The “Protecting Yourself Against Identity Theft Blog” is being merged with the “Money - Get It, Save It, Spend It.”
All updates will appear at that new location - money.donyell.net.
However, all previous posts will remain in the archives at this location.

Wireless “Hot Spots” are popping up faster than new selections at Starbucks. They can be a blessing for business travelers and computer users everywhere. However, if proper precautions are not taken, stealing information from your computer at a Hot Spot can be as easy as ordering a mocha latte for a “Hot Spot Hacker.”
Here are […]

Tax season is here. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, tax time means added opportunities for identity thieves to steal your identity.
The documents taxpayers send and receive this time of year contain all the information identity thieves look for. Your name, address, bank and credit account information and, most importantly, your Social Security number. […]

A new identify theft survey, one of the first to examine how the crime affects both African Americans and Hispanics, confirms that no minority group in the U.S. is safe and that all struggle equally to recover when their identity is stolen. The consumer poll, released today by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, uncovered unique differences […]

Despite 95 percent of Americans having heard or read about identity theft, a new survey reveals that many are unaware of the security benefits of direct deposit over paper checks — and that could place them at greater risk for identity theft and fraud.
The survey, sponsored by the United States Department of the Treasury and […]

Even as banks and regulators step up efforts to thwart identity theft over the Internet, the worry that fraudsters remain one step ahead is convincing many Americans that banking online is too risky.
At an identity theft forum in New York on Tuesday, security and policy experts said banks are taking appropriate steps to stop online […]

Top 10 States for Identity Theft (on per capita basis — 2004)
Rank State Victims/100,000 Total victims
1 Arizona 142.5 8,186
2 Nevada 125.7 2,935
3 California 122.1 43,839
4 Texas 117.6 26,454
5 Colorado 95.8 4,409
6 Florida 92.3 16,062
7 New York […]

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports that identity theft is the fasting growing crime in the U.S. Identity theft is a vicious crime. Criminals can be strangers or very close family members. While victims are not physically hurt, their feelings of personal security can be shattered forever. It can be a very personal violation. Often […]

One tool that has been used consistently by identity thieves is sifting through garbage. Your garbage can become a gold mine for identity thieves particularly, if you discard documents containing any personal information. Receipts, bills, legal documents, letters, etc. can contain enough information for someone to steal and use your identity. The most valued information […]

It is sometimes difficult to draw the line between simply sharing your life with your online friends and not providing information that identity theft criminals can use against you. Blog posts, comments, and forums can all serve as online sources of personal information. Most are harmless, but revealing something as benign as your […]