Prison May Not Deter Identity Thieves
Think identity thieves are done when they’re sent to prison? Think again. Just as “on the outside,” ID criminals in prison work via the phone and in other ways to continue their thieving ways.
In fact, identity theft may be one of the easiest crimes to pull of from prison, experts say. Many forms of ID theft involve networked communications (read: “hacking”), which can often be achieved using nothing more than a phone line and a little criminal know-how.
And ID criminals often have a realtime network too, working in conjunction with others to pull off multiple scams.
Behind Bars
It’s long been known that various types of criminal behavior might be continued even while the perpetrator is in prison.
Various forms of illegal activities, from drug trafficking to loan sharking, happen routinely behind bars and are a constant source of modifications to how inmates are watched, experts say. Punishments may be as mild as the curtailment of activities, to more serious, such as denial of parole.
But despite the risks, some inmates just keep on thieving, with identity crime attempts during incarceration becoming more and more of a problem, experts say.
Under Investigation
But such underhanded activities don’t necessarily go unnoticed, and measures are being taken in various penitentiaries to curtail these activities and to deliver punishments when the crooks are found out, according to recent reports.
Take the case of Multnomah County Jail (CO inmate Shawn K. McGinnis, who has been accused of using a three-way calling telephone system to buy and sell the identity information of unknowing victims.
Known as “Sammy Straight Razor,” McGinnis has been the subject of an investigation into these alleged activities for a year, according to news reports. Though McGinnis has not yet been indicted, the three-way calling feature has been eliminated inside the prison, the Multnomah County Sherriff’s Office says.
Protective Measures
Because imprisonment may not necessarily guarantee that ID thieves are rendered harmless, experts advise that those wishing to protect their information (and money) continue to employ commonsense measures.
These include always shredding identifying information before throwing it out or recycling it; double checking bank transactions at least once a month; reporting any suspicious account activity immediately and never giving any identifying information out over the phone or via e-mail.
A high quality credit protection service, including monitoring of your accounts and reporting unexpected transactions, can also be a help toward making sure your identity remains untampered with.
Be wise, be aware…and stop criminals from stealing your identity, whether from the comfort of their own homes or from their rightful place behind bars.
