SSNs available Online via Indexed tax documents

[pritchet1]

Identity Fraud anyone?

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/seo/beware-so ... ag=nl.e539" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As of 4/10/2011, I have discovered in excess of 50 tax documents containing any given combination of Social Security numbers, credit card information, names, addresses, tax IDs, and phone numbers being made available online. However, unlike recent leaks of email addresses and password hashes being made available due to hackers compromising systems, these documents are being unknowingly made freely available to prying eyes by the very owners of said information...

...Preventative Measures and Tips
1 - DO NOT STORE PRIVATE INFORMATION ONLINE! That’s about as cut-and-dry as it gets.

2 - If you must store private information online, then enable authentication which requires you to log in prior to being able to see and download the contents of a directory. Additionally, password-protect your files and change or encrypt file names so that they cannot show up in searches related to their file names or provide intrigue for potential intruders (i.e. if someone is digging around for tax information on your site and they see a file called “Tax-Information-2011.ppsx”, then they’re most certainly going to be sure to check out that file).

3 - If you find your information has been indexed in a search engine, remove your file(s) immediately from your Web site, then contact the search engine to have both the indexed and cached results removed. Don’t just remove the file(s) from your site, because someone could still view a search engine-cached version of the file(s).

4 - To see if your information has been compromised, check any and all logs from your Web site dating back to the day you placed the file on your site. If you see download activity on your file(s) from an IP address you do not recognize, then there’s a good chance your personal information has been compromised. Acceptance will undoubtedly be difficult, but it’s necessary to move forward with preventing further damage.

5 - If you suspect you have become a victim of identity theft, it may behoove you to obtain a credit report, sign up for credit monitoring, and reach out to your local FBI branch to report any findings you may have with regards to your personal information being stolen and utilized...

[Ferg]

This is exactaly why I do my business, of helping protect people from having their Identity stolen and used against them, what most people don't get is that even though it's not you, when someone steals an Identity it's still up to that person to prove that they are not the ones that racked up the new credit card debit, got medical treatments done, committed crimes that are now on their record ect, ect. Yet sadly what most people don't get is that this can and will have a major impact on their lives for years to come, to learn more about this go to my site, http://www.whosbeingyou.buildlastingsuccess.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Ferg]

Here is one example of what I'm talking about..

MISTAKEN ID-ARREST

Former Utah reporter freed in mistaken ID case

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Authorities say a former newspaper reporter spent three days in a Utah jail after he was mistaken for a fugitive in a Nevada drug trafficking case.

An aide to the Clark County district attorney in Las Vegas told The Associated Press on Thursday that 36-year-old Jay Patrick was freed from Utah's Cache County Jail in Logan last Friday.

She says his lawyer proved he wasn't the Jason Patrick sought on methamphetamine trafficking charges.

The Herald Journal of Logan reports that Jay Patrick is a former reporter at the newspaper. He now lives in Boise, Idaho.

He was arrested March 30 in Logan when he sought to pay a fine for fishing without a license and a sheriff's check found a listing with his name on Nevada's "10 Most Wanted" list.

[Rincon]

No privacy for us.

[Ferg]

My son researched himself on the web. He spent $25.00 and learned more about himself than he even knew. Personal privacy is something we used to have. Someone pirated my mother's SS #, and have not seen the end of that problem yet. Attorneys are working on it. SS has been no help at all.

And this is exactly the point that I'm getting at, your mother has someone using her SSN, and the SSA will not to a thing about it, well that is untill she reaches the age of retirement, and then wants to use here S.S. retirement. Also as you noted, Attorneys are working on it, that is the other issue, that ID Theft will become a LEGAL ISSUE, so who has the money set aside to hire an attorney to deal with this, and are you getting the right attorney to handle the situation. Also, how much time can you take off from work to clear up this situation? ID theft will affect every aspect of your life, from employment, medical, fininacial, criminal. The question is what are you doing about it. Most companies that offer ID protection are only checking your credit report, and alearting you to the changes when they show up, you can do that for free. What we do is check to make sure that this has not happened arleady, we are also the only company that is contracted with the U.S postal serice, so that when a change of address is submitted and you are with our services, we will cross check that data base against ours so that you will be notfied BEFORE it's on your credit report. Also we can help you with the legal aspect of this as well, unlike other companies that only notify you and let you deal with the legal issues we well aslo get you in contact with the attorneys to help you. That's why we are the 900 lbs gorilla when it comes to ID theft protection.

[shadow]

who has the money set aside to hire an attorney to deal with this, and are you getting the right attorney to handle the situation.

This is one of the reasons I recommend insuring your "stuff" with Metlife Auto & Home...
http://www.metlife.com/individual/insur ... tml#basics" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Home, auto, condo, renters etc. policies come with Identity Theft Resolution at no additional charge :ymhug:

[Ferg]

who has the money set aside to hire an attorney to deal with this, and are you getting the right attorney to handle the situation.

This is one of the reasons I recommend insuring your "stuff" with Metlife Auto & Home...
http://www.metlife.com/individual/insur ... tml#basics" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Home, auto, condo, renters etc. policies come with Identity Theft Resolution at no additional charge :ymhug:

Shadow, call you metlife rep, and ask them which law firm they have to represent their clients when they have their Identity used, companies such as LifeLock, Identity Guard, ect, ect are only letting you know that something was done to your credit score, or that their was changes made to it, I've read the fine print on Lifelocks site even called and talked to a rep, they offer restoration services, which means that you will pay out of pocket up front, for all the expences that you will encoure to prove your not the person, that includeds, travel expences. documents that you will have to pruchase, court records, and legal fees, depenant on the states that you have to go to prove your not that person, then based off their findings, they will reemburse you for your out of pocket expences. We are backed by Kroll Background, most people in law enforcement are supriesed when I referance them, mostly because law enforcement knows who they are and what they do.

[shadow]

Ferg, I really didn't understand your last post )
Metlife isn't lifelock or identity guard.
There are lots of products out there, if yours is the best then big :ymhug: to you!

[Ferg]

my point being, do you want a barking dog, or the 900 lb gorrrilla to deal with ID theft?

[shadow]

my point being, do you want a barking dog, or the 900 lb gorrrilla to deal with ID theft?

My point is that you have no idea what Met offers so it's disingenuous for you to try to compare. Most identity theft/credit protection products I've seen run about $150+/yr per person. That's about $300+/year for a married couple. Many are nothing more than a MLM. I think I'll pass...