THE WORST KIND OF JUNK MAIL

Most junk mail is unsolicited, but the one that ranks as the Oscar winner around our house is the kind that comes with almost celebrated potential danger for ID theft attached. These mailings range from the millions of credit card solicitations received annually, to your mortgage holder who sends you an accidental death insurance offer with your home loan number clearly stated. While not as decisive as the Social Security number or date of birth to heist your identity, it is a start, particularly considering the recent successes of pre-texting (the thief could pose as you calling the mortgage company and obtain further personal data). Indymac Bank sent me two such mailings, one with envelope copy, “Do Not Discard,” sure to get any crook’s attention. Shell has been bombarding us with mailings for a credit card with “Congratulations You’re pre-approved” on the envelope that is one of the most generous invitations to this kind of criminal mind. And then there are those who dispatch pre-approved credit card offers to the deceased…years following their death. My Mother received one from Visa June 1st: she passed away in 1989 and is on every “death” file available. By the way, the deceased person’s data is by far the most valuable since there is no one to catch the thief at work. There are others, like the Home Depot mailing my wife just received with a guaranteed $7,500 credit line. The envelope is so obviously a credit card solicitation that the most inexperienced identity shark would know. And, I counted seven places on the application with the word “pre-approved,” that would cinch any indecision of whether or not for the bad guys to make their move. Individuals need control over their sensitive data, and they need it now.