A discussion about business ethics, character traits, integrity, and values

Identity thieves have more tricks than ever. So should you.

From Sid Kirchheimer in AARP The Magazine:

Guard The Cards
Nine percent of traceable ID thefts in 2004 occurred during transactions offline, the cyberspace term for being out and about. Perhaps you sent a credit card away with your waiter, who skimmed its numbers in a magnetic reader, noted the security code on the back, and duplicated the plastic later. Or maybe the skimmer was installed over the card slot of a cash machine. Or a perp behind you in line peeked at your card – that’s known as shoulder surfing. At cash machines, obstruct the view. Request per day rather than per transaction limits on withdrawals.

Try Disguises
Using your real birth date as a PIN code, or reciting your mother’s maiden name to every bank, invites trouble. Thieves can ferret out public records online. The same goes for your telephone listing; a listing under a name other than your own allows you to spot junk mail and telemarketing calls in a snap.