I recently tore up my knee and had to get a procedure done. I’m getting around a little, but mostly sitting and icing the spot where my meniscus used to be. My wife threw on a normally decent radio station which, for the Labor Day holiday, is playing working man’s tunes. This translates into utter crap. Gary U.S. Bonds. A really bad Springsteen tune. Rush. And that laxative of all pop singers, Huey Lewis. I finally crawled over to the radio and put on WXRT, and they’re currently playing “Comfortably Numb,” which is what I need right now.
I hope everyone who’s been busting their cans is having a decent Labor Day holiday. And I hope those of you who have been struggling to find a slot are keeping it together. When I first entered the job market after college, we were in the middle of an economic mess, but nothing like this. I built one house and sold another in this disaster, and I’ve been relatively lucky, although it was still difficult.
In our current train wreck, we have to be more vigilant than ever regarding identities. The occurrence of successful id theft, and the amount of money lost to id theft, had been declining drastically. But with the downturn, it’s kicking in again in a big way. And it’s not just traditional bad guys. Plenty of desperate people are trading on sordid opportunities with others’ identities, taking advantage of security holes. I hate to say it, but stats show that lots of identity crimes involving credit histories, names and other personal data originate with friends, relatives, and acquaintances.
There are tons of tips on how to avoid it, and still there are no guarantees. When you hear about municipal officials posting people’s SSNs and other data on public sites, you shake your head and wonder where their brains are. But there are some basics that I’d like to remind you of, based on things that have happened to acquaintances in the recent past.
Limit your use of debit cards versus credit cards. Less liability.
Phishing. Holy crap, there are still people who fall for this garbage. Your bank will NEVER send you an email asking for personal info. If they do, and it’s really them, then it’s time to get a new bank.
Update your passwords. Rotate the things. Regularly. Even if the organization you’re dealing with doesn’t make you do it, take it upon yourself to change that password. You never know when a keystroke logger has grabbed your tapping. Stay ahead of them.
Guard your Social Security number. I’ve been asking people for a while now, “Do you really need that?” And I’ve been surprised when I’ve been told, “Nah, not really.” But they ask for it anyway. Sometimes you can just give people your last four digits. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
Monitor. Periodically check your credit. And look at your card statements every single month. This is why I got married. Well, it’s one of the reasons, anyway.
If at all possible, enjoy the holiday, do something for somebody who isn’t able to, and be good to each other.