Protection of Personal Information

InstructorInstructor::

Detective MikeDetective Mike

Detective Mike Founder OOD• Police Officer:• Vehicular Homicide:5 years• Gang Detective: 6 years • Academy Instructor:13 years• 2002 Officer of the year. • Re-wrote the new hire background

investigation manual for a state agency.• Implemented Redaction process for a

state agency.

A message from Mike.

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Areas to Protect Your Information• Signature• Get a Private Owned Mailbox• Motor Vehicle Information• Home address and phone number.• Credit applications/companies• Business locations• Magazine/internet activity• Opt-out of online data vendors• Trust Fund

Why do YOU think protection of

personal information is

important?

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Why protect personal information from being fed

to data vendors?• Do you need to protect your information

and your family?

• Protect your identity & protect your assets!

• To protect your information you must understand how your information is released to online data-bases.

Protect Your Signature

• Have variations of your signature.

• Work signature

• “Online” signature (financial)

• Non-important signature.

Protect Your Signature

Use a Privately Owned Mailbox

• Use a private business to obtain a P.O. Box. • Don’t use the U.S. Postal Service.• Proper use of a P.O. box looks like an

apartment complex to data companies

and will be added to internet search engines.• Private companies are more secure

and tend not to release your information.• UPS Store or other private company.

Use a Privately Owned Mailbox

• The reason for obtaining a P.O. Box is to stack YOUR information. Get 3! One for 6 months, get a second for 6 months then move to a final P.O. Box.

• By stacking, it appears to People Finder web engines you have moved.

• Every time you get a new P.O. box, order the free magazine’s offered by completing a “change of address” form.

Use a Privately Owned Mailbox

• The best way to “stack” your P.O. box is to send magazines to multiple P.O. boxes. By doing this the search engines continue to add addresses to your personal information.

THE MORE THE BETTER!

Example of P.O. Mailbox Label

• 2903 N. Shoreline Suite 105P.O. Box 254Chicago, IL 60601

• 2903 N. Shoreline 105-254Chicago, IL 60601

WRONG!

Use a Privately Owned Mailbox

• All family/friends use this P.O. Box

• Husband/Wife

• Children

Use this P.O. Box on your Voter Application.

Motor Vehicle Department• Remove your Social Security Number from your

drivers license.• Update your drivers license and

vehicle registration to the P.O. Box.• When you get your first P.O. Box

order a new drivers license so

your license has a P.O. Box listed.• Save the license with your actual home address.

Home Address/Phone Number• Don’t give out your home address & phone number.• Don’t use them on credit applications.• Don’t have bills or publications sent to your home.• Don’t order Pizza or other food to be

delivered to your home!

Make Sure family members don’t use your home address!

Home Address Phone Number• The only mail you should receive at your home is

JUNK MAIL/RESIDENT MAILERS!• Have ebay items sent to the P.O. Box. (ebay tracking

info)• All mail order items need to be sent to the P.O. Box.

(UPS)• Work mail need to be sent to the P.O. Box.• Insurance companies.• Warranty information cards.

Home Address Phone Number• If you don’t need a phone at home don’t get one.

• Never give your phone number out to people you don’t know.

• Inform the phone company your last name has changed. They will change the last name and

if/when they sell the information it will be incorrect.

• Pay to have an unlisted phone number.

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Home Address Phone Number• Kids and phones…..

• Avoid using your child’s name on cell phones.

• Change your child’s number when the contract expires or “port” the phone.

• Watch for mailings in your child’s name.

• Magic Jack.

Home Address & Phone Number

• Use a cell phone for all credit Applications.

• Give this phone number out only to people/businesses you want contact from.

• When buying a cell phone: Ask the sales person to use “bogus” name or company for caller ID.

Phone Tip

Current Creditors

• Any company you have an account with should be asked not to rent, release or sell your information.

• Phone companies, banks, water, gas, electric, cable, insurance, credit card companies.

Future Creditors• Request that new credit companies you use not

rent, release or sell your information.

• Use your P.O. Box for any and all applications. *Except new home purchase*

• Understand U.S. Code Title 18,

Sec., 1014 & look for it on applications.

Future Creditors•Any credit applications you complete have a

high probability of being sold to many other companies including internet companies.

•List a relative not living with you.

•Who you list & who list’s you-

Is the number one reason you become linked with family members.

The Three Credit Bureaus • Equifax

• 1-800-525-6285• www.equifax.com

• Experian• 1-888-397-3742• www.experian.com

• Trans Union• 1-800-680-7289• www.transunion.com

The Three Credit Bureaus

• Call the 3 credit bureaus and ask them not to rent, sell or release your information.

• Pay to have a credit freeze placed on your records.• Credit bureau information is sold to several

companies.• Credit bureaus release basic header or applicant

information.• AND call 888-567-8688 to opt-out of pre-approved

offers for credit.

Business Locations• Don’t give out information to:

• Grocery stores• Hardware stores• Electronic stores• Music stores• Toy stores• Movie rental locations• Department stores• Fish jar drawings• Casinos

Free Public Record

• http://www.crimetime.com/online.htm • http://www.searchbug.com/ • Social Security Validator • People finder websites

http://www.zabasearch.com/

http://www.searchsystems.net/

www.whitepages.com

Backstop Your Identity

https://www.zabasearch.com/zabasphere/signup/

Intelius• To ‘opt out’ your public information Intelius

requires you to faxed proof of identity such as a state issued ID card or driver’s license (cross out the photo and driver’s license number; they only need to see the name, address and date of birth).

• Or call (425) 974-6100.

Internet data vendors to opt out of*All require letters to be sent*

WhoWhere.comWorldPages.com555-1212.comFederal Do Not MailLexisNexisZabaSearchChoicepointAccurintAmeridex.comAnywho.comAcxiom.com

InfoSpace.comInfoUSA.comIntelius.comPeopleData.comPeopleFinder.com PrivateEye.comSwitchBoard.comUSSearch.comUSAPeopleSearch.comWestLaw.comWhitePages.com

Internet data vendors to opt out of• www.the-dma.org (Direct marketing assoc.)

• The DMA is the largest U.S. association of marketers – invoking DMA opt outs can diminish receiving marketing mail and catalogs.

• Only businesses that are members of the DMA will comply with an opt out request through the DMA programs. The DMA offers several flavors of opt outs. It offers a Mail Preference Service opt out, an email list opt out, and an opt out that lets you remove the names of deceased people from mailing lists. The Mail Preference Service should not affect your receipt of mail and catalogs from companies that you already do business with.

DMA Choice.org

• www.the-dma.org (Direct marketing assoc.)• The DMA is the largest U.S. association of marketers –

invoking DMA opt outs can diminish receiving marketing mail and catalogs.

• Only businesses that are members of the DMA will comply with an opt out request through the DMA programs. The DMA offers several flavors of opt outs. It offers a Mail Preference Service opt out, an email list opt out, and an opt out that lets you remove the names of deceased people from mailing lists. The Mail Preference Service should not affect your receipt of mail and catalogs from companies that you already do business with.

• www.optoutprescreen.com

• http://www.privacyrights.org (online data brokers)

P.O. Boxes, Opt-out’s, credit bureau’s

• Why a minimum of 3 P.O. Box’s?

• Why the opt-outs?

• Why put a freeze on the credit bureaus?

Recorders Office• Do not file anything unless you HAVE to.• Many Recorder Offices sell information

(Name & Addresses) This is how people end up on mailing list’s.

• Do not allow credit cards, bank account information or social security numbers to be recorded.

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Trust Fund• The best way to protect personal

information

• There are several benefits• Put all assets it trust.

• You name the beneficiaries.

• Your family won’t have to go through probate court should/when you die.

Trust Fund Things to consider

• Hire an attorney to prepare it.• Have the attorney listed as the agent.• The attorney can’t/won’t release your information because of

attorney/client privilege.• Don’t record this document.• Don’t use your name as the trust. • Buy everything under the trust

• House• Vehicles.

Trust Fund

Note the signature vs. autograph Specifically the direction of the “T” crossing.Autograph date 11-16-06Signature 2-9-06

Magazine/Internet• Magazine subscriptions are the number one

source of released personal information.

• Magazine companies make money by selling your information!

• Have all magazine/internet information sent to your P.O. Box for all family members.

Magazine/Internet• If the internet site isn’t secure don’t order from it.• Keep your computer protected from virus’ and

spy-ware.• Use a firewall.• Educate your family about releasing information

on the internet.• Use something other than your name as an email

address.

Magazine/Internet• Do business with companies you know.

• Contact the company before making a purchase and confirm someone actually works there.

• Avoid using your real identity.

Hotmail

Eharmony

Chat groups

Myspace

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• If someone was wanting to target your assets?

• If someone wanted to cause harm to you or your family as retaliation for ANY reason?

• If an internet predator targeted you or your child?

• If it occurred to you?

Shred or tear?

Shred or tear?

Shred or tear?

Tips to Avoid Identity Theft• Shred all mail with personal information on it.

• Don’t give out your information over the phone unless you called them.

• Always review your bank statements or check them often online for charges.

• Store all your personal information in a secure place.

Tips to Avoid Identity Theft• Don’t carry personal checks

• Use gelled ink• Shred used/returned checks

• Don’t carry more than one credit card.• Cancel all old credit cards you don’t use/need.• Have phone numbers for credit cards held kept in a

location you can find them if the cards are lost or skimmed.

Tips to Avoid Identity Theft• Don’t carry personal checks

• Use gelled ink

• Shred used/returned checks

• Don’t carry more than one credit card.

• Cancel all old credit cards you don’t use/need.

• Have phone numbers for credit cards held kept in a location you can find them if the cards are lost or skimmed.

• Copy the contents of your wallet or purse.

Tips to Avoid Identity Theft

• Don’t carry social security cards & birth certificates.

• Debit card pin number.• *RFID*

Tips to Avoid Identity Theft• Children

Easy as 1-2-3-4

1. Complete the Opt-Out Book

2. Obtain a P.O. Mailbox

3. USPS Family Move

4. Trust Fund

Guaranteed Identity Recovery

• ID Recovery Specialists will:  

• Place all necessary electronic and hard copy fraud alerts

• To all three credit bureaus -       To Social Security Administration (SSA)

-       To Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

-       To US Postal Service (USPS)

-       To state of residence Office of Attorney General

Guaranteed Identity Recovery• Research credit history and verify if fraud

includes items such as:

– Public Records - liens, judgments, bankruptcies -       Credit Accounts - New and/or Derogatory

– Addresses

– Prior Employment

– Issue fraud alert to and work with affected financial institutions and credit card companies

– Issue fraud victim statements and work with all three bureaus to restore credit accuracy

Guaranteed Identity Recovery• Whenever a Fraud Issue Warrants

-       Trace Social Security Number

-       Notify and work with Department of motor vehicles

-       Notify and work with creditors who have extended credit due to misuse of victims identifying information

-       Notify and work with collection agencies of those creditors

-       Notify and work with Law Enforcement officials

-       Recommend licensed attorneys where appropriate

End Result:

1. Identity Theft PREVENTION2. Internet name removal3. Over 80% reduction junk mail4. Stop pre-approved offers for credit5. Reduce threats at home6. Reduce employee work time fixing Identity problems7. Increased personal employee safety and security8. Guaranteed Identity recovery if compromised

Questions?

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