOUBLED IN 2020 FROM 2019

How They Get Your Information

Here are some of the ways identity thieves steal your personal and financial information:

• Computer hackers “breaking into” business or personal computers to steal private files and personal financial information, commonly known as a data breachData Breach Whenever private information is seen by someone who should not have access, this is known as data exposure. It may also sometimes be referred to as a data leak or data breach. It might happen by accident or be caused by hackers who do it to cause harm to the individual or organization involved. It can be especially damaging to companies that store the credit card details and personal information of their customers..
• Stealing your purse or wallet to obtain social security cards, credit cards, driver’s licenses, etc.
• Stealing mail being delivered to your home or left out for pick-up.
• Diverting your mail to another mailbox using a false “change-of-address” request.
• “Dumpster diving”— thieves dig through dumpsters or garbage cans behind homes or businesses looking for discarded checks or bank statements, credit card or other account bills, medical records, pre-approved credit applicationsApplications Applications or Apps An application (software), commonly referred to as an ‘app’ is a program on a computer, tablet, mobile phone or device. Apps are designed for specific tasks, including checking the weather, accessing the internet, looking at photos, playing media, mobile banking, etc. Many apps can access the internet if needed and can be downloaded (used) either for a price or for free. Apps are a major point of vulnerability on all devices. Some are designed to be malicious, such as logging keystrokes or activity, and others can even transport malware. Always be careful about any app you are thinking about installing., etc.
• “Shoulder surfing”— thieves watch over your shoulder as you enter your PIN into an ATM.
• “Pretext calls”— thieves call to “verify” account information or to “confirm” an enrollment or subscription by having you repeat bank or credit card account numbers.
• Using false or misleading Internet sites to collect personal and financial information.
• Purchasing personal information from unscrupulous employees at companies with which you do business.
• Burglarizing homes and businesses looking for purses, wallets, computers and digital devices, files containing personal and financial information.
• Phony e-mail or “pop-up” messages known as clickbait, phishing, and spam that appear to be from your credit card company, Internet Service Provider or other entity you do business with. These phony messages claim some problem with your account and direct you to another website where you will be asked to supply a credit card and other personal information or download malicious software or malwareMalware Short for "malicious software," this term means computer viruses and other types of programs that cybercriminals use to disrupt or access your computer, typically with the aim of gathering sensitive files and accounts..
• ATM skimmingSkimming The capturing of information from the magnetic stripe on your ATM and credit card by use of portable "skimmer" devices that are secretly installed on card-reading machines. involves the placement of a mechanical card reader over or into the actual card reader on an ATM machine. These fake card readers will capture your account number and possibly even your PIN code, which are then used to produce counterfeit credit or debit cards.

What Do They Want That Information For?

• Collect government benefits in your name by using your SSN or ID# to apply for a job or to obtain a tax return refund.
• Drain your bank account with electronic transfers, counterfeit checks, or your debit card.
• Open a bank or credit account in your name and write bad checks, make charges that never get paid off, which gets reflected on your credit report.
• Use your name if they get arrested or for conducting illegal activity such as drug purchases that could result in warrants being issued in your name or go on your permanent record.
• Obtain a driver’s license or a job with your personal information.
• Buy a car or property and use your information and credit history to get a loan for it.
• Obtain utility services in your name, such as phone or Internet.

Key Fraud Indications In 2020:

• There were 2.18 million reports of fraud, and impostor scamsScams A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime -  is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost. (meaning identity theft) were the most common type of fraud. Howevere, it is estimated that less that 5% of all victims every report these crimes.
• These involve criminals posing as others to steal money or personal information from victims.
• Frauds grew from 1.72 million reports in 2019, and year-over-year losses climbed to more than $3.3 billion in 2020 from $1.8 billion a year earlier. Consider that this may be less that 3% of the actual.
• Not everyone who reports fraud actually lost money: Only 18 percent of those age 80 and older said the fraud deprived them of assets. The elderly were largest average loss of any group at over $1,300.
• Average fraud losses were $635 for victims age 70 to 79; $436 for those 60 to 69; $325 for those 50 to 59; $278 for those 40 to 49; $250 for those 30 to 39; $324 for those 20 to 29; and $180 for those 19 and younger. Those below the age of 30 almost never report these crimes.

Who Is Most At Risk For Identity Theft?

Most identity thefts are crimes of opportunity. Identity thieves often target those who don’t regularly check for identity theft warning signs and are unlikely to report irregular activity on their credit reports.

CHILDREN AND SENIORS

Everyone with a Social Security number is at risk for identity theft, but two demographics are targeted aggressively and often: the very young and the very old.

• Children are targeted because identity thieves can use a child’s Social Security numbers to establish a fraudulent “clean slate.” Identity theft experts recommend parents monitor their children’s credit reports to check for identity theft as often as their own.
• Seniors are targeted most often over the telephone and through internet phishing scams. Some studies suggest that people become more trusting as they age, which explains why it’s more difficult for older adults to detect fraudsters.