I Want To Steal Your Identity, Money

What If I Know Your Social Security Number

To anyone that’s suffered the indiscriminate, determined destruction of having your identity stolen, you probably understand the pain and violated feeling that can result. A simple 9-digit span – your social security number (SSN) – is often the sole protection from those who look to do harm.

With those powerful digits, I could empty your bank accounts, hijack your online shopping accounts, buy private currencies (i.e., Bitcoin) to launder funds, and completely steal your identity. Potentially, I could use a deceased individual’s SSN to “recover” a passport and driver’s license. Needless to say, life gets pretty bumpy after your identity is stolen.

Privacy, Security Is Underrated

I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had with people that don’t worry that Google knows everything about you. Maybe Google will only use your information to profit off of targeted advertising and better their internal algorithms, but when any organization knows too much, it can be a liability. Moreover, Google likely isn’t the only company you entrust. How about Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Amazon, etc.?

People seem to undermine and discount the need for some level of privacy in the digital world. I’m not sure psychologically why the digital world is different – maybe the physical distance from the corporate bodies enables a desensitization to divulge information. Regardless, the fact that we implicitly trust digital entities is the reason why identity thieves have an easy job. We have put so much information onto the Internet that we are prime targets. If I can link enough public information together, I can likely get every bank account password you have – or just create new ones.

When you browse the web, you leave traces everywhere. This website uses some tracking technology to better understand popular articles and track the success of certain campaigns. Everything can be read here. But even with Frugaling.org’s strict privacy policy, I know a lot about you by default. You can prevent a lot of tracking and protect yourself, but do you? Why do you implicitly trust me and everyone else on the Internet to respect your data?

It’s Simple: TNO

There’s a concise motto that prevents identity thieves from getting your information: TNO. The acronym stands for Trust No One. It’s extreme, but for the digital world, it might just help you from losing all your money in the near future.

Identity hacking and theft is on the rise. By approaching the online world from a TNO perspective, you don’t assume that Google search histories are safe. You likely need to minimize your digital footprint (i.e., deactivate that Facebook). And you may want to consider privatizing your profiles on other social sharing networks. Don’t indiscriminately fill out forms with you full address, personal information, and/or account information. It’s easier than you think to steal it all.

TNO is a harsh philosophy. In my opinion, there’s one caveat to it all: Trust no one until they give reason to trust them (online). Otherwise, your bank accounts could be prime for a serious, abrupt slim down.