Thinking about all of the sneaky methods thieves employ to steal your personal information and what would happen if these lawbreakers succeed may well prevent a narcoleptic from ever sleeping again. At one time, it used to be that thieves had to work hard to retrieve personal information to steal your money. But today, thanks to the advancements in technology and the prevalence of electronic transactions, these crooks have merely to pay attention to the plethora of information being conveyed in private conversations being conducted publicly or retrieve the data stored in mobile phones. Some particularly conniving thieves will contact their victims directly and with a few well planned words, attain all the personal and financial information they need to swindle you out of your hard earned money.
It isn’t only the thieves who work alone who should concern you. Many thieves work within a network. A group of thieves will pool their various skills to serve a specific purpose within their group to ensure the success of a wide reaching, lucrative scheme. It is often more prosperous to steal from many people than just one. That one person may not have enough to offer to make the risk worth the effort. On the other hand, if you target a large number of individuals, the chance of success and the amount you walk away with will be much greater. Within the group of nefarious individuals will be spies; persons whose job requires them to retrieve the information by eavesdropping and/or other methods. And these spies are exceptionally skilled at gleaning the needed information.
Besides having concern about information being overheard or gained through trickery, anyone with a cellular phone should find the massive amount of personal data contained on these mobile device to be of great concern. A month of faithful trash picking couldn’t reap the plethora of information attained with just one glance at a cellular phone. The contact list or address book offers the names, numbers, and other identifying information of the persons closest to the cell phone owner and generally the most recent and current place of employment. The calendar reveals scheduled appointments and a glance into the individual’s daily life. The notes section could divulge anything from the type of work, regular purchases made, to interests and responsibilities. All of this information offers a telling glance into the identity of the individual to whom the phone belongs.
The emergence of smart phones had opened the owners of these advanced devices to serious identity and financial risk. These phones store website history, passwords including bank passwords, and email contacts and content. Any business records stored on the phone can be useful for aspiring identity thieves. Mobile banking applications allow users to create shortcuts for quick and easy access to bank accounts. Quick and easy for the user and theives alike. GPS is a modern marvel enjoyed by most; identity theives and criminals are not the exception. The GPS can serve as a marker for your photographs, permanently detailing the location of the pictures and offering a map to find your home and those of your friends and most frequented locations. Even something as seemingly innoccuous as employing one of the mapping applications can let a thief know where you’ve been and what places you have viewed most recently.
Bluetooth technology has experienced several snags in the security area. The most commonly associated issue has been named ‘Bluesnarfing’. A determined thief can obtain access to the data stored on your phone by entering through the bluetooth device. As security has improved on the bluetooth devices, so have the methods of infiltration. Malicious software is being employed to perform the task. Trojans, once installed on the cellular phone, can send the contact lists and other personal information to the party waiting at the other end of the next bluetooth device.
Let’s not forget about the favored form of cellular phone communication. No, not calling, texting. Texts disclose all manner of personal information and schedules. People text when they are running late, when they are on their way home, and when they have important events. Most people will not delete their texts immediately. Some people keep the texts as a journal of recent and current events to help remind and track dates and events. Think of the content of the text messages currently residing on your cellular phone. Just imaging the wealth of information it could provide a person with malicious intentions.
What does a person need to steal your identity? Surprisingly, not too much information is required to become you, on paper at least. Your name and address are the first steps to the new you. Your birth date, which could be found in the calendar on your phone or in text messages with well wishes, can be used as verification over the phone or in writing that the person with whom the agency is conversing is the right one. A driver’s license number can be helpful in the same regards. Credit card and bank account numbers are generally the ultimate goal. Once certain information is obtained, a person can even gain receipt of an individual’s social security number. It is the combination of these identifying facts which can be used to become a new person and to begin siphoning their resources and benefiting from the person’s good name.
It is with this type of information a thief can perform many destructive acts. New credit applications can be completed and credit extended, copies of birth certificates can be obtained, and new driver’s licenses issued. Insurance plans can be purchased and claims can even be filed and paid. People can purchase cars with new loans or attend college with government loans. A person can obtain employment under your social security number. New cellular phone accounts can be opened with the customary contract which usually comes with it. Your savings and checking accounts can be drained. Subscriptions to various services and new utility accounts can be opened. Imagine finding out your electric service is being turned off because of an outstanding bill of which you had no knowledge or cable service cannot be initiated due to a fraudulent account.
In light of all these facts and potential threats, it is imperative to take defensive action safeguarding your personal information. It can be difficult to sacrifice convenience for safety, but it is a necessity in these electronic times. It only takes seconds for your personal information to be transmitted to a criminal network. It takes experienced thieves less time to steal your identity, resources, and good name than it took you to establish them. Though there is some sacrifice and effort involved, it is well worth it. Because restoring your credit and identity can take years and sometimes is never fully complete. Identity theft can be a ghost which haunts you the remainder of your life.
Use this list to help you protect your information in our cellular world:
1. Make sure you know the make and model of your phone, the phone number, the serial/IMEI number, the PIN number and the descriptive details of the phone including color, shape, size and identifying features. Taking a picture of your phone is helpful. Staple the picture to a sheet of paper with the details noted above. If your cell phone is ever stolen, the police will need this information to help with their investigation.
2. Contact the network with whom you have service as soon as you realize your cell phone has been stolen. Ask that they block your phone across all networks so service cannot be obtained with another provider.
3. Use the PIN or security lock code option available with your phone to lock your phone when it is not in use. This will keep your valuable personal information safe from a thief who gains access to your phone.
4. A limited number of phones have a remote lock capability. If your cell phone has that option, familiarize yourself with how to do it and set up your phone for it. The feature will allow you to lock your cell phone and your memory card.
5. Use an ultraviolet marker to place a security mark on your cell phone and battery. It is recommended that you use two numbers of significance to you. Do NOT use an account or PIN number. You can use your zip code, your house number, a lucky number.
6. Clear your text messages and calendar entries as soon as possible. Entries of significance or sentimental value can be forwarded to your home email and printed out or stored on your computer’s hard drive.
7. Never elect to have passwords saved on your device or to stay logged on to your accounts from your cellular phone. Though it may save you a few precious seconds, it can cause you significant harm which will require a substantial amount of the time you cannot afford to waste.
8. Allowing your browser history to be saved for lengthy periods of time can offer some useful information to a savvy thief. Make sure your settings are such that eliminate the history as quickly as allowed. Let your home computer be the place you store that type of information if you must.
9. Protect your friends and families from identity theft. Do not keep comprehensive contact information stored in your phone. Imagine the harm that could befall your loved ones if you were to have their names, birthdates, email addresses, and relationship to you saved for anyone to see.
10. When engaged in a conversation in public, do not readily reveal personal data. If it is required, save the conversation for a time when you are in private. If the phone cal cannot wait and you must provide this type of information only do so if you have access to a secure area which limits the potential for strangers to overhear.
11. Don’t leave your phone out when it isnt’ in use. No point in making a thief’s job easy, is there? Keep your cell phone away whenever possible.
12. Register your cell phone with The National Mobile Property Register. This will make the process of getting your phone returned to you easier for the police. Report your cell phone missing, lost, or stolen as soon as you notice it.
13. Do NOT leave your phone visible in the car when you leave it there. Half of all cell phone thefts occur in vehicles.
14. Do NOT open texts from unknown or unfamiliar sources. These could be malicious software waiting to steal your information or encouraging you to visit a particular website with the intent of retrieving certain information.
15. Report suspicious activity or issues with service immediately. Overage charges could be caused by malware texts or by someone gaining access to your service and using to attack other people.
16. Avoid using downloadable software unless it is from a trusted source or has been deemed acceptable by a trusted source.
17. Disable remote capabilities when they are not in use to limit the opportunity for information being retrieved in that manner.
18. Encrypt your information if you must keep it on your cell phone. Some devices offer the option to encrypt files or the software to do it.
