The Thief Is In The Mail
29 January 2004 The car doors slam. The wheels screech. The
teenagers pilot the speeding car down the pavement into the
darkness; a crash is heard. That's when the public service
message appears at the bottom of the TV screen: Lock your car.
Take your keys.It seems strange today to think that once upon a
time, people needed to be told that leaving their keys in an
unlocked car might be a bad idea. At the time, though, the
wake-up call was very much in order. The world was changing
fast. So were the risks of living in it.Flash forward 40 years
to Memphis, Tennessee, in the early years of the 21st century. A
49-year-old woman stares at the surveillance monitor, watching
in disbelief as a surreal scene unfolds on her front porch. A
man bundled up in a heavy jacket and hat rings the bell, then
knocks loudly on the door. Getting no answer, he glances at the
silent intercom, calmly removes the outgoing mail from her
mailbox, and walks away.It's 10:00 a.m., and Bethany Overton's
identity has just been stolen. Also missing is the updated
version of that government warning:Lock your mailbox. Take your
keys.Identity theft: Not just an online crime Identity theft is
America's fastest-growing crime. Last year alone, more than 9.9
million Americans were victims of identity theft