Credit Identity Theft Protection and Technology

Identity theft prevention becomes more and more complex as the technology involved changes and evolves. You can now buy Radio Frequency Readers (also know as Remote Frequency Readers) online for less than $100. This is great news for thieves, as these electronic devices can scan and steal the personal information from your driver's license, your credit card, university and corporate IDs, speed passes and passports, all of which contain RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags.
A Miami ABC station, WPLG, aired an eye opening report on this new phenomena. An investigative reporter from WPLG was able to purchase on of these readily available devices with no difficulty on the web. She then set out to determine just how it easy it really was to steal information from her unsuspecting targets- her co-workers. For investigative purposes, she activated her reader with an alarm to allow her viewers (and her targets) to hear an audible signal every time the reader successful skimmed data from one of her co-workers.
With the device in her purse, the reporter then walked casually by an unsuspecting co-workers desk. A sudden beeping noise emanated from her purse. She then set her purse down on another employee's desk, which also was followed by beeping. She continued on down the office hall past more of her co-workers, the alarm beeping with each target she passed.
All of her co-workers believed their personal effects and information to be safely hidden away, yet that was clearly not the case. An actual thief would clearly not be using an audible alarm on their reader, meaning that most people never realize anything has happened until the damage has already been done. Thieves often work in teams- on person skilling information with the reader while the other captures the target's image via a cell phone, effectively collecting everything they need to steal your identity completely.
It is difficult to imagine just how much classified information could be skimmed from airports, universities, shopping malls and sporting events without anyone being the wiser. Likewise, the amount of damage (or doors opened) that can be done with that information. Confidential information that is stored on personal badges and key cards, if stolen, could certainly provide a thief access to protected facilities, computers and information.
Identity theft protection has become much more based on technology as we try to avoid hackers, ID theft, data breaches, and fraud. The days of worrying simply after our physical possessions and what's in our wallets are long over. As more and more of our identity gets put into RFID tags (new passports and quick-pay credit cards now contain this information) skimming is becoming more and more popular among criminals looking to perpetrate identity theft and other more dangerous crimes.

Denise Richardson is an author, freelance writer and advocate who educates the public on identity theft protection, identity theft prevention and id theft. She is a Board member of American Consumer Credit Education Support Services, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on credit matters. She is founder of http://www.givemebackmycredit.com .