Customer Reviews

Identity Theft: How to Protect Your Name, Your Credit and Your Vital Information, and What to Do When Someone Hijacks Any of These

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Three key problems I found with this book:

1. It is wordy and the key useful material doesn't stick out or appear all together.

2. There isn't much useful material.

3. You may be easily able to obtain equivalent or better info free.

I haven't read any other book on identity theft. And I haven't made any study of identity theft. But, after reading this book, I went thru and made a list of material that seemed useful. From the list, I crossed out precautions I was already aware of. I was left with 1 item, all the others may be good reminders but only the 1 item was something I wasn't aware of and am grateful to be. But even that one wasn't that big a deal.

The free brochure my state representative sent me had about as much useful material. And I quickly just found a government web site on identify theft that seems more useful than this book.

Mostly what I learned from this book was how easy identity theft can be for those who are willing to break the law, even if one tries to prevent it. So I appreciate that lesson from this book, but it appears that info of equivalent or greater value is readily obtainable free and seems to have been since this book appeared in 2004.

This is the best book that I've found on this subject.
Lots of people are worried about ID theft. But the truth is not very many understand exactly what the crime is and how it works. This book explains both--in good detail, but also in plain English.
The book is full of case studies and preventive steps you can take for reducing your risk of having your ID stolen. But it also makes the important point that preventing ID theft is mostly a matter of changing your lifestyle. Being willing to be a little difficult or uncooperative when people ask for your credit card or--more importantly--your Social Security number in everyday business transactions.
Learning...and being willing...to say "No" is a key part of mindset you need to stay secure. This book does an excellent job of explaining that.

The book says it all: what it is, whom it targets, how it is accomplished, how to prevent it, and, if it's too late for prevention, what to do once it happens to you. I especially liked the fact that they use real-life examples garnered from interviews with enforcement agencies and offer tips and checklists that allow readers to review their own habits and vulnerabilities.
Really helpful!

Identity theft is one of the hardest thefts to control and is the one most damaging to consumers, so Identity Theft: How To Protect Your Name, Your Credit And Your Vital Information, And What To Do When Someone Hijacks Any Of These is a timely handbook vital to any consumer's fiscal health. Chapters explore common mechancis of ID theft, consider the various ways crooks choose victims and manufacture bogus identities from information, and tells how to reduce a risk of ID theft, and to respond effectively if someone steals an identity.

Identity theft is the fastest growing consumer threat in America. The explosion of computer and graphics technology has made it a much easier crime to perpetrate than in the past. It is the sort of crime that can happen to anyone, and be perpetrated by anyone.

The most practical documents to obtain for an identity thief are a Social Security Card or a driver's license (usually stolen and altered). With those, anything is possible, from getting new credit cards to cleaning out bank accounts. Administration of these systems is chaotic, and faking is easy.

The lead federal agency dealing with identity theft is the Federal Trade Commission. A problem with any federal investigation of a specific case is that the amounts are usually small, perhaps a few thousand dollars, and the victim and perpetrator usually live in different states (cost efficiency and jurisdiction). Therefore, the first responder will most likely be the local police department.

Preventing identity theft starts with the consumer. It is not possible to fill in all ID "holes," but things can be done, like safeguarding personal information, to make a thief go elsewhere. The consumer is responsible for notifying the authorities of illegal activity; the bank or credit card won't do it. Clean out your wallet or purse. Keep a photocopy of your license, credit cards, etc. in a safe place, in case it is stolen. Get things like bank account numbers, PIN numbers, passports and birth certificates out of there, and into a fireproof box at home. When ID theft is discovered, document all letters and phone calls, no matter what.

This book is excellent. It's small, so it can easily fit in a pocket or purse, and it is packed with easy to understand information. For those who are concerned about, or are victims of, ID theft, this is very much worth reading.

If ones credit history is messed up by identity theft and several credit cards have been falsely issued in ones name - can someone frame you?

Identity Theft is excellent! I am recommending it to others for purchase.