The Truth About Identity Theft (Paperback)

by Jim Stickley (Author)
Key Phrases: real identity thief, medical identity theft, identity theft attacks, United States, Bill Smith, Federal Trade Commission (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Praise for The Truth About Identity Theft

“This book will open your eyes, scare you smart, and make you think twice. Identity theft can happen to you and this book is a must read. Jim Stickley tells you why and how you need to protect yourself.”

Matt Lauer, Anchor, TODAY Show

"Nowadays, identity theft is an all-too-common occurrence that puts more than just your finances in jeopardy. Fortunately, Jim Stickley's easy-to-understand advice can teach you how to spot and stay ahead of security threats. In short, this book is a must read."

Wes Millar, Senior Vice President of CUNA Strategic Services

 

"In an age when identity theft will affect everyone sooner or later, this book is simply a must-read. Jim Stickley teaches you to spot the danger signs and offers smart solutions for everything from banking security and online shopping scams to medical identity theft. Whether it's you, your parents', or your kids' identities, everyone has something to protect. This book tells you what you need to know."

Jim Bell, Executive Producer, TODAY Show

 

"Jim Stickley shares his amazing experiences as a professional hacker in the most entertaining manner. He’s a great storyteller and captures your attention with his experiences, which will make you want to upscale your efforts protect your firm’s data and your own ID. Jim’s stories are fascinating. Most of us can’t imagine how simple it is for him to succeed as a conman in situations we think are safe. The trade secrets of hackers he shares with us are mind boggling! You won’t let your guard down after learning what Jim has actually done to get companies and individuals' private information. He’s the updated version of 'To Catch a Thief'[el]but he’s a good guy!"

Nancy E. Sheppard, President & CEO of Western Independent Bankers (A Trade Association of 350 Banks)

 

"If you’re not worried about identity theft, you should be[el]and Stickley tells you exactly why. His engaging writing style, coupled with real-life stories about identity theft and concrete actions to help you prevent identity theft are exactly what’s needed to make people take notice of this growing crime. I’ll recommend this book again and again!"

Jerri L. Ledford, About.com Guide to Identity Theft

 

Everything you must know to protect yourself and your business from identity thieves!

 

• The truth about real-world identity theft attacks

• The truth about how easy it is for thieves to make off with your identity

• The truth about stopping identity thieves in their tracks

 

Jim Stickley has stolen credit cards, hacked Social Security numbers, robbed banks, and created fake ATMs. He has broken into armed government facilities and has stolen from teenagers. He is an identity thief, but he is no criminal. Fortunately for all victims involved, Jim was hired to perform these attacks by corporations testing their security, news agencies investigating security concerns, and other media outlets interested in knowing just how easy it is to commit identity theft. His job is to find security flaws before the real criminals find them. This book has been designed to give you the insight that most people only experience after becoming victims of identity theft. Each Truth walks you through a different type of attack, explaining the complete process in a very simple and straight-forward way. Like a magician actually revealing what happens behind the curtain, Jim takes you through the attacks to reveal how people at home, work, and on the road become victims. Prepare yourself. What you read here might be disturbing, but you will never be truly safe from identity thieves until you learn to think like one.

 

 

About the Author

Jim Stickley is CTO and Vice President of Strategic Operations at TraceSecurity Inc. He was one of the original founders of TraceSecurity and is a renowned security expert. He has been involved in thousands of security services for financial institutions, Fortune 100 corporations, health care facilities, legal firms, insurance companies, and government agencies. He has been a security consultant for numerous magazines and newspapers, and he has been featured in Time Magazine, Business Week, Fortune Magazine, New York Times, and many other industry-specific publications such as PC Magazine and Security Focus. He also has been showcased on NBC’s Nightly News, CNN’s NewsNight, several CNBC programs including The Big Idea and Business Nation and numerous times on NBC’s Today Show. He has physically breached the security of more than 1,000 facilities nationwide and had access to billions of dollars through stolen identities. When not on assignment, Jim continues to serve as a speaker and has delivered hundreds of speeches at security-related trade shows, conventions, seminars, and forums throughout the U.S. and other countries, covering topics ranging from identity theft to national cyberterrorism. Be sure to visit www.stickleyonsecurity.com for security tips and the latest alerts.

 

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: FT Press; 1 edition (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789737930
• ISBN-13: 978-0789737939
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #515,899 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Book, September 12, 2008

By	Alexandra Bailee "Lexa" (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews

Okay, I know you didn't ask, nevertheless I'm going to help you out. Do you want to give your friends, employees, family or yourself an excellent, useful gift? Get a copy of Jim Stickley's book The Truth About Identity Theft "Why be me when I can be you?"

I didn't expect much when I opened this book. It's an unimpressive, slim book with a stark, two-color cover. I was prepared to slug my way through the usual dry preachiness of this type of book. I'm happy to report that Identity Theft is far and away one of the best written, most interesting, informative, useful books I've read in a long time.

Identity Theft reminded of important issues of security that I had let slide and educated me on possibilities that I hadn't even considered.

This book is part of a series, "The Truth About," published by FT Press. Stickley's company, Trace Security, investigates a wide range of security issues. Stickley has been a guest on some of the morning television shows. The book is divided into parts associated with various issues or "The Truth About": Phishing and Vishing, Trash, No-Tech Identity Theft, Just How Low Identity Thieves Will Go, Theft in Plain Sight, Online Cons, Security at Work, stories from identity theft victims, and information on how to stop identity theft.

The information in this book is an eye-opener, but what impressed me was the clean, concise writing style. The book moves right along with facts, anecdotes and suggestions. The reader is left with the feeling that the author respects his audience enough that he doesn't have to shout, oversell, overstate or berate the reader. This book will scare the heck out of you, but you'll still enjoy it and be very glad you read it.

One thing that struck me as I read this book is that laziness and inattention are at the heart of a lot of what happens to us as victims of identity theft. Our super busy lifestyles make us particularly vulnerable to this nasty type of thievery. One thing you'll realize as you read the book is that if you don't slow down and pay attention now, you may have to pay with many years of your life being sucked away as you try to remedy an identity theft situation.

"In the end, it all comes down to doing something. Don't just wait until something is done to you." (p.166)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Truth About Identity Theft, October 9, 2008

By	Tami Brady "Whole Health Therapist" (Calgary, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Identity theft. Only a few years ago, most of us didn't realize that we were at risk. We try to be more diligent. We cover our keypad when we use our debit card and delete spam when we check our email.

Despite our best efforts, each and every one of us is at real risk of identity theft. Pick up a copy of The Truth About Identity Theft and you'll see what I mean. Have you ever used an ATM machine that was outside a store? Have you ever checked your email using a public access computer, perhaps at the library, an airport, or at a hotel? Do you use a wireless modem? Have you ever used your credit card to make a charitable donation? Have you ever bought or received a gift card? Have you every applied for a pre-approved credit card?

The list is endless and what you'll find out is frightening. The truly scary part is that the author makes his living from hacking into people's personal information. Companies and individuals contract him to find flaws in their systems. Surprisingly, even with companies that seem very secure, it is the little things that leave them open to attack. Even though we think we are being careful, the majority of us unknowingly leave ourselves completely open to identity theft.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning what I thought I already knew, October 7, 2008

By	Boraborajen - See all my reviews

Wow what an eye-opening book! I bought this book after seeing Mr. Stickley on the Today Show (more than once.) I was always impressed with the information he was giving the public and thought I'd give his book a try. I'm so glad I did. He explains in quick easy chapters what identity thieves do and how they do it. He then goes on to tell you, the reader, how to protect not only yourself, but your family and even your children from these kinds of scams.

If you have ever been the victim of identity theft, or if you're concerned about the growing number of people who are hit by these thieves each year and don't want to be one of them, read this book and protect yourself!
You'll be amazed at how easy it is to lose control of your information. Read this book and you won't lose it again!