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Truth About Identity Theft, The

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Truth About Identity Theft, The

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Description

  • Copyright 2009
  • Edition: 1st
  • eBook (Adobe DRM)
  • ISBN-10: 0-7686-8626-1
  • ISBN-13: 978-0-7686-8626-5

Praise for The Truth About Identity Theft

“This book will open your eyes, scare you smart, and make you think twice. Identity theft can happen to you and this book is a must read. Jim Stickley tells you why and how you need to protect yourself.”

Matt Lauer, Anchor, TODAY Show

"Nowadays, identity theft is an all-too-common occurrence that puts more than just your finances in jeopardy. Fortunately, Jim Stickley's easy-to-understand advice can teach you how to spot and stay ahead of security threats. In short, this book is a must read."

Wes Millar, Senior Vice President of CUNA Strategic Services

"In an age when identity theft will affect everyone sooner or later, this book is simply a must-read. Jim Stickley teaches you to spot the danger signs and offers smart solutions for everything from banking security and online shopping scams to medical identity theft. Whether it's you, your parents', or your kids' identities, everyone has something to protect. This book tells you what you need to know."

Jim Bell, Executive Producer, TODAY Show

"Jim Stickley shares his amazing experiences as a professional hacker in the most entertaining manner. He’s a great storyteller and captures your attention with his experiences, which will make you want to upscale your efforts protect your firm’s data and your own ID. Jim’s stories are fascinating. Most of us can’t imagine how simple it is for him to succeed as a conman in situations we think are safe. The trade secrets of hackers he shares with us are mind boggling! You won’t let your guard down after learning what Jim has actually done to get companies and individuals' private information. He’s the updated version of 'To Catch a Thief'[el]but he’s a good guy!"

Nancy E. Sheppard, President & CEO of Western Independent Bankers (A Trade Association of 350 Banks)

"If you’re not worried about identity theft, you should be[el]and Stickley tells you exactly why. His engaging writing style, coupled with real-life stories about identity theft and concrete actions to help you prevent identity theft are exactly what’s needed to make people take notice of this growing crime. I’ll recommend this book again and again!"

Jerri L. Ledford, About.com Guide to Identity Theft

Everything you must know to protect yourself and your business from identity thieves!

• The truth about real-world identity theft attacks

• The truth about how easy it is for thieves to make off with your identity

• The truth about stopping identity thieves in their tracks

Jim Stickley has stolen credit cards, hacked Social Security numbers, robbed banks, and created fake ATMs. He has broken into armed government facilities and has stolen from teenagers. He is an identity thief, but he is no criminal. Fortunately for all victims involved, Jim was hired to perform these attacks by corporations testing their security, news agencies investigating security concerns, and other media outlets interested in knowing just how easy it is to commit identity theft. His job is to find security flaws before the real criminals find them. This book has been designed to give you the insight that most people only experience after becoming victims of identity theft. Each Truth walks you through a different type of attack, explaining the complete process in a very simple and straight-forward way. Like a magician actually revealing what happens behind the curtain, Jim takes you through the attacks to reveal how people at home, work, and on the road become victims. Prepare yourself. What you read here might be disturbing, but you will never be truly safe from identity thieves until you learn to think like one.

Sample Content

Table of Contents

Introduction  ix

Part I:   The Truth About Phishing and Vishing  1

Truth 1   Phishing scams  1

Truth 2  Vishing attacks  5

Truth 3  Phishing via snail mail  9

Truth 4  Spear phishing  13

Part II:  The Truth About Trash  17

Truth 5   One man’s trash is another man’s identity  17

Truth 6   Dumpster diving for profit  21

Truth 7   Your used computer is worth its weight in gold  25

Part III: The Truth About No-Tech Identity Theft  29

Truth 8   Pickpockets and purse snatchers still exist  29

Truth 9   Home burglaries and identity theft  33

Truth 10  Walk right in and steal whatever you like  37

Truth 11  Social engineering tactics  41

Truth 12  Wolves in sheep’s clothing  45

Part IV:  The Truth About Just How Low Identity Thieves Will Go  49

Truth 13  No respect for their elders  49

Truth 14  Are you paying the IRS or an identity thief?  53

Truth 15  What do you mean there’s a warrant for my arrest?  57

Truth 16  Medical identity theft  61

Truth 17  Sweet 16 and already a victim!  65

Truth 18  Being dead doesn’t protect you from identity theft  71

Truth 19  Fake credit card applications  75

Truth 20  An identity thief has a gift just for you  79

Truth 21  Gift card or gift horse?  83

Truth 22  That gift card might be worthless  87

Truth 23  Fake charities  91

Truth 24  Bogus background checks and job applications  95

Part V:   The Truth About Identity Theft in Plain Sight  99

Truth 25  Hotel business centers can be treacherous  99

Truth 26  Identity thieves can hear you now…  103

Truth 27  ATM scams  107

Truth 28  Wireless access scams  111

Truth 29  Credit card skimming  115

Part VI:  The Truth About Online Cons  119

Truth 30  PayPal scams  119

Truth 31  Email scams  123

Truth 32  Online shopping scams  127

Truth 33  Fake e-card greetings  131

Part VII:  The Truth About Security at Work  135

Truth 34  Rogue wireless access points  135

Truth 35  Corporate laptop security  139

Truth 36  Does your small business have a bull’s-eye on it?  143

Part VIII: The Truth About Identity Theft from Real Victims  147

Truth 37  My own identity theft experience  147

Truth 38  It all started with a phone call  151

Part IX:  The Truth About Putting a Stop to Identity Theft  155

Truth 39  Stopping thieves in their tracks  155

Truth 40  Installing proper identity theft protection  159

Truth 41  When a free credit report isn’t free  163

Truth 42  Getting your life back in order  167

Truth 43  Somebody’s watching me  173

Truth 44  Wireless security at home  177

Truth 45  Crack proofing your passwords  181

Truth 46  Who you gonna call?  185

Acknowledgments  189

About the Author  191

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