Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/414261
Wouldyou walk into Home Depot carry- ing a big sign with your name, email address, your Social Se- curity number, the name of your bank, account number and the amount of your last de- posit? Probably not. Yet, that is a fairly ac- curate picture of what happened recently when Home Depot suffered a catastrophic data breach. The company tried to as- sure everyone through the media that there was really no harm because the stolen data did not include PIN's. But secu- rity expert Brian Krebs doesn't agree. He says HD customers have lot to worry about. Thieves rely on the bank's "I forgot my PIN code" service. They call in and as long as they have some information such as your bank ac- count number, phone number or last four dig- its of your Social Security number, they can pre- tend to be you and get a new PIN on the spot. Presto! Now they can drain your bank account from anywhere in the world. Krebs says this is not just a theory. Thieves have, in fact, done ex- actly as outlined above stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from unsuspecting HD customers by reaching into customer accounts right through that lit- tle slot in the ATM. And Home Depot customers are not alone. Many large retailers have suffered the same kind of cus- tomer breaches over the past months. Have you checked your account lately? Do it. Should you find some- thing, you are likely enti- tled to a refund once you report a fraud case. But can you say hassle? Oh, my. We're talking time and effort and phone calls and did I say time? Not to mention the in- convenience of not hav- ing access to your money while all of this is be- ing investigated and your bank may be dealing with hundreds of other bank customers who are in the same boat. Here's the problem: With a debt card/ATM fraud incident, your money is gone and you have to work hard to get it back. But on the other hand, if you face a fraud- ulent credit-card pur- chase, it's the bank's money that the thieves made off with. It is not your problem, not your worry, not your hassle. That's the difference. So what's a wise consumer like yourself to do? I have two sugges- tions: 1. Bury that debit card in the back of your mind and wallet. Use it only to withdraw cash. Never use it to buy some- thing where you swipe it through a machine. Even if you opt for a PIN- based transaction, all of your data is now in that retailer's network and you have to see yourself as a sitting duck. Now, I am no fool. I know most reading this will not heed this warning. Many of you are so in love with your debit cards you sim- ply cannot imagine life without them. 2. Protect yourself. You wouldn't drive your car without auto insurance, so don't live one more day without identity theft and privacy protection. If you are going to have fi- nancial exposure in this world, you need proper protection. There are multi- ple companies offering something like this, but if you are going to spend the money make sure you are getting the very best protection. You want cov- erage like LifeLock Ul- timate (www.everyday- cheapskate.com/lifelock). Check out what is cov- ered. See what I mean? No wonder this is the ser- vice that my family and I use and rely on heavily. Lifelock is the only com- pany I know of that calls before and even while the deed is being done. And remember, I do not own a debit card — and never will. Even so, I am not totally immune to identity theft and pri- vacy breaches. But I do not worry about it and never lose a moment's sleep over that possibil- ity because LifeLock has earned my business. 3. Go live in a cave. This is the only way you can fully protect yourself in this digital world if you are unwilling to take suggestion 1 or 2 above. It's a scary world out there. And while there is much over which we do not have control, pro- tecting our identities and bank accounts is not one of them. MaryHuntisthe founder of www.Debt- ProofLiving.com, a per- sonal finance member website. You can email her at mary@everyday- cheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheap- skate, P.O. Box 2099, Cypress, CA 90630. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE 2 suggestions if you're not quite ready to live in a cave Altacal Audubon will of- fer the following programs and field trips in Novem- ber. All activities are free of cost unless otherwise indicated and are open to the public. If you have any questions or want further information about spe- cific activities, call Way- land Augur at 530-519- 4724 or send an email to wba@acm.org. Program Cavitynestingbirds of Northern California: presentedbyLarryJordan, 6:30p.m. Monday, Nov. 17 at the Chico Creek Nature Center. Larry Jordan, Wintu Audubon Society web- master, will be sharing his experience with local cavity nesting birds of the north state. Larry was in- troduced to birding after moving to northern Cali- fornia where he was over- whelmed by the local wild- life, forcing him to buy his first field guide just to be able to identify all the species visiting his yard. Building birdhouses and putting up feeders brought the ever increasing diver- sity of avian fauna even closer and he was hooked. Being the Shasta County Coordinator for the Cal- ifornia Bluebird Recov- ery Program he monitors three Bluebird Trails with over 30 nest boxes for cav- ity nesting birds. Using photography and video im- agery we will peek into the nesting behavior of these amazing bird species and learn how to make our backyards bird magnets. Larry enjoys sharing his passion for birds and conservation through his blog, "The Birder's Re- port" which he started in September of 2007. He is also the West Coast Beat Writer for the popular 10000 Birds blog. As hab- itat manager for the Bur- rowing Owl Conservation Network his recent focus has been on bringing the Western Burrowing Owl back to life in California. Larry is now co-founder of a movement to create a new revenue stream for our National Wildlife Ref- uges with the Wildlife Conservation Stamp Proj- ect. Field trips Gray Lodge Wildlife area: Trip Leaders: Gaylord Grams and Kathy Trevino, Saturday, Nov. 15at Gray Lodge. Join Altacal for a walk- ing tour at Gray Lodge. We will walk the two-mile trail that includes the bird blinds after scoping the pond by parking lot #14. Fall migration should be well underway. We will meet at the Chico Park & Ride (lot closest to free- way) at 8 a.m. sharp, car- pool from there, and re- turn by 3 p.m. If you would prefer, meet us at Gray Lodge (parking lot #14) at 9 a.m. Bring a lunch, water, $4 per person en- try fee, binoculars, and a scope if you have one. For more information contact Kathy Trevino at kathy- trev@sbcglobal.net or 530-520-2872, or Gaylord Grams at 530-533-1624. Raptor Run: Sunday, Nov. 16. Trip Leaders: Matt For- ster and Mary Muchowski Join the search for Rap- tors in Butte County. The group will be traveling by car to Cottonwood Rd and Nelson Ave to view the returning hawks, ea- gles, falcons, and owls. Cottonwood Road boasts one of the best landscapes in Northern California for raptors. Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks are regular visitors and Pere- grine and Prairie Falcons can be seen perched on the surrounding power poles. Last year a soaring Golden Eagle was sighted as well as breathtaking view of a beautiful Mountain Blue- bird. The group will then travel to Richvale and check out the fields for swans, geese, and ducks. Perhaps even Trumpeter Swans. Bring binoculars, spot- ting scopes, water, walk- ing shoes and proper clothing for the expected weather conditions. Light rain will not cancel. Meet at the first parking area at the Chico Park & Ride at 8 a.m. The trip will be 5-6 hours, so plan accordingly. Matthew Forster, findfor- ster@yahoo.com, 619-347- 2269. Llano Seco Viewing Plat- form Big Sit: Sunday Nov. 30. Trip Leader: Jennifer Patten Give your legs a rest and your eyes a treat on this leisurely afternoon at Llano Seco Viewing Plat- form. Bring your lawn chair, binoculars, and snacks, sit back and relax as the birds come to you. You'll learn to identify the waterfowl species that fre- quent this idyllic setting. Then at dusk the water- fowl will fly-out from the ponds to nearby fields to feed at night. As the sky fills with birds, their wing beats and calls are incredible. Meet at Llano Seco Viewing Platform at 4 p.m. Limited park- ing, limited to 20 peo- ple. To reserve your spot contact trip leader Jenni- fer Patten, jpchico@sbc- global.net, 530-345-9356 by Nov. 24. TO DO Altacal Audubon outings this month Mary Hunt Thank you! PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER. COURTESY PHOTO BY HAROLD LUCAS Mineral in autumn. READER PHOTO Today RED BLUFF Community Basic Life Support: 6-10 p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Columba Room, 888-628-1948, redbluff. mercy.org/classes_and_ events Cribbage Club: 6p.m., Cozy Diner, 259S. Main St., 527- 6402 Fun Senior Aerobics: 8-9 a.m., $1, Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. 527- 8177 Healthier Living with Chronic Conditions: 5:30-8p.m., St. Elizabeth Community Hospital, Wright Room, 888-628-1948 Homeschool Support Group: 7p.m., North Valley Baptist Church, 345David Ave. International Order of the Rainbow for Girls: 6:45 p.m., Masonic Hall 822Main St. 527-6715 PAL Kickboxing: 6p.m., 1450Schwab St., 529-8716 or 200-3950 Penny Bingo: 9:30a.m., Community Center, 1500S. Jackson St. Photo club: 6p.m., Com- munity Center, 1500S. Jackson St., 528-8066 Pinochle for Seniors: 12:30-3:30p.m., 1500S. Jackson St., free, 527-8177 Red Bluff Derby Girls open tryouts and practice: 6:30 p.m., Tyler Jelly building at Tehama District Fairground Red Bluff Emblem club: 7p.m., Elks Lodge, 355 Gilmore Rd. Red Bluff Rotary: noon, Elks Lodge Red Bluff Union Elemen- tary School District board meeting: 5:30p.m., 1755 Airport Blvd. Take Off Pounds Sensibly TOPS: 10a.m., First United Methodist Church, 525 David Ave., 824-0556or 529-1414 Tehama 4-H: 7p.m., First Baptist Church , Pine St., 527-3101 Tehama County Board of Supervisors: 10a.m., 727 Oak St. Tehama County Fish and Game Commission: 8a.m., Conference E, courthouse annex, 527-2095 Tehama County Ge- nealogical and Historical Society: 6:30p.m., library, 529-6650 Tehama County Tea Party Patriots: 6p.m., Grange Hall, 20794Walnut St. Tehama County Young Marines Parent Meeting: 5:30-7p.m., 332Pine St., 366-0813 Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1932: 1p.m. Veterans Building, Oak Street Westside 4-H: 7p.m., Reeds Creek School gym, 527-3101 WWE self defense train- ing for women: 5:30-7 p.m., 1005Vista Way, Ste. C CORNING City Council: 7:30p.m., City Hall, 794Third St. Soccer training: 4-6p.m., Woodson School Soccer Field, 150N Toomes, 824- 7680 Women's Support Group: 6p.m., Family Resource Center, 175Solano St., 824- 7670 GERBER El Camino 4-H: 7p.m., Gerber School Cafeteria, 527-3101 El Camino Irrigation District: 6p.m., 8451State Route 99W, 385-1559 LOS MOLINOS Los Molinos Women's Club meeting: 1p.m., Vet- eran's Hall, 7900Sherwood Blvd. School Readiness Play Group: 10-11:30a.m., up to 5years, free, First Steps Family Resource Center, 7700Stanford Ave., 384- 7833 MANTON Manton 4-H: 7p.m., Man- ton Grange, 527-3101 COTTONWOOD Evergreen School Board: 5 p.m., 19500Learning Way. 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