Identity Theft. Paul Berryman, IT Security Director HCC Boni Jacobs, Financial Aid Manager HCC

Transcription

1 Identity Theft Paul Berryman, IT Security Director HCC Boni Jacobs, Financial Aid Manager HCC

2 Agenda Identity Theft Causes Impact IRS Identity Theft IRS Response Direction to Financial Aid Applicants Preventing Identity Theft What students can do What you can do 2

3 Identity Theft Identity theft - crime in which an imposter obtains key pieces of personal information Social security number Driver's license numbers Criminal opportunities Physical theft such as stolen purse or wallet Online through a fake website or Victims involvement Carelessness or not understanding May not be involved ( inside job ) 3

4 Examples of Identity Theft - Historically Jacob tricked his father into giving him the blessings of the firstborn Covered his hands and neck with goat skin to appear to be his brother, Esau 4

5 Examples of Identity Theft - Historically Americans first focused on voter registration Prevent ballot stuffing Changed in 1930s with the 21 st amendment 5

6 Examples of Identity Theft Frank Abagnale Assumed 8 identities between the ages of 15 and 21 Fake bank checks Impersonate a Pan Am pilot fly around the world Served prison time in France, Sweden, and U.S. 6

7 Examples of Identity Theft Modern Times Christian Rhodes and Rodney Wright - Conspired to prepare and file false income tax returns from stolen identities - Charged taxpayers a fee for preparing false returns Phillip Cummings Help Desk Agent at a Software Firm 1999 Took a spreadsheet of logins and passwords 33,000 people - $50 to $100 million Keisha Lanier Worked at a hospital at Fort Benning, GA Access to identification of military personnel Ringleader and associates claimed more than $24 million IRS had paid out ~$10 million 7

8 Identity Theft Statistics 2016 Identity Fraud Study - $112 billion stolen in the last 6 years 4 trends 1. More identity fraud victims, but less stolen 2. U.S. move to EMV & fraudsters following 113% increase new account fraud 3. Consumers not using tools ( alerts, credit freezes, monitoring) 4. U.S. consumer data 18% used international 8

9 5 Top Causes of Identity Theft 1. Lost or stolen wallet or credit card 2. Stealing mail (bank statements, pre-approved credit card offers) 3. Dumpster-diving going through trash / recycling 4. People close to victim (family, care givers, friends) with access 5. Fraud over the internet fake websites with links in phishing s 9

10 Impact on Individuals Financial Impact Under federal law, victims are not liable Time Can take months, even years, to clear up Timing could impact major financial decisions 10

11 IRS Identity Theft Refund Fraud Criminals target an individual s PII and file a fake IRS return Goal: Fraudulent return to claim a refund. Refund paid before found out it s fake Victim may not find out until trying to file 11

12 IRS s Response Increasing the penalty for perpetrators of refund fraud and identity theft. Christian Rhodes - Sentenced to 144 months of prison - Pay $1 million in restitution Philip Cummings - Sentenced to 168 months of prison Keisha Lanier - Sentenced to 180 months of prison - Forfeit $5.8 million 12

13 Direction Regarding Financial Aid Application IRS identity theft victims may have difficulties if the information must be verified Need to submit: Tax Return DataBase View (TRDBV) transcript Statement signed and dated - victims of taxrelated identity theft and IRS is aware 13

14 Direction Regarding Financial Aid Application IRS can mail alternate paper tax return transcript Call IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit (IPSU) Unless there is doubt of TRDBV transcript s authenticity, no need to get IRS signature or stamp or any other validation 14

15 Education and Awareness Programs AWARENESS! Proven to be the most effective October is Security Awareness Month (yes, that s a thing) more often? Regular announcements, posters, system alerts about staying safe online 15

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17 Topics for Students Online Avoid phishing s When in doubt, type it! Strong passwords Treat your password like your toothbrush: Don t share it and change it often 17

18 Topics for Students Don t share personal information via or unknown / untrusted websites Shred financial docs no needed Mail pre-approved credit card applications If something happens, report it Tell the bank or the authorities depending on type of identity theft 18

19 Steps to Take as an Institution Know where ALL of the Personal Identifiable Information (PII) is located digital and paper Minimize when possible If it s not needed and no records retention requirement, destroy If it must be retained, store with the upmost security in mind 19

20 Lock your workstation 20

21 Clean Desk 21

22 File Storage 22

23 Proper Disposal Paper and Digital 23

24 Questions? 24

25 Extra Material 25

26 Passwords Most commonly used password 1990? In 2010? In 2013? password In 2014?

27 Passwords Other winners : qwerty abc iloveyou letmein 27

28 Password Selection A strong password is something that is long, has a mix of letters and numbers, and is easy to remember so you don t write it down. 28

29 Password Selection We recommend you use a passphrase. Follow these 3 steps: 1. Start with a phrase or several words that is easy for you to remember. Example: Four score and seven years ago 29

30 Password Selection 2. Remove and change a few characters. Example: 4scora nd8yrsago 30

31 Password Selection 3. Capitalize a few letters. Example: 4Scora nd8yrsago You ll end up with a password that is long, complex, and easy for you to remember. 31