For Propriety Sake

For Propriety Sake

My mother passed away four months ago. Recently I began receiving solicitations by mail offering my Mom free services and discounts to local businesses. When I called them to find out how they got my address in New York connected with my Mom’s name from Florida, they told me they bought it from a list broker. When I inquired again with the list brokers, I was advised that they buy their lists from the credit bureaus. Yes you read it right. Experian, Equifax, and Transunion sell our information to list brokers for a fee.

It appears that when we advise credit card companies of the death of a credit card holder they record the correspondent address of the next of kin in their records. They then contact the credit agencies of a change of address which is mistaken as a move to a new neighborhood. As such the list is sold to local business as a new move. While the social security administration is responsible to notify the credit bureaus of a loved one’s demise, it will take a long period of time, leaving the door open to these disconcerting actions.

What is equally troubling is the ability to get all three agencies to stop selling it. The online and customer service centers are designed to work with live individuals who have had their credit reports compromised. There is no support for the death of a loved one. After two months of trying I finally went to the corporate offices of each credit bureau. One effort required getting help at the president’s office.

Here’s what you need to know in order to remove your lost loved one’s information:

• Get a copy of the death certificate.

• Contact Transunion at 800-987-3670 and request Mary Litwa or her department. She will then request you fax her a copy of the death certificate. Stress that you are requesting the suppression of your loved one’s information.

• Contact Equifax at 404 885-800. Request someone in special disputes. They will provide direction to fax the death certificate to 888 826-0573. However you will need to talk to them first to provide appropriate information.

• Send a letter to Experian with a copy of the death certificate and power of attorney or proof of executorship to PO Box 9701 Allen, Tx 75013. Request the “opt out” department.

• Contact the Direct mail association online at https://www.ims-dm.com/cgi/ddnc.php. Register the information of your loved one to stop mail solicitations.

• Make sure you have identity theft protection for your parents long before they become ill and need our support to protect their identities in life and in death. Go to www.ID247.com to get the most support as well as a discount. Contact me for the discount code. They were recently rated by consumer magazine and a copy of that article is available by emailing ester.horowitz@apsaintl.com. Put in the subject consumer magazine.

Identity theft is a growing crime. Dormant social security numbers are a panacea for thieves once it is discovered that is it dormant due to death, incarceration, or an underage child. Don’t give them the chance to learn it. Make sure you notify the primary credit bureaus to suppress the use of their information for any reason.

Business Owners Hate Spending Money on What they Can't See

I had a conversation today about trying to get business owners to recognize that they need to comply with certain laws. While the choir understands that not doing so puts businesses at risk, the choir still can't get why the business and the owner is willing to take their chances despite law.

I stated that business owners and small businesses are reluctant to pay for something that doesn't have an immediate ROI emotionally or economically. For example, if a supplement company were given an opportunity to distribute their product internationally for the cost of liability insurance, they are motivated to make the investment provided the opportunity far exceeds the cost. But the same company may not want to purchase liability if it involved something more remote like PCI compliance when they don't see the value. Especially in unfunded mandates. Every company is subject to one or more of five major privacy mandates and all of them are unfunded. Most companies don't even know they are required.

In addition, they are unwilling to part with funds for something that has a million and one chance of ever happening in their eyes. "We're too small for anyone to care" is the usual mantra. However, when it comes to identity theft, it only takes one to put a small business out of business. The likelihood is not "if" but "when" and far greater than all of the other risks that businesses must contemplate.

So how do you motivate a business or organization to comply? Fear doesn't work because most companies are immune to what feels remote them. Instead, what hits home now? Did a customer loose a wallet or have a credit card turn down? Did an employee have a credit problem due to a bad profile? Did the company computers get infected or go down for any length of time recently? Did an employee loose a laptop or blackberry? Ask who they turned to when it happen and why?

Another way is to show companies how unfunded mandates actually have hidden wealth opportunities they can acquire immediately in employee morale, growth opportunities, and economically. If you are interested email me at witsowitz@verizon.net and write in the subject "Wealth in Unfunded Mandates".

New Technology to Fight Identity Theft

Governor Patterson, of New York, declared that New York is a hotbed for terrorism and he states “New York has a target on its back as the epicenter, the source of terrorism, with a very unique population". In February, the state began using facial recognition software to reduce the ability for identity theives from requesting multiple licenses. So far 1000 cases have been thwarted.

But we all know that it is human nature to find ways to get around any road block when a thief is bent on stealing identities. So for now, we can breath a bit... but not for long because as well all know, there is no fail safe method.

What his news has acknowledge is that it is very real. It confirms the use of identity theft as a terrorist strategy. It has infiltrated our communities and daily doings including among our children . All the things that I've been saying all along.

Strategy is as Strategy Does Which Do you Do?

Due to the nature of what I do in identity theft, a colleague convinced me, after 20+ years of others trying, to get my insurance license. “What did I say to convince you” she asked. "Good timing" was my answer. It involved making sure that having an insurance license made sense in furthering the strategies and goals of the company’s business model. Not simply for the sake of earning additional income. The knowledge acquired along the way helped me to better understand risk in a way I couldn’t before.

As a company that is built on growing other organizations, I state that you cannot grow what you don’t protect routinely. In today’s environment that has never been truer. There is a difference between strategizing your business model and strategizing your activities in the business. Which are you doing? Which one should you focus upon? Taking it one step further, are you sharing it with your employees?