Read CreditCards.com Article featuring John!
Shredded bliss: 5 steps to choosing the perfect paper shredder
Protect yourself from identity theft by shredding daily
By Michael BergModern criminals may be stealing personal information electronically through sophisticated online data mining tools, but small-time crooks sorting through food wrappers and dirty diapers in the quest for discarded paperwork ‘still lurk.
In fact, not shredding potentially sensitive documents before you dispose of them is almost like begging to become one of the Federal Trade Commission’s estimated 9 million victims of identity theft in the United States every year. And with adequate shredders available for as low as $50, there’s almost no excuse — every household should have one.
John Sileo can attest to this firsthand. The identity protection expert and professional speaker had his identity stolen twice, and in one of those instances, a shredder could have made all the difference. “Shortly after buying a house, I put some mortgage documents out in the trash, and didn’t think twice about it,” he says. Later “a woman used my identity to buy herself a home. Eventually, she declared bankruptcy as me.”
John Sileo became one of America’s leading Social Networking Speakers & sought after Identity Theft Experts after he lost his business and more than $300,000 to identity theft and data breach. His clients include the Department of Defense, Pfizer and the FDIC. To learn more about having him speak at your next meeting or conference, contact him by email or on 800.258.8076.
Identity Theft Speech at the FTC – Removing the Black Belt
How long has it been since you wore a white belt in your area of expertise?
I just had the singular honor of delivering an identity theft speech for the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. In case you don’t understand the humorous irony, let me explain.
The FTC is the arm of the U.S. Government that is responsible for educating you and me about our rights as consumer, including how to fight identity theft. In other words, they are the original identity theft experts! Those of us who are professional identity theft speakers turn to the FTC for information, guidance and materials.
So why did they pay my fee to talk about a subject they know so much about?
Perspective.
Let me use a Taekwondo metaphor to explain what I mean. In many martial arts programs, one level before achieving your black belt, the Master teacher asks the candidate to again wear their white belt to signify that the student is returning to the state of a beginner. The ritual is a symbolic reminder that we only grow and evolve when we are humble enough to admit how much we don’t know. It is related to the Zen principle of viewing life through the eyes of an ever-learning child.
Facebook Changes Compromise Your Privacy
As of last week, Facebook has added two new ways that you can connect to things you care about. The problem with these changes is that they takes away the user’s ability to control who can see these connections. The first change made is the addition of Community Pages described by Facebook:
Community Pages are a new type of Facebook Page dedicated to a topic or experience that is owned collectively by the community connected to it. Just like official Pages for businesses, organizations, and public figures, Community Pages let you connect with others who share similar interests and experiences.
The addition of these new pages mean that certain parts of your profile, “including your current city, hometown, education and work, and likes and interests” will now be transformed into “connections,” meaning that they will be shared publicly. If you don’t want these parts of your profile to be made public, your only option is to delete them.
The second change that they made is More Connected Profiles, which links personal information about yourself, such as your likes and interests, favorite books, music and movies, to other users with the same personal information. Facebook explains it like this:
H&R Block Customers Suffer Tax Time Identity Theft
The number of identity theft victims rose 22% last year! Although it’s important to always protect your identity, tax season makes people more vulnerable to this crime and you should be especially cautious.
A recent article in the New York Times uncovers an H&R Block office in the Bronx that was infiltrated by identity thieves (apparently it was not the only office affected).
Last year, Kevin Johns, a construction worker in the Bronx, did his taxes at the H&R Block store on Riverdale Avenue that he had used for the past 20 years or so. The next day, though, he got a call from the tax preparer: his return was rejected because he had already filed. Or at least, someone had filed in his name. That someone helped himself or herself to a $8,499 refund.
Sharon Hawa, a disaster-relief coordinator with the Red Cross and another longtime customer at the same office, had a similar experience. Ms. Hawa said she went to have her taxes done, only to be told that someone had already e-filed her taxes and collected $6,145.
Both Ms. Hawa and Mr. Johns said they were told by police detectives investigating their cases that at least 20 customers of the branch and possibly many more had been robbed by identity thieves who were very likely H&R Block employees. Both said the fraudulent filers used their previous year’s adjusted gross incomes as proof of identity.
Identity Theft Speaker Ed Helms
Just in case you’ve been spending a lot of time with the less comical sides of identity theft (I know I have), here is a video to lighten it up. Thanks to everyone at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart!
Information Control: FCC Comcast Ruling and World War III
Information control will be at the heart of the next major war waged between nations. None of us yet knows if the battlefield will be virtual or actual, but it’s liable to be both. From this point forward, every business person (and individual) must understand the discipline of CIA, Controlling Information Assets. That’s where the profits are, and that’s where their battles will be fought.
Take Tuesday’s decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals, as summarized here by the New York Times (emphasis mine):
A federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that regulators [Sileo Note: the FCC] had limited power over Web traffic under current law. The decision will allow Internet service companies to block or slow specific sites and charge video sites like YouTube to deliver their content faster to users.
So, for example, if Comcast completes its takeover of NBC, it would have the right to increase the broadcast speed of NBC-owned programs over the web while decreasing the speed of television programs provided by competing networks. Suddenly, American Idol is less attractive to watch because of frustrating download bottlenecks that make FOX’s show inferior to NBC’s The Biggest Loser. And that is how the average viewer becomes the biggest loser. All because Comcast has been given a higher degree of information control.
Must Read: 2010 Census Identity Theft
After receiving many emails and calls from people that have been victims of a Census Scam, I can not express enough the importance of reading the following article!
Posted March 15, 2010
Along with the many benefits of the Census come some privacy risks. While Privacy Rights Clearinghouse does not focus on Census issues as one of its core missions, we encourage you to visit the website of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). EPIC has extensive resources about the Census posted at http://epic.org/privacy/census/.Census Scams. There have been reports of scammers attempting to defraud the public by posing as Census workers. The Census potentially presents an opportunity for con artists to collect personal information about you to commit fraud. Typically, scammers will seek to obtain information such as your Social Security number or financial information. Don’t fall for the trap! Keep the following tips in mind to make sure that you don’t fall prey to a scammer:
- The Census will not contact you by email. Do not respond to any email claiming to be from the Census.
- You cannot complete the Census online. Never enter your personal Census information on any website.
CLICK HERE to read the entire article.
CNN Article: Job-Seekers Hide Facebook Profiles
Young job-seekers are hiding their Facebook pages.
In today’s economic climate, more and more individuals are searching for jobs. Many job-seekers are just beginning to realize that managers looking to hire them can easily Google their name to find Facebook profiles, tweet history and vast quantities of online information that they would probably rather keep a bit more private. This is even more prevalent with recent college graduates who are entering the job market for the first time. With tough competition from so many qualified candidates, employers are turning to Facebook to help them sift through resumes. While some profiles are innocent, many have pictures, posts, and more that could possibly disqualify them from getting a job before they even walk into the interview. A new article by CNN discusses how more and more job-seekers are choosing to hide their Facebook profiles by changing their names (assuming an Alias, in spy terms) in order to keep a clean digital image of themselves on the web.
Remember when it comes to anything on the internet – Facebook, Twitter, Linked-In, Myspace, blogs, or anything you post online - all Posts are Public, Permanent, and Exploitable. While changing your name on your Facebook profile is a quick fix, you should really be aware and limit the type of material that you choose to expose. Read the privacy and security settings and adjust them to best protect your online presence.
Sileo In the Media
Privacy Project Newsletter
Tools and tips for bulletproofing yourself against identity theft, data breach and corporate espionage. Subscribe to the newsletter and get John Sileo's 7 Survival Strategies for Starving Data Spies for FREE!
