Author: Silver Lake Publishing Staff

ISBN: 1563437775

The following review was contributed by: Paul Lappen: CLICK TO VIEW Paul Lappen's Reviews 

Identity theft is the fastest growing consumer threat in America. The explosion
of computer and graphics technology has made it a much easier crime to
perpetrate than in the past. It is the sort of crime that can happen to anyone,
and be perpetrated by anyone.

The most practical documents to obtain for an identity thief are a Social
Security Card or a driver's license (usually stolen and altered). With those,
anything is possible, from getting new credit cards to cleaning out bank
accounts. Administration of these systems is chaotic, and faking is easy.

The lead federal agency dealing with identity theft is the Federal Trade
Commission. A problem with any federal investigation of a specific case is that
the amounts are usually small, perhaps a few thousand dollars, and the victim
and perpetrator usually live in different states (cost efficiency and
jurisdiction). Therefore, the first responder will most likely be the local
police department.

Preventing identity theft starts with the consumer. It is not possible to fill
in all ID "holes," but things can be done, like safeguarding personal
information, to make a thief go elsewhere. The consumer is responsible for
notifying the authorities of illegal activity; the bank or credit card won't do
it. Clean out your wallet or purse. Keep a photocopy of your license, credit
cards, etc. in a safe place, in case it is stolen. Get things like bank account
numbers, PIN numbers, passports and birth certificates out of there, and into a
fireproof box at home. When ID theft is discovered, document all letters and
phone calls, no matter what.

This book is excellent. It's small, so it can easily fit in a pocket or purse,
and it is packed with easy to understand information. For those who are
concerned about, or are victims of, ID theft, this is very much worth reading.