- ISBN13: 9780789737939
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
Praise for The Truth About Identity Theft “This book will open your eyes, scare you smart, and make you think twice. Identity theft can happen to you and this book is a must read. Jim Stickley tells you why and how you need to protect yourself.” Matt Lauer, Anchor, TODAY Show “Nowadays, identity theft is an all-too-common occurrence that puts more than just your finances in jeopardy. Fortunately, Jim Stickley’s easy-to-understand advice can teach you how to spot and stay ahead of security threats. In short, this book is a must read.” Wes Millar, Senior Vice President of CUNA Strategic Services “In an age when identity theft will affect everyone sooner or later, this book is s… More >>
But what I really wanted was more in depth info on how to clear up an ID theft event (since a friend of mine was just one such victim). Many of the books have parroted the same info that is already readily available on the Internet for free – contact the credit agencies, contact the police, contact the FBI (which is now handled by the FTC).
As my friend has been busy getting in touch with credit agencies and government agencies one thing that has emerged is the sheer lack of helpfulness that a few of these groups seem to give to you. The thief lived outside our state, so the police department in that state would not help us file a police report since we did not live in their state. And our own local police will not file a police report since the perpetrator does not live in our state!! Yet, repeatedly, Government and other helpful websites tell you to file a police report… see the problem. They also tell you to notify the FTC, who took over the job of dealing with ID theft from the FBI. But we were told the FTC does not do anything about ID theft, they take your information about the theft but only for documentation purposes, they are not a law enforcement agency and do not track down and prosecute bad guys!
What we did learn was that if the bad guy used the US Mail, by getting your mail forwarded to them, then you can notify the USPS. This might be one of the most valuable insights: if you start to realize that you do not seem to be getting very much mail all of the sudden, please immediately check with your letter carrier to see if you have had a forwarding request placed on your mail. And definitely DO contact the credit agencies, that is very important to help try to prevent charges for things you did not buy.
Rating: 5 / 5
When this book showed up (review copy) I initially thought what a piece of garbage. Like a previous commenter said, the book has a lackluster cover and its small and skinny. BUT, I flipped through and noticed that it contained lots of little “truths” 3-4 pages in length that quickly covered specific topics related to identity theft and protecting yourself online. So I decided to give it a shot.
The book is broken into 9 parts:
Part 1: The Truth About Phishing and Vishing
Part 2: The Truth About Trash
Part 3: The Truth About No-Tech Identity Theft
Part 4: The Truth About Just How Low Identity Thieves Will Go
Part 5: The Truth About Identity Theft in Plain Sight
Part 6: The Truth About Online Cons
Part 7: The Truth About Security at Work
Part 8: The Truth About Identity Theft from Real Victims
Part 9: The Truth About Putting a Stop to Identity Theft
Again, each part consists of several 3-4 page vignettes on topics related to the section and each vignette, while short, yields some actionable information on the topic. I didnt have any specific favorites, they were all good. Just about all of them were real world examples that they author conducted during security assessments or real life examples from people that had contacted the author or stories he had heard. Its sometimes much easier to emphasize with Susan who was a victim of identify theft and the troubles she was having trying to set things right. Of real value was the part on Putting a Stop to Identity Theft which tells you how to get rid of the pre-certified credit card offers, checking your credit reports, actions to take if you are a victim of identity theft and some of the pitfalls that can come up during the process.
So why 4 stars? Well mostly because I review technical security books it wouldn’t be fair to give a book that doesn’t yield “new” (but still useful) information 5 stars when other more technical books are graded much harsher. So that being said, if I had approached it being a less technical reviewer I would have easily given it 5 stars. If you want to get a book for mom and dad to protect to help them protect themselves from themselves and the rest of the bad guys out there this is the book for them. Unfortunately I finished it too close to Xmas to give copies as gifts.
Rating: 4 / 5
Mr. Stickley presents the typically dull topic of identity-theft in a way that will have you laughing out loud and wondering, “Now why didn’t I think of that?!” With the wisdom of Confucius and a wit similar to Dave Barry’s, Jim’s book will be enjoyed by all.
If you own a computer, you MUST read this book;
If you surf the Internet, you MUST read this book;
If you use a credit card, you MUST read this book;
If you use ATMs, you MUST read this book;
If you’ve ever thrown junkmail in the trash, you MUST read this book!
Just read this book!
Rating: 5 / 5
Identity theft. Only a few years ago, most of us didn’t realize that we were at risk. We try to be more diligent. We cover our keypad when we use our debit card and delete spam when we check our email.
Despite our best efforts, each and every one of us is at real risk of identity theft. Pick up a copy of The Truth About Identity Theft and you’ll see what I mean. Have you ever used an ATM machine that was outside a store? Have you ever checked your email using a public access computer, perhaps at the library, an airport, or at a hotel? Do you use a wireless modem? Have you ever used your credit card to make a charitable donation? Have you ever bought or received a gift card? Have you every applied for a pre-approved credit card?
The list is endless and what you’ll find out is frightening. The truly scary part is that the author makes his living from hacking into people’s personal information. Companies and individuals contract him to find flaws in their systems. Surprisingly, even with companies that seem very secure, it is the little things that leave them open to attack. Even though we think we are being careful, the majority of us unknowingly leave ourselves completely open to identity theft.
Rating: 5 / 5
Wow what an eye-opening book! I bought this book after seeing Mr. Stickley on the Today Show (more than once.) I was always impressed with the information he was giving the public and thought I’d give his book a try. I’m so glad I did. He explains in quick easy chapters what identity thieves do and how they do it. He then goes on to tell you, the reader, how to protect not only yourself, but your family and even your children from these kinds of scams.
If you have ever been the victim of identity theft, or if you’re concerned about the growing number of people who are hit by these thieves each year and don’t want to be one of them, read this book and protect yourself!
You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to lose control of your information. Read this book and you won’t lose it again!
Rating: 5 / 5