CNN Europe CNN Asia
On CNN TV Transcripts Headline News CNN International About CNN.com Preferences
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SERVICES
 
 
 
SEARCH
Web CNN.com
powered by Yahoo!
TRANSCRIPTS
Return to Transcripts main page

CNN LIVE AT DAYBREAK

Protecting Yourself Online

Aired November 26, 2002 - 06:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: And think of all the times that you have applied for credit or given some personal financial information online, how do you know when it's safe and when it's not?
Ari Schwartz from the Center for Democracy & Technology is joining me by phone this morning from Washington to talk about that -- good morning.

ARI SCHWARTZ, CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY & TECHNOLOGY: Good morning -- Catherine.

CALLAWAY: Disturbing, this story. They say you know this is the largest identity fraud case so far, but you know do we really know because this obviously went on for a long time before it was discovered?

SCHWARTZ: Well there have been many of these cases that have happened behind the scenes really with people that have access to this data. In this case, it was a company that had access to credit reports and a -- and an individual employee was making $30 per person that they -- in selling their information -- selling 30 -- over 30,000 people's information.

CALLAWAY: Right. And the people they were -- they were paying that $30 for the information were certainly making a lot more money than that from the people they were stealing their identity from.

You know what's disturbing also about this is that people didn't lose their credit card. I mean this was information that was in the computer, whether or not they were applying for something, information that we already -- we always give even though we know we're supposed to be selective about who we give the information to.

So what are some things you can do to protect yourself?

SCHWARTZ: Well the key for a case like this is really to check -- to check your credit report at least once a year and make sure that you have the information that's updated and you know what's going on and -- in your own credit life, that you know what credit cards and what credit applications you have. Then you should stay on top of your own credit card bills because the credit card is the key piece there. And lastly, if you're a -- if you are a victim, you can call up the Federal Trade Commission. And they have a new 800 number, 1- 888-ID-THEFT, that -- and that's a resource now.

CALLAWAY: Right.

SCHWARTZ: That just started last year for people to call and get a lot of information about how to clear up your credit record.

CALLAWAY: Right, it's overwhelming when that happens to you.

Ari, just one last question quickly, I know some of these victims could have found out that their identity had been stolen if they'd done that annual report, checking their credit report. Because, tell them why, isn't it because they were trying to establish whole new address, whole new credit cards in their names?

SCHWARTZ: Yes, that's what happens in these cases because it's -- it is happening behind the scenes. So what they're really trying to do is set up a new credit card, new account information. So there is this major concern about these kind of backdoor ability to set up these credit cards and new credit accounts. And so the focus needs to be on checking to make sure that you know of all the accounts that are in your name.

CALLAWAY: And that'll show up on your credit report that someone is trying to do that?

SCHWARTZ: Yes.

CALLAWAY: All right, great. Ari Schwartz, thank you very much. He's from the Center for Democracy & Technology.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com



© 2004 Cable News Network LP, LLLP.
A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us.
external link
All external sites will open in a new browser.
CNN.com does not endorse external sites.