Preventing Id Theft

Could This Be Your Story?

When Janet Romano opened her credit card bill, she got more than she bargained for.

"I'm diligent about matching up my receipts to my bill," Romano said. (We've changed her name to protect her privacy.) "Several of the charges were mysteries to me."

A call to her credit card company began a months-long effort to recover from identity theft and credit card fraud. First, Romano found thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges on her credit card bills. She disputed each charge but the finance charges kept growing. She even found a purchase of an Internet domain name on her bill. That domain name created a Web site that scammed people out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"Some people using the scam site knew how to look up the name of the site owner. A public directory listed my name and phone number. I actually got messages on my voice mail threatening to break my legs," said Romano.

Romano thinks that identity thieves got her information when she replied to an email asking her to refresh her email account information. It looked like a real request-so real that even a cautious consumer like Romano replied with her personal and financial information. Such email tactics are called "phishing."

Identity Theft is Growing

Unfortunately, phishing is a growing way to steal someone's identity. And it's only one way. Identity thieves can take your personal information from your mail box or your home. They can steal your wallet or purse, or convince you to give out personal information. We all have to be on our guard.

Identity theft is the fastest growing white-collar crime. It happens when an identity thief obtains some pieces of your personal information. The thief then uses the information about you-without your knowledge-to commit fraud or theft. The identity thief is disguised as you. The trail leads back to you.

You Can Act Against Identity Theft

In this course you will learn more about how identity theft happens. You'll see how thieves get and use your information. Then, you can take steps to be on your guard, so that what happened to Ms. Romano won't happen to you. As with any crime, you cannot completely control whether you will become a victim. But you can minimize your risk. You can be alert to how the crime happens. And you can manage your personal information cautiously.

In this course, you will:

Know what identity theft is
Do a wallet check to protect yourself from identity theft
Take steps to protect yourself from identity theft in your home and on the road
Recognize early warnings of identity theft
Take the first steps if you're a victim of identity theft
Have the numbers to call to get help or more information


Let's get started.

Technical Requirements

To appreciate this seminar experience, it is critical that you have the appropriate software, plug-ins, and network connections. Please take the time to download the latest versions of the plug-ins mentioned below if you do not already have them.

Browser: Internet Explorer 6 and higher, Netscape 7.2 and higher or equivalent browser. Your browser must be JavaScript-enabled and must be set to accept cookies.

Network Connection: The recommended minimum connection is 56Kbps. A faster connection is encouraged to take better advantage of the media elements in the seminar.

Contributors

AARP Consumer Protection Team
This seminar is brought to you by the AARP Consumer Protection Team, which provides tools and education to help consumers protect themselves from financial fraud, abusive practices and other risks to their savings and assets. To support this goal, AARP is 1) developing a wide variety of print resources and messages; 2) partnering with other organizations that share this interest; and 3) advocating for federal and state requirements that protect consumers from identity theft.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. We produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and our website, http://www.aarp.org . AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Copyright 2005, AARP.

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