Alright, so you’ve heard the talk around the water cooler about identity theft and the ways that criminals are committing it. But how much do you really know? Are all the stories you hear true? Let’s take a look at some examples of some not so common techniques criminals use.

Mailbox Diving

While not particularly common, theft of your postal mail can be very damaging. If you’re old school and pay your bills by check and receive paper statements, you’re the most at risk. Essentially putting all that information in a box in front of your house without a lock is asking for it to be stolen. But what if you live in an apartment or condo and you do have a locked mailbox? Believe it or not, you’re still at risk. Those large banks of mailboxes have a big door on the back that opens like a trunk hatch, exposing every mailbox inside. It only takes a crowbar and a few moments for a thief to get to every mailbox in your apartment complex. One stop shopping.

Using Computers

Some of us are from the generation that remembers never having computers, much less the internet. Once upon a time computers were safe and the internet was a novelty to be played innocently with. No longer. Your computer is now the gateway for hackers who make a very nice living stealing your money. These days going on the internet (or indeed, even plugging into the modem at all) without anti-virus software or firewalls is like shaking the hand of an Ebola patient. You don’t even have to use your credit cards online to become a victim. Virus writers now are targeting your passwords and your online banking websites. Even worse than using your own home computer is using a public one. The terminals at a library are no place to be checking your balance. Want to buy something online? Doing it at the library is like giving that Ebola patient a nice big kiss.

ATMs

It’s Sunday at 5 o’clock, you’re about to go out to dinner with some friends and you don’t want to pay with your debit card (want a good way to tick off your waiter? Tell him to split the bill among five cards all with different amounts). You go to one of those stand-alone ATM booths (more secure than the ones at the gas station, right?), and swipe your card through the reader on the door to get in. The light doesn’t turn green, and the door doesn’t open. Frustrated and late, you decide to frustrate the waiter instead and leave. What’s the problem you ask? You just became an identity theft victim.

A technique criminals sometimes use is the fake card reader. Sometimes these are placed directly on some ATMs, but most often they’re installed on bank doors or those stand-alone booths. The thief will remove the card reader that opens the door, and attach an identical one that they have modified. Instead of reading the card number and sending a signal to open the door, this new reader sends a signal to a wireless device or a memory card, storing your card number. You just think that the door isn’t working, when in reality you just gave your card number to a thief (in fact, you probably gave it several times as most people will try three or four times to open the door before giving up).

These are the more unusual ways to become a victim, but the lesson here is the same in general. Vigilance and knowledge are your best defenses. The only thing you can count on from identity thieves is ingenuity, they are constantly thinking up new and devious ways to get your cash. But if you stay up to date on the latest scams and arm yourself with the know-how to avoid them, you’ll be safe and sound.