Lifelock CEO, Todd Davis, after two years of encouraging people to steal his identity in anyway shape or form got exactly what he asked for: a man used Davis’ SSN to receive money from an online payday loan service.

He claims his service, LifeLock, still works - after all, there were 87 previous attempts by others trying to use Davis’ SSN. Others disagree and are suing Davis for false advertising and practices.

The lesson learned here? No one’s identity is safe from theft, not even the identity of a CEO of an identity theft prevention service. So is there still hope for the rest of us? I’d like to think so!

Learn how to spot and prevent identity theft with these top articles and tips from safety experts:

• Passwords: Make’em Hacker Safe
• Watch Out for Online Scams: What to Look For
• Kids Can Become ID Theft Victims, Too!!
• Credit Reports: How to Order One and What You’ll Get…
• Detecting ID Theft
• Prevent ID Theft

Experienced identity theft? Share your story below! 

As soon as next week the economic stimulus plan checks will be pouring into bank accounts and household mailboxes. To learn more about the stimulus plan and when to expect a check (it’s ordered by the last two digits of your Social Security Number), read a CNN Money article about the plan here.

Unfortunately you won’t be the only one waiting for your check. Mail thieves could also be on the lookout for these checks since they know that these checks are on the way.

According to the IRS, identity thieves are already pushing scams involving the stimulus payments. At least one telephone scam is making the rounds using the proposed rebates as bait. News release IR-2008-11, IRS Warns of New E-Mail and Telephone Scams Using the IRS Name; Advance Payment Scams Starting, has more details.

• FAQ about the Stimulus Plan - IRS
• How to Detect Mail Theft - Stolen Mail: Advice from USPS
• Reporting Mail Theft

There’s an email scam out online attempting to reel in the nation’s top executives:

Thousands of high-ranking executives across the country have been receiving e-mail messages this week that appear to be official subpoenas from the United States District Court in San Diego. Each message includes the executive’s name, company and phone number, and commands the recipient to appear before a grand jury in a civil case.

A link embedded in the message purports to offer a copy of the entire subpoena. But a recipient who tries to view the document unwittingly downloads and installs software that secretly records keystrokes and sends the data to a remote computer over the Internet. This lets the criminals capture passwords and other personal or corporate information. [NYT]

This just goes to show that everyone and anyone can fall victim to identity theft. So what can you do?

1. Keep an eye on your bank statements and your credit reports. You can order your free credit reports from the credit bureaus: http://www.annualcreditreport.com

2. Read emails carefully. Although you may receive an “official” document, think and proceed carefully. Online searches of “common phishing scams” might provide answers.

3. Report any “phishy” activity to the correct authorities. If an email is posing to be a PayPal account update request, email PayPal and let them know you’ve received this phishing email so they can investigate it properly. Also, report any identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission as well so they too can investigate.

• Prevent Identity Theft
• Recover from Identity Theft

By now you’ve probably heard about all those April Fools jokes Google is playing today (rickrolling on YouTube, anyone?)!

But some Internet hoaxes just aren’t funny, especially identity theft and phishing scams. If you have become or think you’re a victim of an identity theft crimes, here are some tips to help you through:

1. Contact your credit card companies, if you think your personal information or credit card number was compromised.

2. Report it to the authorities. The FTC has a complaint form you can complete online. Additionally, you can also file a police report with the local police. More here.

3. Order a free credit report and monitor your scores. Keep an eye out for unauthorized activity and contact the credit companies to remove the charges.

4. Want more? Additional identity theft recovery tips from experts and victims…

Your personal and financial information is only as strong as your passwords.

We’ve written about this on the blog before here and here but the best passwords include numbers, letters and symbols (i.e. 5RT!sm345@). Why? Because these take much longer to hack.

Lifehacker, a personal productivity blog, has also just reviewed a free online tool called The Password Meter. “The Password Meter web utility tests the strength of your passwords as you type it, scoring your password strength based on a number of positive and negative password attributes.” Give it a shot:

• The Password Meter [via Lifehacker]

Have a site or software you’d like to recommend? Post it in the Comments section below!

Welcome back! It’s Day 2 of our week-long spring cleaning series. (Read Day #1 here!)

Spring cleaning can be a lot more than just cleaning out closets and putting winter items away: how about “cleaning” and organizing your financial house as well!

Pick a topic below and get started!

Insurance

Having adequate coverage is key, just in case the unexpected occurs. You never know when Mother Nature might cause a slight disruption in your life, so get ready!

1. How much is your home worth? Do you have enough insurance on your home to rebuild it if it is destroyed? Do you even know how to calculate the amount of insurance you need? Learn how to estimate your home’s value.

2. Am I covered? The more you know and understand about home insurance, the better you can insure yourself and your family in case of loss. Top questions to ask your agent…

3. Get extra coverage. Did you know that most home owner’s insurance policies only cover about $1000 worth of electronics and only $1500 worth of jewelry? Look into extra riders to make sure your possessions are protected…

4. Review your policy. There are about five key events that should trigger a review. The first one is…

Finances

1. Start an emergency fund. Unexpected medical bills, disasters, even car accidents - you should have a pool of money set aside for these little speed bumps of life. Learn how to get started…

2. Do a home inventory. It’s like “found money” - it can help you make your case to the insurance companies when filing a claim after a loss, theft or natural disasters. Learn more…

3. Write a will and name beneficiaries for major policies. Take care of your finances for your loved ones before it’s too late. Start today.

That’s Day 2! Check back tomorrow for tips on how to prep your home for the spring severe weather season ahead. Have a tip? Post it in the Comments section below!

Conveniently, after writing yesterday’s blog entry on Stolen Mail, I arrived home to find a friendly letter from our Postmaster General, John E. Potter. I’m sure many of you have received a similar letter.

Mr. Potter wrote to alert us all to the possibility of mail theft: “While I’m pleased that in a recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) survey only 2% of all victims reported that the theft of their identity was connected to the mail, that’s still too many. We will keep working to make the mail even more secure and strive to reduce that percentage to zero.”

Glad to hear it! They also included a brochure with these helpful tips:

Detect ID Theft

Be alert to signs that require immediate attention:

• Bills that don’t show up as expected
• Unexpected credit card or account statements
• Denials of credit for no apparent reason
• Calls or letters about purchases that you didn’t make

Common Ways ID Theft Happens

1. Dumpster Diving. Thieves sort through trash looking for piece of paper with personal and/or financial information (use your shredder!!)

2. Skimming. Thieves steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card.

3. Phishing. Thieves pretend to be financial institutions or other companies via spam to your email accounts.

4. Changing Your Address. Thieves divert your billing statements to another location by completing a “change of address” form.

5. “Old-Fashioned” Stealing. Thieves steal wallets; mail; checks; tax information; personal records and so on.

• Thanks to USPS and FTC for this helpful information! Learn more on how to keep your identity safe…

One of my favorite bloggers, J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly, had some of his mail stolen last week.

His top tip? Tell your mail carrier - they can help you with the recovery steps you’ll need to take.

Thinking about doing your taxes? Remember tax season is prime time for identity thieves. Instead mail your forms at the post office, or check to see if your connection’s secure when sending your tax info online!

• Top Tax Time Safety Tips
• New and Old Tax Documents: Keep ‘Em Safe

Bloggers Marc and Angel have a list of the top ten phone numbers you should have in your cell phone just in case. You just never know when you might need them!

• 10 Handy Numbers to Save in Your Mobile Phone [Marc and Angel via Lifehacker]

Also, this brings to mind another blog post from a while back:

• Four Professionals Everyone Should Keep on Speed Dial

Still in need of additional contact lists to have just in case? Print out these handy emergency contact lists to keep a hard copy of your contact numbers - store them near your landlines at home or at work.

One of my favorite bloggers, Trent of The Simple Dollar, has a great list of 100 little steps you can take to save money. I listed my favorite six tips here - visit his site for the rest!

Car Maintenance

24. Clean your car’s air filter. A clean air filter can improve your gas mileage by up to 7%, saving you more than $100 for every 10,000 miles you drive in an average vehicle. Plus, cleaning your air filter is easy to do in just a few minutes - just follow the instructions in your automobile’s manual and you’re good to go.

61. Air up your tires. For every two PSI that all of your tires are below the recommended level, you lose 1% on your gas mileage. Most car tires are five to ten PSI below the normal level, so that means by just airing up your tires, you can improve your gas mileage by up to 5%. It’s easy, too. Just read your car’s manual to see what the recommended tire pressure is, then head to the gas station. Ask the attendant inside if they have a tire air gauge you can borrow (most of them do, both in urban and rural settings), then stop over by the air pump. Check your tires, then use the pump to fill them up to where they should be. It’s basically free gas!

Identity Theft

35. Remove your credit card numbers from your online accounts. It’s easy to spend online when you have your card information stored in an account - just click and buy. The best way to break this habit is to simply delete your card from the account. That way, when you’re tempted to spend, you’ll be forced to spend the time to dig out your card - and really think about why you’re spending this money. (And it could prevent identity theft!)

Child Care

36. Give a gift of a service instead of an item. For new parents, give an evening of babysitting as a gift. If you know pet owners, offer to take care of their pets when they travel. Offer up some lawn care as a gift to a new homeowner. These are always spectacular gifts for anyone - I know that, as a parent of a toddler and an infant, I love receiving a babysitting gift, probably more than any “stuff” I might receive.

50. Swap babysitting with neighbors.…Try to find another set of parents or two that you trust, and swap nights of babysitting with them. That way, you’ll get occasional evenings free without the cost of a babysitter, saving you some scratch.

Home Inventory

39. Reevaluate the stuff in the rooms in your house. Go into a room and go through every single item in it. Do you really need that item? Are you happy that it’s there, or would you be just fine if it were not? If you can find stuff to get rid of, get rid of it - it just creates clutter and it might have some value to others. You also improve the perceived value of your house - and you’re likely to get a lot of cleaning done in the process. It’s a frugal win-win-win. (While you’re at it, do a home inventory of the stuff you’re keeping!!)

Source: The Simple Dollar