The Top 10 methods used by fraudsters to steal identity information and what to do about it.

1. How to Steal an
Identity

2. My Name Is…
Richard Hollis
David Burton
Sean Bennett
?
… Call me
Ishmael

3. The Definition
“Identity theft is the pilfering of a
individual’s personal identification
information, such as name, date of birth,
passport number, drivers licence, credit
card number, mother’s maiden name etc.
in order to commit fraud”

4. First Recorded Theft
Genesis iii: 13
…and the woman said,
“The serpent beguiled
me, and I did eat”.

5. According to …
Identity theft is the world’s fasted
growing crime

6. Why?
1. Hard to
identify
2. Hard to stop

7. Why?
3. “That’s where the money

8. That’s Where the Money
is…
2001
Name, Address DOB = £2.00
Credit card # = £2.00
Expiry date = £ 3.00
Security Code = £3.00 2006
Total = £10.00 Name, Address DOB = £1.00
Credit card # = £1.00
Expiry date = £ 1.00
2012
Security Code = £2.00
Name, Address DOB = £.25
Total = £5.00
Credit card # = £.25
Expiry date = £ .25
Security Code = £.25
Total = £1.00

9. Chat Up Line # 63
In March 2008 there were 76.8 million
National Insurance numbers in the UK*.
*U.K. Information Commissioner's Office
UK Population = 61
million

10. The Price We Pay
• Identity fraud accounts for a criminal cash
flow of £12m per day.
• The mean fraud amount per victim is currently
estimated at £5,783.
• The mean resolution time is over 100 hours
per victim.
• Over 75% of victims are unable to clear up
associated credit problems after 6 months.

11. Fraud Breakdown

12. Who Are You ?

13. Three Elements
1. Attributed
2. Biometric
3. Biographi
c

14. Attributed Identity
• Your name
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• M other’s name
• Father’s name
• Family members
• Your race
Characteristics ascribed
to you at birth

15. Biometric Identity
• Your height
• Your weight
• Color of your eyes
• Color of your hair
• Color of your skin
• Birthmarks
• Your DNA
• Your fingerprints
• Your footprints
• Your retinal pattern Your distinguishing
• Your smell… physical characteristics

16. Biographic Identity
• Birth certificate
• School records
• Work permit
• Drivers license
• Places of
employment
• Places of residences
• Marriage certificate
(s)
• Divorce certificate
(s) Your life story
• Credit history information

17. 2 Types
Temporary Bullet
proof
Attributed Attributed
Biographic Biometric
Biographic

18. Top Ten Tips
How to Steal an Identity

19. Tip Number 1
• Take one that’s not being
used
– Friend (or frenemy)
– Neighbour
– Dead relative
– Pensioner or invalid
– Child
– Co-worker
– Person sitting next to you?

20. Birth & Marriage Notices

21. Genealogy Searches

22. List Pensioners

23. Death Notices

24. Get a Life…

25. People Search Engines

26. Google ‘em

27. Tip Number 2
• Go through their mail
– Credit card applications
– Credit card statements
– Bank statements
– Loyalty card promotions
– Membership applications
– Telephone calling cards
– Tax information
– Pay stubs - receipts

28. Tip Number 3
• Go through their trash
– Credit card applications
– Credit card statements
– Bank statement
– Loyalty card promotions
– Membership applications
– Telephone calling cards
– Tax information
– Pay stubs - receipts
– Credit card carbons

29. Tip Number 4
• Ask for it!
– “Pretexting” phone call
– Letters to former employers
– Military records
– FOIA requests
– DPA requests
– Public records

30. Credit Reports

31. Credit Reports

32. Tip Number 5
Buy the information
– Marketing companies
– Mailing lists
– Targeted media
– Email databases
– Membership lists
– Private detectives
– Cyber sleuths

33. Mailing Lists

34. Marketing Companies

35. Private Investigators

36. Tip Number 6
Buy an ID

37. Buy Two…

38. Buy Three…

39. That’s Where the Money
is…
• Passport: £350
• Driver’s license: £75
• Birth Certificate: £50
• Bank statements: £50
• University Degree £45
• Utility statements: £50
• Insurance certificates: £25

40. Tip Number 7
Hack one!
• Cookies
• Applets
• Trojans
• Phishing
• Pharming
• Harvesting
• Botting!
• Data Base

41. Armies Up Their Sleevies

42. Starter Kit…
Sam Spade very effective
freeware tool that crawls
websites searching and
grabbing email addresses
and address histories etc..

43. Data Base Hacking
• AKA: “The Mother Load”
• One stop shopping for your
all your identity data needs…
• Think…Amazon, eBay, Visa,
MasterCard…
• Think Google

44. Data Shadow

45. Chat Up Line #18
In one week, the average person living in Britain
has 3,254 pieces of personal information stored
about him or her in databases.*
*Evening Standard Survey August 2008

46. Chat Up Line #27
The average UK citizen is in over 750 databases.*
*UK Information Commissioner's' Report: “What Price Privacy?” 2009

47. Fact
You and I are bought and
sold every day

48. Data =

49. Why Bother Hacking?

50. Why Bother?

51. Why Bother?

52. Why Bother?

53. Tip Number 8
• Make one

54. Make One

55. Make One

56. Tip Number 9
• Old school
– Steal a wallet
– Steal a purse
– Kidnap someone !

57. Tip Number 10
• Don’t get caught

58. Don’t Get Caught
• Once you have it:

Take control of it

Change mailing address

Open new accounts using
a new (false) address

Request higher credit
limits

Never drain the account

Charge repeated small
amounts to cards

Move on…

59. Face of an Identity Thief
Ricky Leonard Swaner, 50,
arrested by FBI in Feb
2006 on multiple-count
Federal indictment fraud,
identity theft and obtaining
possession of over 2
million dollars of controlled
substances by fraud.

60. Reduce Your Risk
• WAKE UP !
• Practice ID discipline
• Protect information
– Personnel
– Client - database
– Credit card
– Company

61. Protect Yourself
• BE PRO-ACTIVE!
• Look after your identity
• Don’t give it away
• Don’t throw it away
• Don’t sell it
• Don’t let it be taken from you
• Look after it as if it belonged to you

62. Questions ?

63. 26 Dover Street
London
United Kingdom
+44 (0)20 3170 8955
+44 (0)20 3008 6011 (fax)