MINIMUM
MINIMUM EVERY MONTH ON HER MASTERCARD.
MASTERCARD. I SAID I DON'T HAVE A
MASTERCARD.
MASTERCARD. SOMEBODY HAD GOTTEN MY
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. THERE ARE WAYS THEY CAN GET
YOUR INFORMATION.
YOUR INFORMATION. >> THIS WAS THE VERY BEGINNING
OF HOW THEY DID IT.
APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND MAILBOX
AREAS WHERE THERE IS TRASH
CANS.
CANS.
CANS. IF
CANS. IF YOU'RE GOING TO PUT YOUR
TRASH OUT PUT IT OUT THE
MORNING OF.
MORNING OF. INVEST IN A SHREDDER.
YOU NEED TO SHRED ANY TYPE OF
BILLS, STATEMENTS, MEDICAL ANY
TYPE OF THAT STUFF.
SHREDDED UP THAT WAY YOU DON'T
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT.
>> THEY CAN CONNECT YOUR NAME
TO AN ADDRESS AND THEN TO A
BILL.
BILL.
BILL. LIKE YOUR ELECTRICITY BILL.
>> THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT
WAYS THEY CAN CONNECT YOU.
ONCE THEY GET YOUR IDENTITY THE
SKY IS THE LIMIT.
THEY CAN GO AFTER ANYTHING.
THERE HAS BEEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE
BOUGHT HOMES ON OTHER PEOPLE'S
IDENTITIES.
IDENTITIES. CARS AND PLASTIC SURGERY.
>> SHOULDER SURFING?
>> WHEN YOU ARE -- LET'S SAY
YOU'RE GETTING YOUR DRIVERS
LICENSE DONE OR EVEN AT THE
MALL BE CAREFUL ABOUT HOLDING
YOUR iPAD OR YOUR PHONE OUT
WHERE PEOPLE CAN SEE.
PEOPLE CAN LOOK RIGHT OVER YOUR
SHOULDER.
SHOULDER.
SHOULDER. I LITERALLY WATCHED A GUY
CHECKING HIS BANK ACCOUNT ON A
PLANE BETWEEN THE SEATS.
I SAW HIS ACCOUNT NUMBER.
PEOPLE NEED TO BE A LITTLE MORE
CONSCIOUS.
CONSCIOUS. >> PHISHING AND SPAM EMAIL.
I HAD AN EMAIL THE HOW MY BANKS
LOGO ON IT LOOKED COMPLETELY
OFFICIAL.
OFFICIAL.
OFFICIAL. THE BANK SAID WE DON'T DO THAT.
>> NO FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
DOES THAT.
DOES THAT. THEY SHOULD NEVER SEND YOU AN
EMAIL ASKING FOR YOUR PERSONAL
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. THEY ALREADY HAVE IT.
YOU SHOULD ALWAYS INITIATE A
PHONE CALL OR AN EMAIL WHEN YOU
ARE GIVING YOUR PERSONAL
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. >> SOCIAL MEDIA, WE PUT SO MUCH
OUT THERE.
OUT THERE. EVEN THE SIMPLE STUFF LIKE LOOK
AT US WE ARE IN HAWAII.
YOU TELL PEOPLE I AM NOT HOME.
THAT MEANS THE VAULT IS OPEN.
>> THAT'S BEEN THE NEW TREND.
PEOPLE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL
ABOUT LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT
THEY ARE NOT JUST OUT SOMEWHERE
AND THEIR HOME IS EXPOSED.
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PUT ON YOUR
SOCIAL MEDIA.
SOCIAL MEDIA. SOME PEOPLE PUT THEIR FULL
BIRTHDAY AND ALL KINDS OF EXTRA
STUFF ON THERE.
IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG FOR AN
IDENTITY THEFT -- THIEF TO MAKE
CONNECTION.
CONNECTION. >> PREYING ON TRAVELERS AND
TOURISTS.
TOURISTS.
TOURISTS. >> WE FEEL SAFER WHEN WE ARE
ABROAD.
ABROAD.
ABROAD. YOU ARE ON VACATION.
THEY DO TEND TO PREY ON US WHEN
WE ARE OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
THEY LIKE TO HANG AROUND THE
ATMS ANYWHERE YOU ARE GETTING
MONEY.
MONEY.
MONEY. IF
MONEY. IF YOU CAN AVOID IT ALWAYS PAY
BY CASH.
BY CASH.
BY CASH. DON'T USE YOUR DEBIT CARD OR
CREDIT CARDS OUT OF THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. >> A CON ARTIST IS AN ARTIST
FOR A REASON.
THEY ARE GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO.
THEY CAN SOUND PRETTY
CONVINCING.
CONVINCING. THEY CALL YOU AND SAY YOU HAVE
TO PAY RIGHT NOW AND PEOPLE
FALL FOR THIS.
>> THERE IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF
PEOPLE FALLING FOR IT.
ESPECIALLY THE IRS SCAM.
I'VE GOTTEN A CALL 10 TIMES
THIS YEAR.
THIS YEAR. THEY TRY TO KEEP YOU ON THE
PHONE LONG ENOUGH TO SCARE YOU
TO GO TO AN ATM OR BANK.
TO DRY OUT SOME MONEY AND GO TO
A WESTERN UNION AND WIRE THE
MONEY.
MONEY.
MONEY. THEN THEY WILL TELL YOU THEY
GET THE CHARGES DROPPED.
IT'S A HUGE SCAM.
>> ANOTHER ONE WAS SOMEBODY
CALLED AND SAID YOU OWE A
BALANCE OF THIS AMOUNT ON A
CABLE ACCOUNT.
CABLE ACCOUNT. >> I SAID I DON'T THINK SO I
JUST TRANSFERRED AND I SETTLED
UP BEFORE.
UP BEFORE. >> IT'S USUALLY A SMALL ENOUGH
AMOUNT OF MONEY WERE YOU JUST
WANT TO GET RID OF IT INSTEAD
OF ARGUING ABOUT IT.
I WENT AHEAD AND CALLED AND
SAID DO I OWE YOU THIS?
SOMETIMES PEOPLE KNOW IF YOU
HAVE MOVED.
HAVE MOVED. >> THEY HAVE GOTTEN EXTREMELY
CREATIVE ON HOW THEY CAN GET
MONEY FROM US.
>> AT THE END OF THE DAY IT'S
UP TO US TO BE VIGILANT.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO CHECK YOUR
CREDIT REPORT FOR FREE ONCE A
YEAR.
YEAR.
YEAR. ANNUAL CREDIT REPORT.COM.
I WOULD SAY A MINIMUM OF TWO
TIMES A YEAR.
CHECK AND SEE WHAT IS ON YOUR
CREDIT.
CREDIT.
CREDIT. AND YOU START GETTING THE BILLS
IN IT IS TOO LATE AT THAT
POINT.
POINT.
POINT. >>
POINT. >> IF I FIND OUT SOMEBODY ELSE
HAS GOTTEN A HOUSE OR A CAR
THAT I WANT IN MY NAME I'M
COMING TO YOU.
YOU ARE A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR.
YOU CAN HUNT STUFF DOWN.
PEOPLE COME TO US.
>> THE CHANCES A LAW
ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATING IT
JUST DUE TO ITS OUT-OF-CONTROL.
WE CAN JUMP ON THE CASE A
LITTLE BIT QUICKER.
>> IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF OR
MAYBE YOU NEED SOMEONE TO DO
SECURITY WORK IS A GREAT DAY
HOUSTON.COM AND WE WILL CONNECT
YOU TO JEFF.
WE WILL LIST INFORMATION FOR
ALL THREE CREDIT BUREAUS.
UP NEXT, A PLACE