Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Expert

Willie Sutton a famous thief when asked why he robbed banks he was quoted saying, “Because that’s where the money is.” Where’s the money today? Identity Theft! What’s a great way to commit identity theft? Go to jail. Prisons in eight states let convicts work in jobs that give them access to Social Security numbers and other personal information for the public, despite years of warnings that the practice should end, a federal audit finds.

In a related story all sex offenders convicted of pedophilia will be made swimming coaches at summer camps.

“Although we recognize there may be benefits in allowing prisoners to work while incarcerated, we question whether prisoners have a need to know other individuals’ Social Security numbers,” the audit says. “Allowing prisoners access to Social Security numbers increases the risk that individuals may improperly obtain and misuse (the data).”

States where prisoners have direct access to Social Security numbers: Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and West Virginia.

“In Kansas, where five prisons allow inmates to hold jobs processing data with personal identifying information, a prisoner was found last year to have stolen names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers while in a job making digital images of public records, the audit says. The data was found in a routine search of inmates when their shift is over”.

What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate. Some men you just can’t reach. And I’m not talking about the prisoners. Any government agency head that sees fit to put a felon in charge of personal identifying information that can lead to identity theft needs to be put on a chain gang himself. With incompetence like this it’s no wonder 10-12 million people are victims of identity theft every year.

Protect your identity.

1. Get a credit freeze and follow the steps for your particular state. This is an absolutely necessary tool to secure your credit. In most cases, it prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. This makes your Social Security number useless to a potential identity thief.

2. Invest in Intelius identity theft protection and prevention. Not all forms of identity theft can be prevented, but identity theft protection services can dramatically reduce your risk. (Disclosures)

Robert Siciliano Identity Theft Speaker discussing Social Security numbers on Fox News.