Safeguard personal data Published March 15, 2007 POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- In today's world of technological advances and virtual everything - banking, bill paying, etc. - it's more important than ever to make sure we protect our personal data. Something as little as storing personal information on a laptop may put you or others at risk. A Pope Airman was a recent victim of robbery in her own home, and it's possible the 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron Alpha and recall rosters were among the items stolen. Alpha rosters contain names and social security numbers, and more than 400 people in the 43rd LRS are now at risk for identity theft. "One of my Airmen was TDY for two weeks to Texas doing pre-deployment training, and when she returned to her apartment she found a window busted out and items stolen," said Lt. Col. Daniel Bradley, 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron commander. According to Colonel Bradley, the Airman was using a thumb drive to take paperwork home to work on. "She thought she remembered only saving the information back to the thumb drive, but just to be on the safe side, we alerted everyone in the squadron to post fraud alerts on their credit," he said. Colonel Bradley said the Airman did the right thing by letting him know and added that thumb drives and the easy portability of information is a great luxury, but a great risk, too. "We probably [put ourselves at risk] too much without thinking about it, and it's all done to get the mission done; we just need to be more careful," he said. Everyone knows that identity theft is on the rise, but according to the Department of Justice, many do not realize just how easily criminals can obtain our personal data without having to break into our homes. In public places, for example, criminals may engage in "shoulder surfing" - watching you from a nearby location as you punch in your telephone calling card number or credit card number - or listen in on your conversation if you give your credit card number over the telephone to a hotel or rental car company. Even the area near your home or office may not be secure. Some criminals engage in "dumpster diving," going through your garbage cans or communal dumpsters or trash bins to obtain copies of your checks, credit card or bank statements, or other records that typically bear your name, address and even your telephone number. These types of records make it easier for criminals to get control over accounts in your name and assume your identity. If you receive applications for "preapproved" credit cards in the mail, but discard them without tearing up the enclosed materials, criminals may retrieve them and try to activate the cards for their use without your knowledge. (Some credit card companies, when sending credit cards, have adopted security measures that allow a card recipient to activate the card only from his or her home telephone number but this is not yet a universal practice.) Also, if your mail is delivered to a place where others have ready access to it, criminals may simply intercept and redirect your mail to another location. In recent years, the Internet has become an appealing place for criminals to obtain identifying data, such as passwords or even banking information. In their haste to explore the exciting features of the Internet, many people respond to "spam" - unsolicited e-mail - that promises them some benefit but requests identifying data, without realizing that in many cases, the requester has no intention of keeping his promise. In some cases, criminals reportedly have used computer technology to obtain large amounts of personal data. With enough identifying information about an individual, a criminal can take over that individual's identity to conduct a wide range of crimes: For example, false applications for loans and credit cards, fraudulent withdrawals from bank accounts, fraudulent use of telephone calling cards, or obtaining other goods or privileges which the criminal might be denied if he were to use his real name. If the criminal takes steps to ensure that bills for the falsely obtained credit cards, or bank statements showing the unauthorized withdrawals, are sent to an address other than the victim's, the victim may not become aware of what is happening until the criminal has already inflicted substantial damage on the victim's assets, credit, and reputation. To reduce or minimize the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft or fraud, there are some basic steps you can take. For starters, remember the word SCAM: S: Be Stingy about giving out your personal information to others unless you have a reason to trust them, regardless of where you are. C: Check your financial information regularly, and look for what should and shouldn't be there. A: Ask periodically for a copy of your credit report. M: Maintain careful records of your banking and financial accounts. Even though financial institutions are required to maintain copies of your checks, debit transactions, and similar transactions for five years, you should retain your monthly statements and checks for at least one year, if not more. If you need to dispute a particular check or transaction, especially if they purport to bear your signatures, your original records will be more immediately accessible and useful to the institutions that you have contacted. Even if you take all of these steps, however, it's still possible that you can become a victim of identity theft. Records containing your personal data - credit-card receipts or car-rental agreements, for example - may be found by or shared with someone who decides to use your data for fraudulent purposes. If you think you've become a victim of identity theft or fraud, act immediately to minimize the damage to your personal funds and financial accounts, as well as your reputation. A good place to start is to call the fraud units of the three principal credit reporting companies: Equifax (800) 525-6285 P.O. Box 740250 Atlanta, GA 30374-0250 Experian (888) EXPERIAN P.O. Box 1017 Allen, TX 75013. Trans Union (800) 680-7289 P.O. Box 6790 Fullerton, CA 92634. Contact all creditors with whom your name or identifying data have been fraudulently used. Contact all financial institutions where you have accounts that an identity thief has taken over or that have been created in your name but without your knowledge. (Information for this article was compiled from the United States Department of Justice Web site, http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/text/idtheft.html)