Caribbean people are generally very up to date with world affairs. Newspapers in the region have always carried articles about events in different parts of the world and in the past many people almost religiously listened to BBC World Service on a daily basis. With the spread of the Internet, the ability to learn about events in various parts of the world has widened and many individuals avail themselves of this tool to broaden their knowledge.One of the crimes that is frequently encountered on the Internet is identity theft but many people think of this as a non-Caribbean problem, something that happens in the "developed" countries, not in our islands. When Caribbean people do think about identity theft they only associate it with using their credit card on the Internet and someone getting their credit card information and then using it to make purchases. Identity theft, however, does happen and often in more basic ways that have nothing to do with the Internet.
The situation of people, particularly those from economically disadvantaged countries, travelling on false passports is known and yet the average individual does not associate this with the identity theft crime although it is a clear case of identity theft.A recent case in Trinidad illustrates how identity theft sometimes occurs and how the false identity is sometimes used. Six years ago a house was burglarised and the thieves stole money, jewels, a driver's permit, national identity card and passport. The thieves sold the driver's permit, national identity card and passport to another individual who wanted to change his identity. That second individual then used the new identity to travel abroad on two occasions. When the driver's permit expired he renewed it as he had two other valid forms of identification. He opened an account in a bank, he obtained telephone services, he got a job in the petrochemical sector. In short he built a new life.In this particular case the individual simply wanted a new life and many times those people from economically disadvantaged countries who travel on false passports also simply want a new life in a new place. However, many others who engage in identity theft do so for more nefarious reasons. They often use these false identities to take out loans or run up large credit card bills which the victim is then held accountable for or to trick others and defraud them of their money.
The question, therefore, facing the average law-abiding citizen is how you protect yourself against identity theft.One of the first steps that everyone should practise is to lock their passport away in a safe; a bedside drawer or clothes drawer is not a secure place and often one of the first places that thieves check when committing a burglary. The location of the safe is also an important part of the protection. Most people place their safe in the master bedroom, clothes closet or home office and because of that burglars look in those places to see if there is one. Instead, you should place the safe in some other part of the house where it will not be easily seen and is secure.Combination or biometric safes are now popular but many individuals have older models that use keys and unfortunately some people keep the key in the lock, which completely defeats the purpose of having a safe. Instead, the key should be kept somewhere separate but not on a key rack with car keys and other keys. In addition to your passport, all other sensitive documents such as birth certificates should be placed in the safe.
The majority of people are very careful with their passport when they travel, making sure to have it close at hand when at the airline check-in counter, at the departure concourse and at immigration. Unfortunately, when they get to the hotel they tend to place it on the bedside table or leave it in their suitcase, only looking for it when it is time to return home.Although most hotels make some attempt at screening their staff one never knows which hotel employee will succumb to the temptation of seeing a passport left unattended. Upon checking into a hotel the passport should be immediately locked in the room safe and the safe kept locked when you are not using it.Another part of the protection for people with multiple credit cards is to ask the question, do you really need to have all your credit cards with you in your wallet or purse? Most persons have a main credit card that they use for the majority of their purchases and the other credit cards are either emergency cards or for special purposes.If you get robbed and all your credit cards are in your purse or wallet then all your credit cards are gone and now begins the tiresome process of notifying each credit card issuer, hoping that you have notified them faster than the thief can spend your money. In addition, once the thief takes your wallet he has your driver's permit and identification card along with your credit card. If you have multiple credit cards that are not used frequently then the extra cards should also be placed in the safe.
People who are shopping or at dinner often get a small psychological moment of pleasure when they hand over their credit card to pay. There is a feeling of "I have done well, I can afford this" as they hand over the card. Repeated advertisements in the media have conditioned our minds to reflexively hand the card to a waiter or store clerk who will go away and return with the credit card authorisation slip to sign.
It is that reflexively action that is being used by fraudsters to obtain credit card information. Waiters or store clerks armed with small skimmers, often smaller than a packet of cigarettes, when out of sight quickly swipe the card capturing all the information on it and then return with the customer's slip for signing. At the end of the day, the dishonest employee sells the information in the skimmer to a fraudster who then makes a duplicate card armed with all your information. When paying for an item you should never let the credit card out of your sight; either have the waiter bring the credit card machine to your table or accompany the clerk to the machine.Everyone should always shred your expired credit cards. Many identity thieves are experts at dumpster diving in order to obtain sensitive information about you. Sometimes the thieves do not have to go looking in your garbage as the individuals who make a living recycling items from the city trash know the value to a fraudster of an intact credit card and if they find one they will certainly sell it. All individuals should therefore make a habit of cutting their expired credit cards into small pieces.
One of the techniques that has been used in Europe and now is being seen in the Caribbean is fraudsters placing mini-cameras near ATMs and skimmers either on the ATM door or the actual ATM. Unsuspecting individuals use the ATM and the camera records their PIN number while the skimmer collects their card information. To protect against this type of crime all persons should adopt the habit of using one hand to cover the other while entering their PIN. The covering hand should be so positioned to block the view of any cameras that may be trying to capture the PIN.
BRIAN RAMSEY
Chairman, CISPS
The Caribbean Institute
for Security and Public Safety provides training and professional development programmes. info@caribbeansecurityinstitute.com