Robert Siciliano
Online Security and Safety Evangelist to McAfee Robert is an identity theft expert who is committed to ...
#1 New Account Fraud
Using another’s personal identifying information to obtain products and services using that person’s good credit standing. This fraud often requires use of the victim’s Social Security number. Opening new utility, cell phone and/or credit card accounts are the most prevalent forms of new account fraud.
#2 Account Takeover Fraud
Using another person’s account numbers, such as a credit card number, to obtain products and services using that person’s existing accounts or extracting funds from a person’s bank account.
#3 Criminal Identity Theft
Someone commits a crime under another person’s name. The thief, in the act of the crime or upon arrest, poses as the identity theft victim. Often the perpetrator will have a fake ID with the victim’s information but the imposter’s picture.
#4 Medical Identity Theft
The deadliest form of identity theft. Medical identity theft occurs when someone uses a person’s name and/or insurance information—without the person’s knowledge or consent—to obtain medical services or goods, or to make false claims for medical goods or services. Medical identity theft frequently results in erroneous entries being put into the victim’s medical records, which in turn may lead to inappropriate and potentially life-threatening decisions by medical staff.
#5 Business or Commercial Identity Theft
Using a business’s name to obtain credit or even billing those businesses’ clients for products and services. Perpetrators who commit business identity theft are often insiders — current or ex-employees — with direct access to operational documentation, who pad the books in favor of their scheming.
#6 Identity Cloning
Encompasses all forms of identity theft. The thief is actually living and functioning as the victim on purpose. They may be hiding in plain sight due to the fact they are running from the law, evading child support or they could be mentally ill.
It is important to observe basic security precautions to protect your identity. However, the safety of your information with corporations and other entities that you transact business with is very often beyond your control. Consumers should consider an identity theft protection product that offer daily credit monitoring, proactive identity surveillance, lost wallet protection, and alerts when suspicious activity is detected on your accounts. McAfee Identity Protection includes all these features in addition to live help from fraud resolution agents if your identity is ever compromised. For more tips on protecting yourself, please visit http://www.counteridentitytheft.com
Robert Siciliano is a McAfee Consultant and Identity Theft Expert. See him discussing how to protect yourself from identity theft on CounterIdentityTheft.com. (Disclosures)
Tags: credit monitoring, identity protection, identity theft, lost wallet protection, medical identify theft, proactive identity surveillance, social security number theft, stolen medical card
Hello Kimberly,
“statistics on a family member or ex spouse stealing the identity of their family?”
It can be anywhere from 25-75% depending on what study is referenced.
“Do you have a post about it I can refer to?”
Frankly it doesn’t matter whether identity theft is committed by someone you know or a stranger. In the end all that matters is you are protected and that process is the same regardless of the relationship with the thief.
“Forensics found spyware on all my phone…flexispy.”
Whenever you suspect mobile phone spyware reinstall the phones operating system and that will rid the device of spyware.
Thanks for your response to my questions.
In your opinion, what is the best system or networking business I should look at to mointer my business sites proactively, all networks 24-7 on order to keep clients info safe as well as my business accounts? WiredSafety responded to an email advising me to hire a networking firm in my area. I know it won’t be cheap but I can’t risk anymore than I already have. I’m Texas…does it have to be a company near me or is out of state doable?
If you can share what you feel is best, please let me know. Trust is very important and I need to get advise from the ones who understand, such as yourself in order to get my plan of action in order for, God willing, a strong and secure comeback.
Thank you! Love your work!
Hey Robert. How are you?
Question…what’s the latest statistics on a family member or ex spouse stealing the identity of their family? Do you have a post about it I can refer to?
Forensics found spyware on all my phone…flexispy. I’d love to share my story with you and your readers. We actually had to leave our home as it got very bad.
Thanks for what you do!
Kimberly
903.644.0880
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