Scott Swanson
Of The New Era
Two years ago, Sonny Dawson’s daughter had her identity stolen.
It was a nightmare.
“I was devastated,” said Dawson, of Corvallis, who said he had worked 29 years in the security industry as a consultant specializing in alarm systems and components before his daughter’s experience. He said he worked for months to get her situation straightened out. “I finally gave up,” he said.
“This is the crime of the century,” Dawson said of the growing threat of identity theft. “It’s the fastest-growing crime in the United States.”
Dawson told local business people and community leaders gathered to learn about identity theft at the Breakfast Club on Feb. 23. The event is sponsored by Sweet Home Economic Development Group (SHEDG) and held at the Jim Riggs Community Center on the last Thursday morning of the month.
Dawson said he got involved in battling identity theft after his daughter’s experience. He now works for IdentityTheft Shield, a company that helps people and businesses protect themselves against that threat.
Dawson said the problem of identity theft far exceeds what most people realize. One out of every eight Americans is a victim of identity fraud, he said.
He listed five types of common identity theft: DMV identification, Social Security information, medical records, character fraud (from stolen mail or credit cards) and credit fraud, in which thieves open credit accounts in a victim’s name.
Dawson said thieves gain information in a variety of ways, among the most common:
– “Dumpster diving” — sorting through trash for personal information;
– mail theft — stealing information from mail that has been delivered or is sitting in a box, waiting to be picked up, or submitting a bogus change-of-address form that reroutes the victim’s mail to the criminal’s location;
– inside theft, as when an employee steals information from a business;
– external theft of information such steaing a laptop with information on it;
– stealing personal information from a home, “shoulder surfing” (eavesdropping or watching as someone keys in personal information or passwords on cell phones);
– “phishing” — duping victims into sending Social Security numbers, PIN numbers or passwords via bogus e-mails or Web sites;
– public records — gaining personal information about people from government records.
Attendees at the event agreed that the problem is significant.
Rita Houston who owns Rita’s Relics in Sweet Home, said her family has been hit three times in the last few years by identity thieves.
“One of the three got put in jail,” she said, adding that her mail is now under lock and key.
Gail McCammon, owner of McCammon’s Furniture store, said it’s tricky to deal with some callers requesting personal information.
“People who call (and ask for a Social Security number) sound like God’s secretary,” she said.
Thanks to the methamphetamine problem, Dawson said, Oregon is seventh in the nation in per-capita ID thefts.
“Without meth, we’d be down to 30th or 40th,” he said.
Dawson said that the increased demand for shredders is indicative that people are waking up.
“You used to go to the office supply store and they’d have six shredders there,” he said. “Now they have 50. That tells you something.”
He said ID theft is costly and can completely disrupt the victim’s life, citing cases of corporate executives who have to carry letters asserting their inocence when they travel overseas because criminals have used their identities, resulting in their names being in customs and police databases.
“One stay-at-home mom has a $14 million tax bill,” he said. “Multiple people got her Social Security number, then left the country. She’s stuck with the tax bill.”
Dawson said steps people should take to reduce the risk of identity theft include:
– Understand the scope of the problem. “The average victim spends 600 work hours and $1,400, not including attorney’s fees, to get things straightened out” after their identity has been stolen, Dawson said.
– Reduce access to personal information. “Don’t ever give your Social Security number to someone you haven’t called,” he said. “If someone calls you and asks for your Social Security number, ask for a number to call them back.”
– Monitor your credit reports and bank accounts.
– Secure your mail. Use a locked mailbox.
– Guard your passwords and PINs. Secure your computers.
Dawson said he can be reached by calling (800) 705-5430