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Identity Theft: Trust No OneDATE: 03-JUL-2008  Earlier this week, I got a frightening letter from a former employer. I was relieved when I determined it wasn't a lawsuit or a subpoena, so I figured, why should I be frightened? The company already laid me off, along with my entire department, during the "dot-bomb" in 2000. What else could it possibly do to me?It turns out the news was even worse than a layoff. Evidently, the company I worked for (we'll call it Company C) outsourced its data storage to a different company (for our purposes, Company F), and Company F's offices were broken into. Several unspecified pieces of equipment were stolen, and they contained all the personal information that Company C had about me.And my wife.And my son.Some thief somewhere has my name, address, phone number, social security number, and lots of other information, plus those of my wife and one of my kids. Not only is Company F penetrable, but it's also stupid: Evidently, the data wasn't even encrypted. I and several thousand of my former fellow employees and our families are subject to easy identity theft. Surprisingly, I'm not really angry. I don't have time to be angry, because I'm too busy being scared. Company C, taking full responsibility, gave its victims—er, former employees—a year's access to a credit monitoring service from Equifax that would normally cost $13 per month, so we'll be notified if something terrible happens to our credit.That's nice, but not enough. I want to know that my or my family's personal information can't be used in the commission of crimes, or for buying guns, or by someone who wants to leave a life behind and become someone else. Mess with me, fine, but don't even look at my wife or children.Since the incident, I've already gotten two weird phone calls in which the caller asked for someone by my name, and immediately hung up when asked who he was. Even though my phone number's unlisted, that could still be coincidental, but now I'm going to attach significance and danger to stuff like that.I'd never worried too much about identity theft before Company F screwed up. Now I'm going to start following some hints I've come across over the years since all data went electronic. Suggestions such as:- Don't hand out your social security information to just anyone who asks for it. When a company rep asks for it, ask why they need it. Ask if there's anything else you could substitute for it. Some companies, institutions, and agencies have legitimate reasons to know it: Your employer needs it for tax purposes, as does the IRS. But does your local community college really need it?
- Similarly, never give your social security number to someone who contacted you. You should only give it out to companies you have sought out to provide services, employment, or whatever. When someone calls you pretending to be official and starts asking for personal information to "verify" stuff, hang up.
- Dispose of receipts properly, if you don't archive them. Once in a while, you'll discover a store that prints your full credit card number right across its receipts. If you toss them into the garbage or the ground, or if you leave them in an unlocked car, you could be handing out your own credit to strangers.
- Get a paper shredder. Shred everything with your name, address, or any other personal information before you throw the paper into the recycle bin. That includes junk mail.
- Monitor all of your accounts closely: credit card, checking, savings, and so on. Watch for suspicious activity—charges to stores you've never been to, or in cities you don't normally visit.
Those are just a few of the more basic tips. The Social Security Administration has more, as does the Better Business Bureau. Sadly, none of those tips could have helped me. Because we got our health insurance through Company C, its HR department needed all of my and my family's personal information. It's not Company C's fault.Company F, on the other hand...well, if the BBB had its own fleet of bombers, I'd lobby for an immediate attack.
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