PICTURE PHONES – PRYING EYES AND IDENTITY THEFT

Picture phones are everywhere and they are often used by identity thieves to facilitate crime. Consumers need to increase their sensitivity to the prying eyes of picture capable cell phones. Common risks of identity theft facilitated by identity thieves with picture phones and standing near you are:

• Capture of bank routing information when writing checks. Routing numbers are used for check forging and electronics fund transfer.
• Capture of key strokes at ATM machines – video records of keystrokes can be used to reconstruct pins. Account number data is stolen by skimming devices attached to the ATM. The combination allow thieves to steal from your accounts
• Drivers license numbers and address information when providing proof of identity – used to create forged drivers licenses which have correct validation information.
• In house account numbers – if you have an account number with a local merchant and use it to make purchases, cell phone camera’s may catch these numbers.
  
  We are now very sensitive to “prying eyes”; however the cell phone camera is held in the hand and may compromise our personal information even though the eyes are not “prying.”