Public Wi-Fi

My local police department issued this warning today:

Today’s technology can be extremely useful in our everyday activities, but also dangerous if not done so with caution. Below are some things to remember before you allow you your smart phone, tablet, lap top, or any other device to connect to a publicly shared Wi-Fi network.

1. Never utilize your online bank or credit card accounts, or shop online when connected to public Wi-Fi.
2. Be aware that criminals may set up similar network names to a restaurant, café or coffee shop to get you to us their network. When this is done, they can gain access to your personal information.
3. Make sure your smart phone is not set up to automatically connect to surrounding Wi-Fi networks.

You might ask the difference between public Wi-Fi and the one in your home.  Well, the simple answer is encryption.  Everything you send via a public Wi-Fi signal can be intercepted by someone else on that same network.  Since the transmission is not encrypted that person can read everything you send.  That includes passwords, bank numbers and private emails.

Encryption acts similarly to the locks on the doors in your home.  The locks keep people out unless they have the right key to translate the tumbler in the door.  Similarly, encryption locks your message so that someone without the proper decryption codes cannot understand what you have sent.  No locks mean that anyone can walk into your home;  no encryption means that everyone can read your post. The better the locks, the less likely that undesirable people will come in your home;  the better the encryption, the less undesirable people can read your email.

Taxpayer Identity Theft

No one likes tax time;  there are too many forms to complete and often there is money to send.  Well, as with any situation, wait, it will get worse — and it has.  Thieves are filing taxes using your social security number and directing the refunds to themselves.  You may be unaware you are a victim until you try to file your taxes and learn one already has been filed using your social security number.  Or, you may learn from the IRS that you owe additional tax, refund offset or have had collection actions taken against you for a year you did not file a tax return.  Another way you can find you have a problem is if IRS records indicate you received wages from an employer unknown to you.  Of course the problem worsens because if they have your social security number, they may also be stealing other aspects of your identity.

This is a major problem and you need to act immediately!

If your SSN is compromised and you know or suspect you are a victim of tax-related identity theft, the IRS recommends you take these steps:

• Respond immediately to any IRS notice; call the number provided
• Complete IRS Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit. Use a fillable form at IRS.gov, print, then mail or fax according to instructions.
• Continue to pay your taxes and file your tax return, even if you must do so by paper.

If you previously contacted the IRS and did not have a resolution, contact the Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490.

Then, you need to address the other (non-IRS) dimensions of your identity theft.

• File a report with your local police department
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.identitytheft.gov or the FTC Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-438-4338 or TTY 1-866-653-4261.
• Contact one of the three major credit bureaus to place a ‘fraud alert’ on your credit records:
  • Equifax, http://www.Equifax.com, 1-800-525-6285
  • Experian, http://www.Experian.com, 1-888-397-3742
  • TransUnion, http://www.TransUnion.com, 1-800-680-7289
• Contact your financial institutions, and close any accounts opened without your permission or tampered with.