Table of Contents
Part 1 An Overview of the Problem
1 What's in a Name (and a Number)? 3
2 A Short History of Identity (and Fraud): (And You Thought It Was Just About Credit Cards) 19
3 Swiping Happens 32
Part 2 The Basics of What You Can Do
4 Understanding the Problem Is the Solution 47
5 The Three Ms 59
Part 3 The Many Types of Identity Theft
6 Spies in Your Home: How the Internet of Things May Violate Your Privacy, Threaten Your Security, and Ruin Your Credit 71
7 A Taxing Situation 85
8 It's a Hard-Knock Life: Child Identity Theft 96
9 May the Farce Be with You: Social Media Dos and Don'ts 108
10 From Dangerous to Deadly: On Healthcare Scams and Medical Identity Theft 122
11 Wanted Dead or Alive: (But It's Easier If You're Dead) 140
12 Culture Eats Strategy: Business Considerations 149
13 The Three Ms for Companies: You Must Build It Because They Will Come 164
14 The Highest Law 176
Part 4 Resources and Terms
Appendix 1 Fraud Stories 193
Appendix 2 A Glossary of Scams 211
Appendix 3 Identity Theft and the Deceased: Prevention and Victim Tips 241
Appendix 4 Request a Credit Report for the Deceased 249
Appendix 5 Deceased Affidavit of Fact 251
Acknowledgments 253
Index 257