Free identity theft, thanks to the us postal service.

THRiLL KiLL · 08-February-07, 07:02 PM

wcbstv.com - Video Library

wcbstv.com - CBS 2 Undercover: Identity Thieves Go Postal

Quote:


	(CBS) NEW YORK In 2006 alone more than 670,000 people had their identity stolen in America. The financial toll: $1.2 billion. CBS 2 cameras recently went undercover to tell you about a scam many people don't know about. It starts in your local post office, and right now there is nothing you can do to stop it. An identity thief hijacked Steve Zuckerman's name by stealing his mail, not from his mailbox in Great Neck, but by using a loophole in the U.S. postal system. We went undercover, inside several area post offices, and found it couldn't be easier. "People lose their homes over stupidity like this," Zuckerman said. The hidden cameras then showed something shocking. CBS 2: "I want to put a change of address form in today. Do you need an ID for this?" Postal worker: "No, you just fill this out and put in mailbox or give it to us." CBS 2: "No ID?" Postal workers: "No." You heard right. You don't need ID when you turn in a change of address card. "It was about two weeks before I realized that my personal mail was not coming," Zuckerman said. Where was it going? Nassau County Police said to a Brooklyn apartment on Ocean Avenue. An ID thief forged a change of address card -- signature and all -- diverting it there. The mail for his wife and kids still came, so he had no clue someone was swiping his. CBS 2 decided to press a local post office employee on how they can be so lax about ID, but the worker said ID theft is not a problem, mostly because nobody would try to steal from the post office. The worker was oblivious to the problem, even though she was working right across from a poster warning for ID theft. And at post office after post office it was more of the same. CBS 2: "You don't need ID?" Postal worker: "No, no." Al Weissmann is Postal Inspector. He said look at the numbers, only 100 out of the 45 million change of address cards submitted last year wound up having the possibility of being fraud. That's of little comfort to those who have been victimized. Their security? Weissmann said it's your signature on the card, but only after someone has been scammed. "We don't see that there's flaws in the system," Weissmann said. "The signature should match the customer signature. The bad guy has to know that we're going to be checking signatures." And he said within a week confirmation letters go out, but it took months for Zuckerman to get his. "They did issue a move validation letter to him within two or three days," Weissmann said. "Why he didn't receive it in a timely manner, that's part of the investigation." Within a couple of weeks, the thieves ultimately opened up nine credit cards in Zuckerman's name, using those pre-approved applications, running up a credit limit of $90,000, affecting his ability to borrow money. Identity theft experts said this is the time of year to really watch out because crooks like to steal mail around tax time when all your W2s and 1099s are floating through the postal system. So what can you do to protect yourself? Keep tabs on your credit. Get credit reports every year from the major credit reporting bureaus -- TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. Also, for a small fee, the bureaus will monitor your account, so if something pops into your credit report, they'll notify you within a certain time period. There is also a new law allowing you to freeze your credit, shielding it and keeping anybody from extending credit or getting a credit card in your name. By Alison Kosik, CBS 2 News

ahhh gota love our goverment.

milosh · 08-February-07, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THRiLL KiLL


	wcbstv.com - Video Library wcbstv.com - CBS 2 Undercover: Identity Thieves Go Postal ahhh gota love our goverment.

thank god (and of course al gore) for email

ah crud, that aint all too secure either

Iateronmly · 08-February-07, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milosh


	thank god (and of course al gore) for email ah crud, that aint all too secure either

Encrypt your email?

milosh · 08-February-07, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iateronmly


	Encrypt your email?

lazy...

ex421 · 08-February-07, 08:09 PM

thats amazing how easy it is to change addresses..

Nerdz · 08-February-07, 11:21 PM

This is why Whenever I throw something out (like a box) I rip off All the lables and then burn them.I pretty much burn anything that could be used against me, then scatter the ashes or bury them somewhere to be turned into worm food. The only thing I dont burn is plastic.

And people call me Paranoid...

DarkD3vil · 09-February-07, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nerdz


	This is why Whenever I throw something out (like a box) I rip off All the lables and then burn them.I pretty much burn anything that could be used against me, then scatter the ashes or bury them somewhere to be turned into worm food. The only thing I dont burn is plastic. And people call me Paranoid...

What about phone books?

eascarface · 09-February-07, 02:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nerdz


	This is why Whenever I throw something out (like a box) I rip off All the lables and then burn them.I pretty much burn anything that could be used against me, then scatter the ashes or bury them somewhere to be turned into worm food. The only thing I dont burn is plastic. And people call me Paranoid...

Bull. You're not paranoid. You just need an excuse to set stuff on fire.

Im_gumby · 09-February-07, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eascarface


	You just need an excuse to set stuff on fire.

Nobody needs an excuse to set stuff on fire. What you need the excuse for is THERMITE!

IcEMage · 09-February-07, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Im_gumby


	Nobody needs an excuse to set stuff on fire. What you need the excuse for is THERMITE!

A non working monitor or computer is good enough for me

But back on topic, yah that made me shake my head..good thing I hardly get anything important in the post

08-February-07, 08:09 PM		#5 (permalink)
ex421 Apex Master Tech	Re: Free identity theft, thanks to the us postal service. thats amazing how easy it is to change addresses..

08-February-07, 11:21 PM		#6 (permalink)
Nerdz Sir Knight of Spamalot	Re: Free identity theft, thanks to the us postal service. This is why Whenever I throw something out (like a box) I rip off All the lables and then burn them.I pretty much burn anything that could be used against me, then scatter the ashes or bury them somewhere to be turned into worm food. The only thing I dont burn is plastic. And people call me Paranoid...

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