Martin Biegelman was investigating Identity Theft before the term was coined. A former US Federal Investigator, he's spent a lifetime uncovering fraud, identity theft and even other white collar crimes.
Brad and he discuss the threat that identity theft poses to all of us, what we can do about it and why we're still getting email pleas to help get money out of Nigeria. Bio: Martin Biegelman has been fighting fraud, including identity theft, for more than thirty-five years in various roles in law enforcement, consulting, and the corporate sector. He is currently Director of Financial Integrity for a Fortune 50 company where he built and leads a worldwide fraud detection, investigation, and prevention program. Biegelman spent 28 years in law enforcement, most of those as a federal agent, a United States Postal Inspector, investigating and prosecuting a wide variety of fraud schemes including identity theft. In 1986, he testified before the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in the first hearing on credit card fraud, identity theft and the involvment of non-traditional organized crime. He is both a Certified Fraud Examiner and a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional, as well as a sought-after speaker and author on white-collar crime, identity theft, fraud prevention, corruption, and corporate compliance issues. He is the author of books on fraud prevention and compliance and his most recent book is Identity Theft Handbook: Detection, Prevention, and Security published by John Wiley & Sons. He is the 2008 recipient of the Cressey Award that is bestowed annually by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners for a lifetime of achievement in the detection and deterrence of fraud. Books: Identity Theft Handbook: Detection, Prevention, and Security Book Excerpt: PREVENTING IDENTITY THEFT: THE RULES YOU MUST USE The following is excerpted from Chapter 20 of Identity Theft Handbook: Detection, Prevention, and Security by Martin T. Biegelman and published by John Wiley & Sons. Copyright © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved Review Your Credit Reports If you follow only one recommendation from this book, this is the one. Carefully reviewing your consumer credit report on an ongoing basis is the best way to learn if you are a victim of identity theft. Ongoing scrutiny of your credit reports can detect identity theft early and minimize potential damage. More often, a review will find errors that have nothing to do with fraud but need to be corrected nonetheless. Review your credit report each year from the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax (www.equifax.com), Experian (www.experian.com), and TransUnion (www.transunion.com). Rather than reviewing all three reports at the same time each year, spread them out. Order one report in January, a second in May, and the third one in September. This way, you provide continuous self-monitoring of your credit from the major credit agencies. Buy a Good Shredder and Use It One of the easiest prevention techniques to thwart dumpster diving is to buy and use a shredder. They are relatively inexpensive and the best protection from someone acquiring personal information that is discarded in the trash. People discard all sorts of sensitive information without thinking of the consequences: pre-approved credit card offers, convenience checks, bank statements, canceled checks, deposit slips, and correspondence containing Social Security numbers and other information. Get a shredder that provides a confetti cut. Confetti is virtually impossible to reassemble. Cheaper shredders cut paper into strips that industrious fraudsters can piece together. Put a shredder in your kitchen, office, garage, or other convenient spot. There are even ultra-small models designed for the kitchen or home office. When the mail arrives, shred unwanted credit card offers and other documents. Do this every day. Reduce Your Exposure to Mail Theft Mail theft is still a significant threat to your identity. You need to take precautions to protect your mail from theft. The following are measures that can be taken to help protect from becoming a victim of mail theft: Retrieve your mail as soon as possible after delivery to the mail receptacle. Do not leave mail in your mailbox overnight or on weekends. Use collection boxes or letter slots at the Post Office to mail letters instead of leaving them in your residential box for carrier pickup. This is especially true for outgoing mail containing payment checks. Payment checks are prime targets for mail thieves who can alter the checks and negotiate them. Thieves will steal outgoing and incoming mail to obtain bank account numbers, bank routing numbers, names, addresses, SSNs, and other information. Always remember that the red flag up on rural boxes could alert would-be crooks that there is mail in the box. I often say that the red flag in the up position screams “steal me” to mail thieves.
Report any suspicious activity around your mail receptacle, your letter carrier, his or her vehicle, other residential mailboxes, and collection boxes, to your local police department and the Posta Inspector
Practice Computer and Internet Safety Ensure that your computer has adequate firewall protection and current operating system software. Organized identity theft groups are remotely loading spyware, malware, and Trojan horses on victim computers. These programs transmit your key strokes and other stored computer files to suspects. The newest trend in identity theft is botnets. Victim computers are susceptible to being a part of a botnet by not maintaining current versions of their operating software and firewall software. Be on the lookout for phishing and related scams. Always be suspicious of unsolicited e-mails asking for personal or financial information. Do not respond to phishing e-mails from financial institutions requiring an update of personal and banking information. Legitimate requests for personal information are generally not conducted by e-mail. Suspect e-mails requesting this information will contain an internet hyperlink that directs the victim to a suspect Web site that contains fields for victim personal information. Don’t use public computers in libraries, hotels, coffee shops, or other public venues for online financial transactions. Public computers may be infected with spyware and viruses that may subject you and your personal information to fraud and misuse. Be Cautious at ATMs Identity thieves have been known to place skimming devices over the actual ATM slots to steal card account information. Look for suspicious devices on the front of the ATM. Check for exposed wires, tape, or loose connections. Look for hidden cameras on the sides of the ATM. If they don’t look right or you can move or remove them, don’t use the machine and alert the bank representatives. Be aware of those people who may have too much of an interest in your ATM transaction—you know, the ones who are trying to look over your shoulder to see what you are doing at the ATM. They may be shoulder surfers attempting to see your account balance or PIN. A recommended practice is to use one hand as a shield to cover your other hand as you enter your PIN. Keep a Credit Inventory Prepare an inventory of everything you carry in your wallet or purse. Write down the account numbers of credit cards, expiration dates, credit card verification numbers, the names of the issuers, and the 800 contact telephone numbers to call to cancel your existing accounts in case of loss or theft. The credit card verification number on an American Express card is the four digit number imprinted on the upper right side of the front of the card. For MasterCard, Visa, and Diners Club, it is the last three numbers on the signature panel on the back of the card. For more of the 21 Rules You Must Use in Preventing Identity Theft as well other rich content, cut from today’s headlines and the personal experiences of the author in fighting identity theft, please see Identity Theft Handbook: Detection, Prevention, and Security.
Other interviews you may enjoy: December 28, 2008 - Stephen Baker - The Numerati January 18, 2009 - Dan Rasmus - Listening to the Future August 17, 2008 - Joe Navarro - What Every BODY is Saying June 22, 2008 - Dan Gardner - Risk | 
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