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Protect yourself from identity theft! Nearly 17 million Americans were victimized by identity theft in 2012 alone: for 13 straight years, it has been America's #1 consumer crime. No one is immune: children, the elderly and even the dead have been victimized. Identity theft can be high-tech, low-tech, or even no tech, via "dumpster diving." You're vulnerable, and you need to act.
Fortunately, you can take practical steps to safeguard your identity right now. In Identity Theft Alert, award-winning author and attorney Steve Weisman shows you exactly what to do, and how to do it. Equally important, he also tells you what to stop doing: the common, inadvertent behaviors that could be setting you up as a victim.
Weisman starts with a clear-eyed assessment of the problem, helping you understand just how much risk you face. Next, he helps you understand, anticipate, and prevent all these frightening forms of identity theft:
Don't be the next victim: read this book, follow its step-by-step advice, and protect yourself!
Technology, Business, and Government Fight Identity Theft
Financial Privacy Please: The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
Congress Deals with Credit Reports and Identity Theft: The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act
Identity Theft Insurance--Worth the Price?
Identity Theft and the Elderly
Introduction xvi
Chapter 1: Identity Theft 1
Chapter 2: Making Yourself Less Vulnerable to Identity Theft 23
Chapter 3: Danger on Your Computer and What to Do If You Are a Victim of Identity Theft 39
Chapter 4: Your Social Security Number--An Identity Thief’s Lucky Number 55
Chapter 5: Criminal Identity Theft, Taxes--And More Arresting Problems 65
Chapter 6: Protecting Your Privacy--A Key to Preventing Identity Theft 81
Chapter 7: Security Software 87
Chapter 8: The Dangers of Data Breaches 91
Chapter 9: Identity Theft After Death 105
Chapter 10: Identity Theft from Children 109
Chapter 11: Identity Theft Risks of Smartphones and Other Mobile Devices 115
Chapter 12: Identity Theft Threats with Credit Cards and Debit Cards 129
Chapter 13: Medical Identity Theft 139
Chapter 14: Identity Theft and Social Media 145
Chapter 15: Steve’s Rules 155
Chapter 16: Steve’s Top Ten Lists 161
Index 165