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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.
The Truth About Identity Theft: Truth 27 -- ATM Scams
Introduction ix
Part I: The Truth About Phishing and Vishing 1
Truth 1 Phishing scams 1
Truth 2 Vishing attacks 5
Truth 3 Phishing via snail mail 9
Truth 4 Spear phishing 13
Part II: The Truth About Trash 17
Truth 5 One man’s trash is another man’s identity 17
Truth 6 Dumpster diving for profit 21
Truth 7 Your used computer is worth its weight in gold 25
Part III: The Truth About No-Tech Identity Theft 29
Truth 8 Pickpockets and purse snatchers still exist 29
Truth 9 Home burglaries and identity theft 33
Truth 10 Walk right in and steal whatever you like 37
Truth 11 Social engineering tactics 41
Truth 12 Wolves in sheep’s clothing 45
Part IV: The Truth About Just How Low Identity Thieves Will Go 49
Truth 13 No respect for their elders 49
Truth 14 Are you paying the IRS or an identity thief? 53
Truth 15 What do you mean there’s a warrant for my arrest? 57
Truth 16 Medical identity theft 61
Truth 17 Sweet 16 and already a victim! 65
Truth 18 Being dead doesn’t protect you from identity theft 71
Truth 19 Fake credit card applications 75
Truth 20 An identity thief has a gift just for you 79
Truth 21 Gift card or gift horse? 83
Truth 22 That gift card might be worthless 87
Truth 23 Fake charities 91
Truth 24 Bogus background checks and job applications 95
Part V: The Truth About Identity Theft in Plain Sight 99
Truth 25 Hotel business centers can be treacherous 99
Truth 26 Identity thieves can hear you now… 103
Truth 27 ATM scams 107
Truth 28 Wireless access scams 111
Truth 29 Credit card skimming 115
Part VI: The Truth About Online Cons 119
Truth 30 PayPal scams 119
Truth 31 Email scams 123
Truth 32 Online shopping scams 127
Truth 33 Fake e-card greetings 131
Part VII: The Truth About Security at Work 135
Truth 34 Rogue wireless access points 135
Truth 35 Corporate laptop security 139
Truth 36 Does your small business have a bull’s-eye on it? 143
Part VIII: The Truth About Identity Theft from Real Victims 147
Truth 37 My own identity theft experience 147
Truth 38 It all started with a phone call 151
Part IX: The Truth About Putting a Stop to Identity Theft 155
Truth 39 Stopping thieves in their tracks 155
Truth 40 Installing proper identity theft protection 159
Truth 41 When a free credit report isn’t free 163
Truth 42 Getting your life back in order 167
Truth 43 Somebody’s watching me 173
Truth 44 Wireless security at home 177
Truth 45 Crack proofing your passwords 181
Truth 46 Who you gonna call? 185
Acknowledgments 189
About the Author 191