1. NEW YORK STATE
POLICE
“IDENTITY THEFT”
Trooper Marc McDonell
Troop B
School and Community
Outreach Coordinator

2. IDENTITY THEFT
TODAY, WE’LL COVER THE FOLLOWING TOPICS:
I. WHAT IS IDENTITY THEFT?
II. WHY WOULD THIEVES WANT YOUR PERSONAL
INFORMATION, AND WHAT CAN THEY DO WITH
IT?
III. HOW DO ID THIEVES GET YOUR
INFORMATION?
IV.HOW CAN YOU PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING?
V. WHAT CAN YOU DO IF YOU ARE A VICTIM?
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3. I. What is Identity Theft?
• The theft and use of your
personal information without
your knowledge to commit
fraud or other crimes.
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4. ID Theft
• ID theft comprises many crimes, some
more serious and damaging than others.
• Incidents range from a petty crime, such
as unauthorized use of a credit card for a
small purchase, to serious crimes where
an individual’s credit history and their
ability to secure future credit is ruined.
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5. ID Theft - continued
• Most incidents involve unauthorized
charges or debits, and are resolved
quickly—as long as the victim reports
the incident in a timely fashion and
takes the necessary steps to resolve
the issue.
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6. Identity Theft
• II. Why do thieves want this information?
FINANCIAL GAIN!!!
Your personal information can be used to
access your existing bank accounts, credit
cards, financial records, and to create new
accounts.
Thieves can then steal your money, obtain
credit, then incur debts for which you could
held responsible.
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7. Most Common Types
• Credit Card Fraud (43%)
• Unauthorized Phone or Utility Services (21%)
• Bank Fraud (14%)
• Fraudulent Loans (7%)
• Government Documents or Benefits (7%)
• Other Types
– Employment
– Medical Services
– Obtain Tax Refunds, etc.
• Multiple Types Reported (22%)
May 15, 2012 7

8. III. How do ID thieves get your
information?
• Good old-fashioned stealing!
• Wallets and purses – a treasure trove of
information here.
• Mail – Bank and credit card statements,
pre-approved credit offers, new checks,
tax information.
• Personnel records from employers by
abusing access or bribing employees who
have access
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9. Additional methods:
• PHISHING – Thieves attempt to get you to
reveal your personal information through spam
or pop-up messages—extremely common (See
example of PayPal)
• Pre-text phone calls – Various schemes to
obtain personal information
• Mail – Bogus lotteries – requesting claim forms
be submitted which include personal information
and bank account info so winnings can be
directly deposited
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10. Additional Methods-cont.
• CHANGING YOUR ADDRESS: Perpetrator
obtains change of address form and redirects
billing statements to another location—can be
used to both obtain information and to delay
discovery of unauthorized transactions.
• SKIMMING – Credit/debit card numbers stolen
by using a special storage device when
processing your card – Manually or by illegally
installed device on ATM
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11. Video – Skim City
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12. Additional Methods – Cont.
• DUMPSTER DIVING: Thieves rummage
through your trash looking for bills or other paper
with your personal information on it.
• SHOULDER SURFING-especially when using
PCs or conducting business in public.
• ID Thieves are opportunists—Be aware of
unsecured personal information and take steps
to secure it, such as computer screens in public
view, unsecured files etc.
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13. How is information
obtained?
• Social Engineering
– The art of “personal manipulation”
– Generally accepted that people are susceptible to
this type of manipulation
– What’s vulnerable?
• Credit card information
• Social Security Numbers
• Passwords
• Telephone access points
• Current products
– Software
– Hardware
• Employee names
May 15, 2012 • Business Information 13

14. Some Statistics
• Incidences growing at a rate of 40-50
percent per year
• One out of five Americans, or a member of
their family, has been victimized by
identity theft
May 15, 2012 14

15. What can you do?
• Deter
– By safeguarding your information
• Detect
– Suspicious activity by routinely monitoring
your financial accounts & billing statements
• Defend
– Against ID theft as soon as you suspect a
problem
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16. Deter
• Ask your bank, doctor's office, other
businesses and your employer how they use
and protect your personal information.
• Never carry your Social Security card, Social
Security number, birth certificate or passport
unless necessary.
• Do not put your address, telephone number
or driver's license number on a credit card
sales receipt.
• Social Security numbers or phone numbers
should not be put on checks.
May 15, 2012 16

17. Deter
• Identifying information should not be given over
the phone or the Internet to someone you do not
know or on a cellular or cordless phone.
• Shred all personal documents before placing
them in the trash!
• Keep your financial records out of sight. Burglars
are just as interested in credit cards, bank
accounts and investment statements as they are
in your jewelry and other valuables.
May 15, 2012 17

18. Deter
• Keep a list, in a safe place, of all credit cards
and bank accounts including the account
numbers, phone numbers and expiration
dates. Only use your credit card on the
Internet if it will be encrypted.
• Shred financial or confidential information
such as credit card pre-approvals, credit card
receipts, etc.
• Store unused credit cards in a safe place or
cancel them if you will not use them again.
Cut up old credit cards before discarding.
May 15, 2012 18

19. Deter
• Carry only the credit cards you plan to use.
• Do not use your mother's maiden name as a
password for accounts. Make one up.
• Unless your mailbox is secure, mail payments at
the post office and pick up new checks at your
bank.
• Include 1-800 numbers for 24 hour service and
contact.
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20. Detect
• Be alert
– Mail or bills that do not arrive
– Denials of credit for no reason
May 15, 2012 20

21. IDENTITY THEFT
THEFT FROM WITHIN
– Secure your information at home and at work
• Thefts occur everywhere by:
– Building cleaners, maintenance personnel, baby sitters,
children, family members, visiting medical personnel, door to
door salesmen, repair personnel, driveway sealers, painters,
etc. gypsies
– HOW: “simple excuses or ploys”
• “I need to use the bathroom”
• “I need to use the phone”
• “I’ll get it for you”
– Keep strangers in sight and out of personal areas
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22. IV. IDENTITY THEFT
PREVENTION – CONTINUED
-DETECT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY BY
ROUTINELY MONITORING YOUR FINANCIAL
ACCOUNTS AND BILLING STATEMENTS.
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23. IV. IDENTITY THEFT
PREVENTION – CONTINUED
-BE ALERT TO WARNING SIGNS:
BILLS THAT DO NOT ARRIVE AS EXPECTED
UNEXPECTED CREDIT CARDS/STATEMENTS
DENIALS OF CREDIT FOR NO APPARENT REASON
CALLS/LETTERS ABOUT UNKNOWN PURCHASES
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24. IV. IDENTITY THEFT
PREVENTION – CONTINUED
• Empty your mail box quickly-Notify
Postal carrier when away to stop
your mail delivery
• Deposit your mail in a secure US
Postal Service Drop Box, not your
personal box, especially YOUR
INCOME TAX RETURN!!!
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25. IV. IDENTITY THEFT
PREVENTION – CONTINUED
-When using your computer:
NEVER CLICK on links sent in unsolicited emails;
instead, type in a web address you know.
Use firewalls, anti-spyware and anti-virus
software to protect your computer and keep
them updated.
Don’t use obvious passwords like your mother’s
maiden name, your birthdate, or the last four
digits of your social security number.
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26. IDENTITY THEFT
PREVENTION CONTINUED
• COMPUTERS:
– Never share passwords
– Never save password in computer
– Use Alpha-Numeric passwords with an added key stroke(s)
such as: @, #, $, %,* etc.
– WEB users – shut off the modem, server or computer
– 24 Hour access users “You Need a firewall”
– Do not list a “personal profile” in your computer
– Limit stored information on your hard drive
– Back up your work to a removable drive or medium
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27. IDENTITY THEFT
• V. YOU HAVE BECOME A VICTIM OF
IDENTITY THEFT.
ACT NOW!
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28. Warning Signs
• Your monthly credit card and bank statements
suddenly stop arriving.
• You are denied credit for no apparent reason.
• You start getting bills from companies you do not
recognize.
• Credit collection agencies try to collect on debts
that do not belong to you.
May 15, 2012 28

29. IDENTITY THEFT
• REPORT LOSS OR THEFT TO POLICE
– GIVE POLICE THE LIST OF CONTENTS
– CALL YOUR BANKING OR CREDIT INSTITUTIONS IMMEDIATELY
– CLOSE AFFECTED ACCOUNTS IMMEDIATELY
– REQUEST THEY NOTIFY YOU BY PHONE AND MAIL OF ANY USE
OR ATTEMPTED USE OF YOUR LOST OR STOLEN ITEMS
– AUTHORIZE CREDITORS TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH
POLICE
– CONTACT CREDIT BUREAU AND HAVE FRAUD ALERT PLACED
ON YOUR CREDIT REPORT
– REFER TO WWW.FTC.GOV FOR COMPREHENSIVE
INFORMATION ON WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE A VICTIM OF ID
THEFT – EXCELLENT SOURCE OF INFORMATION/ASSISTANCE
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30. IDENTITY THEFT
OPEN NEW ACCOUNTS
– CHANGE PIN NUMBERS – “BE CREATIVE”
– MAKE NEW LIST OF CARDS & ACCOUNTS
REQUEST NEW STATEMENTS
– TRACK ALL EXPENSES ON STATEMENTS
– DISPUTE UNIDENTIFIED CHARGES ON YOUR
STATEMENTS
– CREDITORS MAY CHARGE YOU ADDITIONAL
SERVICE FEES FOR THIS
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31. IDENTITY THEFT
YOU HAVE GOT A REAL PROBLEM!
Your financial Institutions are not all local
• Investigations can involve several towns, counties and
even other States and Countries (Canada)
• Involves multiple police and court jurisdictions
• May involve U.S. Postal Service
• May involve U.S Secret Service
• May involve Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Will involve your local or State Police
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32. IDENTITY THEFTS
• Calls from your Financial Institutions to verify
information:
– Request it be completed by mail or in person, or
“OVER THE COUNTER” at bank or business
– Computer emails with requests for information
• NO LEGITIMATE BANK OR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
WILL ASK FOR PERSONAL INFORMATION VIA E-MAIL.
ASSUME ANY SUCH E-MAIL IS A “PHISHING” SCAM.
• BE AWARE, AND CONSIDER--
• IS THIS AN ATTEMPT TO CON YOU, TO STEAL YOUR
IDENTITY?
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33. IDENTITY THEFT
IN CLOSING
• Secure your information at all times
• Know the “why” others are asking
• Know the requester and their institution
• Stay safe at home and at work, while away
• Clean out that purse, desk drawers, computer
• Shred it, cut it, destroy it
• CALL POLICE IMMEDIATELY IF VICTIMIZED
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34. A FINAL NOTE
• IF YOU ARE A VICTIM OF ID THEFT-
• EVEN IF YOU RECOVER YOUR
LOSSES, CONTINUE TO MONITOR
YOUR CREDIT REPORT AND BE
AWARE OF SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS
TO STEAL YOUR IDENTITY DUE TO
THE POTENTIAL FOR
“TRADING/EXCHANGE/SALE” OF YOUR
PERSONAL INFORMATION.
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35. IDENTITY THEFT
QUESTIONS?

36. Contact information
• Tpr Marc McDonell
• Marc.mcdonell@troopers.ny.gov
• 315-393-1758
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