TraceSecurity co-founder Jim Stickley is author of the new book The Truth about Identity Theft. This entertaining book walks you through the real life scams and exploits that Stickley has been hired to perform. Learn how to protect yourself through 46 unique "truths" you can’t afford to miss reading. It's everything you need to know to protect yourself and your business from identity thieves.

Truths include (excerpts from the book):

Truth 3: Phishing via snail mail
Identity thieves have been attacking unsuspecting computer users since the late 1990s. Often, these attacks come through bogus emails that appear to have been sent by local banks, credit unions, online auction services, credit card companies, and just about every other online service. The ultimate goal of these attacks is to gain access to your confidential information. The attacks are known as phishing, and identity thieves have become slick with them. Identity thieves continue to thwart the efforts of security companies that attempt to detect and prevent consumers from falling victim to phishing attacks.
While most people have heard of Phishing attacks, in this chapter Stickley shows how these attacks are now being sent through the U.S. mail as well!

Truth 12: Wolves in Sheep’s clothing
The first time I ever broke into a bank, I will admit I was nervous. I had no idea what I was doing and was convinced that I would be caught and arrested. Fortunately for me that didn’t happen, and more than 1,000 robberies later, I am still able to say that I have never been caught. Of course, by now, you have no doubt surmised that I have been hired by these banking institutions to test the security of their facilities. From banks to law firms, government facilities to biotech companies, my job has been to get in, gain access to confidential information, and get out without being detected. While I have never taken a penny, the information that I have been able to acquire would have been worth billions to an identity thief.
In this chapter Stickley walks you through how he physically robs banks without the employees knowing it!

Truth 21: Gift card or Gift Horse?
In recent years, gift cards have become the ultimate gift. The people you're buying for get what they want, and you don't have to work too hard at picking out the right gift. Unfortunately, in 2006 and 2007, people in the U.S. started running into a form of theft in which legitimate gift cards purchased in legitimate stores ended up with a zero balance, even though the purchaser had done nothing wrong.
In this chapter Stickley walks you through how gift cards are scammed and shows you frightening news exploits that currently can't be stopped!

Truth 26: Identity Thieves can hear your now
Not all identity theft starts and ends with stealing your SSN. Sometimes that is the last thing an identity thief needs.
In this chapter Stickley hacks into cell phones via bluetooth technology to listen in on private conversations!

Truth 46: Who you gonna call?
A partial list of important contact information. A complete list can be found in the book The Truth About Identity Theft by Jim Stickley:

Equifax
1-800-525-6285
www.equifax.com
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374-0241

Experian
1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
www.experian.com
P.O. Box 2002
Allen, TX 75013

TransUnion
1-800-680-7289
www.transunion.com
Fraud Victim Assistance Division
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

Free credit reports (no strings attached)
www.annualcreditreport.com

Filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338)
Identity Theft Clearinghouse, Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue
NW, Washington, DC 20580
www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/filing-a-report.html

The Truth About Identity Theft Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.
All rights reserved.