ldentity theft

Monday, November 22, 2010

Does FACTA Mean I Am Required To Shred My Documents?

By Kathy Perkins
No matter how careful you are with your personal information, it is necessary from time to time to give this information to other various entities: schools, doctors, banks, etc. Do you ever wonder what happens to that information after you give it away? You may be pleased to know that law, specifically the Fair and Accurate Credit and Transaction Act (FACTA) requires the secure destruction of this information.

FACTA applies to every person and business in the United States, and is the closest thing we have to a national document destruction law. FACTA mandates that consumer information must be destroyed before it is disposed of. No particular means of destruction is specified, but the law states that reasonable measures must be taken to prevent unauthorized access to the information. According to FACTA, these reasonable measures include "burning, pulverizing, or shredding of papers containing consumer information" as well as being in "a contract with another party engaged in the business of record destruction to dispose of material, specifically identified as consumer information, in a manner consistent with this rule."

Handling private consumer information is not something to consider lightly. FACTA imposes hefty penalties for violators, including civil and class action lawsuits on both federal and state levels. A violation could potentially cost a company millions of dollars in fines. In a recent example here in Georgia, a company moved out of a building and left behind many documents containing the personal information of others. The property manager discovered these documents and had them shredded. The company is in the process of being investigated and will most likely be fined.

FACTA gives consumers the right to have their personal information protected, and the law places the federal liability and responsibility for this task on businesses. To remain FACTA compliant and avoid fines, lawsuits, and bad publicity, businesses should take precautions to have private information securely destroyed in-house or by a reputable document destruction company.

Cause Of Identity Theft

By Alice Shown
Identity theft is a major problem, affecting over 9 million people in the United States every year, causing financial hardship, stress and possibly interfering with an individual's ability to buy a vehicle or a house. In some industries, such as financial services, brokerage and other fields, there are credit rating requirements to qualify for a job or secure a professional license. Individuals working in these fields can have their careers placed in jeopardy if their identities are stolen.

Identity theft begins when the thief steals the social security number, credit card numbers and other personal information from the victim of identity theft. This information can then be used for a wide range of fraudulent purposes, such as opening credit card accounts, renting apartments and purchasing big ticket items, such as expensive electronics, cars, vacations and more.

There are many ways thieves can get access to this sensitive personal information. These methods range from low to high tech. Some identity thieves get the information the old fashioned way by stealing it. This can be done by purse snatching or stealing your mail. Consider what is sitting in the mailbox, such as credit card statements, personal checks, pre-approved credit card applications and other financial information, all just waiting to be taken.

Another old fashioned, low tech way of getting an individual's personal financial information is stealing it from the garbage. Bank statements, bills, credit card statements, old tax records and other financial documents are often thrown in the garbage without being shredded first. This provides a prime opportunity for a thief to score big, right out of the garbage can.

Sometimes once a thief has stolen your information, either from your mail or your purse or wallet, they will have future billing information sent to a new address. This is often done simply by filling out the change of address area that appears on credit card statements and sending it in to the company. Once this is done, future statements are sent to another address or post office box.

In addition to these low tech methods, identity thieves have been getting increasingly high tech in recent years. The internet has opened new opportunities to steal credit card information. One common way this is done is known as phishing The thief sends emails pretending to be from PayPal or your bank. These urgent messages suggest that you may be the victim of theft and request that you immediately change your password by clicking on the link in the email.

Once you click on the link, you will see a page that looks very similar, or nearly identical to your financial institution page. Only when you enter your new information, the thief has all he needs to steal your identity. Many people are unaware of this for months and in that time, significant damage can be done to your credit rating.

Another way thieves acquire credit card information is a process known as skimming Small storage devices can be used to steal your information in restaurants, stores and fast food restaurants. This process involves an unscrupulous employee using a small, handheld device to swipe your credit card before processing your sale at the store or restaurant. The device captures the information from your card, which can then be used by the thief. Employees often sell this information to thieves for a price.

Identity Theft: Reduce Your Exposure

By Mark A Priganc
I am always amused to hear advertisements saying they prevent identity theft. I am amused because that is a myth!

I'm here to educate you as to why identity theft cannot be prevented. The straight forward no punch pulling truth is that your personally identifying information is already out there in the public domain. It isn't a matter of how careful you are with your information. It is a matter of how careless the people that hold your information are.

Look at it like this... How many times have you heard or read news stories about laptops being stolen? I would guess to say about every other day. Those stolen laptops contain personally identifying information (probably yours). Sometimes the thief of the laptop is simply someone wanting to score a new computer, other times it is a well thought out plan, aimed at getting to the information stored on the hard drive or the digital media that is kept with the computer.

In the summer of 2007 the state of Ohio experienced an information security breech when a digital media device was stolen out of a college intern's car. Don't blame the intern! He was interning for the state, and their policy of protecting sensitive data was to send this digital media device home with a different person every night and one person over the weekend. Sadly, this device contained the Personally Identifying Information on more than... 10 million Ohioans. This is one example, of thousands, where holders of your information are careless in safeguarding your Identity.

Let's look at two (2) simple yet highly effective measures you can take to reduce your exposure, and the damage an Identity Thief can do.

1. Check your credit reports. There are three major reporting agencies, and you are entitled to one FREE report from each agency every 12 months. So, start with Experian four months later you will get your Equifax report, and four months after that you pull your Transunion report. And, four months later you are back to the beginning with the Experian report. Maintain this rotation, well, forever. You can get your free reports at the one official site: annualcreditreport.com Dispute any unfamiliar items on your report, including unknown addresses. Always dispute items in writing, not online. This will create a paper trail toward showing you may be a victim of Identity Theft.

2. Opt-Out. Get your name off of the direct mail lists. This may take a few months for your name to drop out of all of the lists. Place your phone numbers on the do not call list. Carefully read the privacy policy that you receive every year from your credit card companies, banks, insurance providers, and anyone else that you may have an account with. Make sure you tell the company that you do not want to be included in their 'partner' marketing campaigns. Visit these sites to opt-out:www.dmachoice.org (mailing lists), a $1.00 fee applies and this will be effective for five years, and donotcall.gov (phones).

Bonus Tip: Ask Why and What! Ask that company why they need your Personally Identifying Information. Ask what they intend to do with your information. You can really put them on edge by asking what protective measures they have in place to safeguard your valuable information.

These are simple tips that can reduce your exposure and help to mitigate the damage a thief can and will do in your good name. Always use your common sense while dealing with your Personally Identifying Information.

Easily Protect Your Identity Online

By Aaron Gillespie
10 MILLION Americans have fallen victim to identity crimes. With a new victim every (3 secs) that number is on the rise. We are in the age of information. Which means everyday you are putting yourself at risk when your online, going out shopping, using ATM's, using your credit/debit cards to eat out or at any public place that handles your information.

If you sit back and wait for it to happen to you there is a good chance it will. Here are some facts on identity victims.

IT'S A FACT:

1. Theft victims spend up to 5,840 hours trying to repair the damage done by identity theft

2.Identity restoration costs exceed $15,000 in 40% of the cases

3.Victims lose an average of 22 days in lost wages

4.The average amount of fraud per victim is over $6,000

What can you do to protect yourself that's easy on you and your wallet?

Purchase an identity theft protection plan from a reputable company

Find a company that goes to work for you right away and offers the following:

1.Identity Monitoring: They should monitor public and private databases and data points, keeping an eye for any suspicious changes to a customer's personal information profile.

2.Identity Restoration Services: They should get the best recovery experts on your side. They should have a proven record or already assisting thousands of victims of identity crime and have ( 00%) success in restoring identities of those individuals that have been compromised.

3.Identify Theft Insurance: They should insure you against lost wages and other costs associated with recovering from identity theft.

4.Identity Report: They should have reports detailing the positive and negative drivers of the identity score and all activity associated with user's identity.

5.Identity Score: See what your current identity theft risk is with an absolute value

6.Anti-Virus Software: Your plan should come with free anti - virus that will protect you against computer- based threats such as adware, worms, keystroke loggers and trojans.

There are companies that offer access to countless attorneys in all 50 states, free services provided by attorneys, common services at deeply discounted fixed rates, contingency discounts and low hourly rates for all other legal matters.

If a crime does happen to you, they should have experts to guide you through to quickly and easily repair any damage and provide software that allows you to maintain control of your accounts, organize and track account information, draft letters and forms required to reclaim your identity and create reports to file with law enforcement.

ID Theft insurance will most likely cover you up to $25,000 in reimbursements for lost wages, attorney fees, and other charges due to the theft.

Chances are you are paying a fee on every credit card you have for some type of low theft protection. Those cost alone can add $20-30 a month on credit card payments. That still does not cover you on anything else.

For a low cost every month you can get everything that these credit card services offer. Have the fees removed from your credit cards and place your credit cards under the protection of one company with one price.

Not only will you be getting the best protection out there but now your saving money!!! Don't put this off any longer. Start getting protected today.

Avoid Identity Theft When Shopping Online

By Mateo Martins
One of the drawbacks of online shopping is identity theft. Sadly, many have already become victims of identity theft, where their information or worst credit card or debit card is being used for other people's malicious benefits. The most frequent cases of identity theft can be found online, as many no-good hackers are able to find ways to be able to get your private information and use it for their benefit. The best way to avoid this from happening is prevention and knowing the safe ways to transact online.

When shopping online, it's better to shop on reputable websites or big-name websites to avoid having issues with identity theft. Websites like Amazon, eBay or any other big-name shopping sites are safer since these websites make sure that they have all the security measures on their website to prevent identity theft. Part of the reason why they became the big shots in online shopping is because of the security that they assure their customers.

You can also make use of websites like PayPal when shopping online; that way, you don't have to directly give information about your credit or debit card to the merchant and only trust PayPal for such valuable information. Many merchants online accept PayPal; if not, you can always ask them about other options instead of issuing sensitive financial information.

It also helps to check if you are transacting in a secured site with 128 SSL type of security connection. The protocols used in such websites are harder to hack than that of regular websites, which means that they are safer to transact with. It's also best to always do a research on the merchant first before giving out important information. Again, prevention and avoidance is always the best weapon in battling identity the

Choosing a Bail Bond Company

By Austin Marsh
The term jail is a nightmare for any of us. For enjoying a tension-free life, it is important for us to stay away from prison and concentrate on the core purpose of our lives. Whether you are helping yourself or trying to help a friend to get out of the jail, you will need to deal with legal professionals. Primarily, you need to understand the complete bail process and know about the huge amount of money that is involved into the process. Most people face the dilemma as they do not have such a hefty amount to pay to legal authorities. Therefore, bail bond is a serious affair and you need to understand it completely well.

In such situations, you need to find a reliable bail bond company that can really help you to fight with the complexity of life. You can make the selection by thinking properly about a strong reputation in the market. Do not go for companies that just mess with people and they trap clients in order to make money. You can ask your friends and colleagues to give you suggestions and recommendations based on their own personal experiences. You can enquire from the local Yellow Pages or bureau of bail bond companies in your neighborhood. By doing so, you will end up securing the bets professionals who can help you to get an early release in the shortest possible time period.

Choose the best service provider that can meet your needs easily and get you only the finest guidance to seek early release from the priso

Identity Theft: Trick and Treat

By Kathy Perkins
Fall has definitely hit us in the Atlanta area. When we think of autumn, it brings to mind leaves, magnificent colors and cool crisp air. For children, their thoughts center on Halloween and fall festivals with lots and lots of candy. For adults thinking about this season, an analogy could be made between Halloween's "trick or treat" and identity theft.

Halloween is a time where people dress up to pretend to be someone else for a time in order to gain a treat. This is what happens in identity theft. A person takes another person's secure information, whether it be an address off a magazine, a check from a mail box, social security number or credit card number. The thief then pretends to be that person as they obtain a benefit - a financial gain, avoiding criminal charges or obtaining a service.

The Trick

Tricks can take many different forms. Mail taken from a mail box, a stolen check from a business or personal account, dumpster divers looking for shredded material. Thefts are big from information taken from a car or lap top. Thieves in home burglaries are looking for identity information that they can sell. It's easier to remove this information from the home than a large screen TV. Scams are another way of tricking the person into giving out their personal information. The person poses as someone from a charitable organization and then takes your personal information. An insider theft from a trusted person also is a trick, using that trust you have in them for their own gain. There are also people who rebuild hard drives - unshredding, if you will, for the computer.

The Treat

For them - a monetary gain, utility services they don't have to pay for, avoiding criminal punishment, government benefits or drugs. For you - loss of time clearing up your name and credit, toll on your emotional health not to mention the financial loss you might suffer. It is not unusual for an identity theft to occur and the victim not to be aware of it for a year or so. The average out of pocket loss is around $6,000.

Enjoy the fall time of year. Remember to wear a defensive costume - protect yourself and your information. If you do become a victim of identity theft, be sure to report it to the credit bureaus, put a fraud alert on your credit, close accounts that are affected and report the crime to the police.

TrustedID Review: What Services Are Offered to Protect Your Identity?

By Philip Richards
Trusted ID offers a number of products and services to help their customers protect themselves against identity theft. They specialize in monitoring a person's credit, while at the same time taking additional steps to protect their identity.

The first service they offer is ID Essentials, which includes basic credit monitoring, access to your credit report, and even a score that gives you an idea of a possible identity threat. The ID essentials also offers extra services such as monitoring a customer's medical benefits or informing you of internet scams and dangerous websites to avoid. The plan is backed by a million dollar warranty plan, and customer service is available by phone if you ever need any help or have any questions. The ID Essentials Family and Individual plans are offered through a 2 week trial membership, with rates ranging from $125.00 to $240.00 a year charged after the first 2 weeks.

Another service offered by TrustedID.com is called Credit Lock. This service adds extra protection to your ID Essentials plan. This service simply blocks your credit report from being released to anyone without your permission first. They use all 3 reporting agencies-Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. You can control your credit lock by speaking with a customer service representative from TrustedID.com, releasing credit reports to third parties upon request. Adding this service to your TrustedID.com account costs the same as the ID Essentials service, and comes in discounted family or individual plans with 2 week trial memberships available.

TrustedID.com also offers "data breach services" to protect employees at different companies or organizations from identity theft. Recently, there has been a huge increase in the number of identity theft victims that have lost millions of dollars when there is a data breach within the company. Using a service called ID Safe, TrustedID.com insures that theft during a breach will be minimal, greatly reducing the devastating costs that occur during a breach. You can request a quote for this service by visiting the website online.

One very cool service that is offered by TrustedID.com is id theft protection as an employee benefit at a company. Since the consequences of your employees falling victim to id theft can mean hundreds of hours of work to remedy the problem, it his highly recommended that companies offer these benefits to employees. In addition to helping prevent disastrous id theft at the office, offering this benefit to employees will help improve their overall satisfaction with the company they work for. You can visit their website to request a personalized quote for this service.

One of the greatest features of the services offered at Trusted ID.com is their family plan offers. Family members will receive tremendous discounts when they are all signed up together on one plan, and TrustedID.com offers the first complete plan to protect families with id theft protection. TrustedID.com is continuously researching the latest methods of id theft, creating new ways to stay ahead of the criminals who seek to steal personal identities.

Stolen Identity

By Terry Phong
There is a random police checkpoint up ahead in the road. You think to yourself, "that's kind of inconvenient, I wonder what's going on?" A police officer walks up to your window and asks for your identification to which you oblige. The officer goes back to his squad car punches in your ID. Moments later you are asked to step out of your vehicle and to place your hands behind your head, the officer announces, "you are under arrest!" You are in utter shock and disbelief; you ask yourself "what in the world has just happened?" Believe or not, you have just become another victim of identity theft. It is no longer a question of, if it will happen to you but more like when it will happen to you. Identification theft is now considered an epidemic according to ABC Local News Broadcast; it is the fastest growing white-collar crime in America. We must learn how to avoid being the next victim by deterring, detecting, and defending our identities.

There are several types of ID theft. The story above represents driver's license theft or also known as criminal identity theft. This occurs when a thief gets hold of your driver's license or identification and commits various driving violations under your name. The police stop you and you have no idea that there's a warrant out for your arrest. Can you imagine getting pulled into the police station and actually being interrogated with crimes you did not commit? Most individuals would not only find it shocking but traumatizing as well to have to go through such an ordeal. These days it's quite common for criminals to commit crimes under a fake name. Whenever they get busted they already hold your fake identification in position so the criminal offense will go under your name. You should never let your driver's license be out of view or your ownership. Always be extra cautious with safeguarding your driver's license or ID card.

Credit card fraud is the most common of all identity theft. Instances of these crimes also involve children. One story I read involved a young ten-year-old girl. The culprit, who had assumed the young lady's identity, in six year's time, had her credit report full of credit cards and even a mortgage to a home! Due to the fact the young lady did not discover that her credit score had been damaged until much later, she was required to waste many years attempting to correct the damages done. When you provide your credit card at an eating-place or anywhere in which the credit card is out of your view, you potentially run the risk of having your identity stolen. There are unscrupulous characters out there that will not think twice to get your charge card information and then sell it to somebody else so it can't be tracked back to him or her. When you happen to be in a scenario where your credit card will probably be out of your view, try to pay at the register yourself instead.

Perhaps the most serious of all ID theft is having your medical identity stolen. You have not seen your doctor for a while and you decide it is time to go in for a check-up. The doctor asks you, "When did you contracted AIDS?" You nearly fall off the patient's table as you are in complete shock. Somehow your medical records indicate that someone had a HIV examination under your identity and the results were positive. How about getting a call from Child Protective Services accusing you of giving birth to a drug-addicted baby? The thing is, criminals live a high-risk way of life and usually aren't getting medical attention under their own identification. Therefore these people find ways to attach onto their victim's identity and medical insurance to put their doctor visits and hospital stays onto your medical history. It is now your task to remove the false information, which could have resulted in large medical bills, higher insurance premiums or worst yet having your insurance completely canceled. The best way to protect your self from medical identity theft is to ask your insurer for yearly statements and check your explanation of benefits every time you receive one from your insurer. You can also request a copy of your own medical records from your doctor too if you suspect that you are a victim of medical ID theft.

Don't expect advances in technology to stop the fastest growing crime for both online and off any time soon, if anything technology has only aided in the efforts of today's savvy criminals. Here are some ways to deter criminals from stealing your identity. Protect your social security number and your driver's license/ID, shred important documents and have a lock on your mailbox if possible, limit the amount of personal information you give out on the internet, and look into getting some type of identity theft insurance. Learn to detect what some of the telltale signs of ID theft are, such as items on a statement you don't recognize, not receiving your bills, receiving credit cards you didn't apply for or being denied credit. After you have taken the steps to deter and detect, it's now time to defend. One way we can do that is to place fraud alerts on both credit cards and credit reports, close off all accounts that you don't use or you suspect to have been tampered with, and lastly file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission if you have fallen victim to identity theft. Although very little can promise that you will never become a victim of identity theft, you could reduce your risk, and lessen the actual damage if a situation occurs, by making it harder for ID thieves to gain access to your important personal information.

The Mailbox Vigilante - How to Prevent Mail Theft

By Jane Hercules
Upon visiting the office supply store to buy a pack of paper and meeting a couple whose identity was stolen in early 2009, this author discovered the most amazing behavior. The wife has made it her job to watch every day for the mail carrier to arrive so that she can run out to the curb and collect her mail to avoid its being stolen again. This vigilante's husband is working three jobs now to make ends meet. He is anxious for one job to be over each day so that he can have 30 minutes to grab a bite before reporting to job number two.

They have lost two homes.

They have had their bank accounts emptied. That's cash stolen from the mailbox.

Stolen mail is stolen cash. How do thieves do this to you? Did you know that when you pay a bill by check and place it in the mailbox for the mail carrier to collect you are really inviting mail thieves? How do they use this check? The actually wash it, duplicate it and use it to buy whatever they want. You may say, "Oh, I take my outgoing mail to the postal service drop box." Of course you do. That's great! But what happens to the checks your credit card company mails you? Yes, they are placed in your mailbox ready for thieves to retrieve and, you know, use for whatever they want to buy.

Suppose the Department of Motor Vehicles sends your new driver's license to you through the mail. If that is stolen, what happens then? Well, it can be used to get you in a lot of trouble! What if the thief is not a good driver? What if he is driving a stolen car? What ID will he show to the officials? What do you think?

So you apply for a new Medicare or Medicaid card. It arrives in your mailbox. What numbers are on that card? Oops! Now you could be in real trouble because the thief can do tons of damage with that Social Security Number. He can open credit card accounts in your name, purchase a vehicle titled to you or...how many other things can you imagine? Tax returns, healthcare, bank accounts and on and on comprise his agenda for your personal information that he has stolen.

"But I have a locking mailbox," you say. Great! That is a thoughtful step toward deterring mail thieves. Is that locking mailbox of yours constructed of plastic, wood, tin, aluminum or even 14 gauge steel? If so, you could easily bash it in yourself and the lock would make no difference. Is it mounted on a wall or a wood post? If it can be knocked off its post, then the box and the mail are both stolen.

Mail theft is an easy crime to commit. If convicted, thieves may get a year in jail and be out to steal again. Conviction is hard to achieve if there is no evidence found or eyewitness to the deed. Thieves know this and repeat these crimes again and again.

This vigilante couple has a traditional rural mailbox mounted on a wooden post at the curb in their suburban neighborhood.

They are still looking over their shoulders because they don't know where their personal information is now. It is still out there somewhere. The emotional strain, the wondering if the mail carrier will be on time or be a substitute mail carrier on any given day is neverending. This couple has been devastated and is fighting to survive the loss of their savings and good credit. How this author would have loved to have been able to give them a solution to mail theft in early 2009.

Identity Theft Security Made Easy

By C. Linart
Identity theft is truly the crime of our times. Ten million Americans fall victim every year. This is a real threat. It is far more likely that you will fall victim to identity theft than to any other major crime, and a stolen identity represents a major crime. Once someone has your identity, they can take you for tens of thousands of dollars and do quite a number on your life. It can take years to sort out and do major damage to, for example, your employment prospects. Potential employers will check up on potential new hires, and if they find a trail of destruction wrought by an identity thief, they have no way of knowing that the victim was a victim; they will simply pass and hire the person with the clean background.

It is a sad but very true fact of life in our world that identity theft security is something every law-abiding citizen needs to consider. Protecting your good name from thieves boils down to two main points of strategy:

1. Don't let your information out there. There is no way around giving out your information if you go to a doctor or purchase something, but never give your personal information to anyone who does not absolutely need it. Also keep your documents and identification cards on a short leash. Passports, birth certificates, and Social Security cards all belong safely stored in locked drawers, and your wallet needs to be on your person at all times.
2. Know what's going on in your name. Check your credit reports regularly. It might even be worth investing a few dollars a month in a credit monitoring or identity theft security system. You should run a full background check -- including criminal records -- on yourself every couple of years. One of the most common uses of stolen identities is by criminals who want muddy the waters of their own records.

You could think of it as playing both defense (keeping your information to yourself) and offense (actively monitoring reports made on yourself) in the battle against identity-stealing scumbags. As every football fan knows, you have to play both sides of the ball if you want to win the game.

Remote Erasing Your Cell Phone and Protecting Yourself From Identity Theft

By Lisa Carey
Sure you need to worry about "what's in your wallet" to protect yourself from identity theft and fraud but have you ever thought about "what's on your phone"? Stolen or stumbled upon cell phones and smart phones can put you at risk in many ways.

Do you have PIN numbers on your cell phone?

Have you stored important documents, or even corporate documents on a handset?

Do you have photos on your cell phone you'd rather not have a stranger see?

Could someone use any of the information on your phone to steal your identity?

Are there e-mails on your smart phone with account information from online shopping?

If you lose a cell phone, plan to donate a cell phone, want to trade in a cell phone for cash or believe your cell phone has been stolen you will want to know how to remotely wipe your phone.

Remote Erasing Help:

Android smart phones can be located or wiped using the "SMobile Anti-Theft" app for $19.95.

If you have an iPhone and Mobile Me, you can "ping" a beep and "I'm lost" message that should work even if your iPhone is on silent. You can also use Find My Phone to erase your phone completely. Look for Remote Wipe at the Apple web site for details.

BlackBerry phones can be remotely erased by using "Erase Data and Disable Handheld" IT commands. There's also a Roblock app for Blackberry for $9.95.

Palm pre owners should go to the palm web site and read more about the "Erase Device" option.

The Microsoft My Phone Windows Mobile service has options for backing up calendars, photos, contacts and texts, finding lost My Phones using GPS and also remotely wiping the memory.

Even though almost every type of phone has remote erase options consumers still need to protect their phone like their wallet and be aware that:

Your phone could have accessed before you erased it.

Your phone may be in an area with no signal or the battery could be dead that will eliminate some remote wipe options.

If your cell phone has been lost or stolen, be sure to check all statements carefully and check your credit report regularly to be sure that you're not a victim of identity theft.

An Introduction to Identity Theft

By Richard Armen
When a thief breaks into your home, they're probably after your jewelry, cash, guns, and electronics, right? While these categories of items are certainly targeted by most burglars, there is another category of items you may not even have thought of: personal documents. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in burglars stealing personal documents, which are then sold on the black market to identity thieves. They may also obtain this information by going through your trash, hacking into your computer, or stealing it from a bank or other institution. These thieves locate your information via any number of resources.

With the rise of the internet has come a growing number of identity theft cases. By some estimates, up to ten million American fall victim to ID theft each year. So what exactly does identity theft mean? Simply speaking, identity theft occurs when someone, without your knowledge, gains access to your personal information and uses it to commit fraud. For example, they might use your name, birth date, and Social Security number to sign up for credit cards, obtain medical care, or even buy a house.

What Do Identity Thieves Steal?

The name "identity theft" is a little misleading, since these thieves aren't pretending to be their victims 24/7. For the most part, these thieves use a name, date of birth, social security number, address, or credit card numbers to make purchases in your name. The thief gets a bunch of free stuff and your credit rating suffers immensely. Victims of this type of crime often don't know that they're victims until it's too late. In fact, there have been thousands of cases in which victims of identity theft didn't know they had been targeted until being turned down when applying for a loan of their own.

How does the theft work?

There are many different kinds of identity theft. As mentioned above, the thief may get your personal information from almost anywhere. A surprising amount of personal data is contained in job applications, discarded bills, and other paperwork you may leave around the house without a second thought. Once the thief has your data, your existing credit card or bank accounts may be taken over, or new accounts and loans opened in your name?

How can you protect yourself?

While you can't prevent a thief from stealing information from a bank or other organization - once you send these companies your personal information, there's virtually no way for you to know who has access to it - there are a few things you can do to reduce the possibility of becoming an identity theft victim.

* Do not give out your social security number unless you trust the company requesting it
* Shred (rather than just throwing away) any document with sensitive information on it
* Keep your credit card in a safe place in your wallet. Do not write the PIN number on the card or keep the PIN number with the card, and do not tell anyone the number.
* Use cash if you don't feel comfortable handing over your credit card
* Scrutinize bank account statements for anything amiss
* Check your credit score at least once per year

The Basics of Identity Theft - What You Ought to Know

By Gus Welde
According to the Federal Trade Commission, identity theft is defined as the utilization of private information, including your name or bank account data, in order to commit fraud or a different sort of crime.

Thieves can steal your identity in a wide variety of ways. Whenever you convey bank or other sensitive details to a merchant's internet site using an unsecured Internet connection, identity thieves can also readily access it. Many don't realize that identity theft need not involve technology. Your identity can be robbed very easily by criminals sifting through your garbage, the garbage of a store or other organization or a public waste site.

Similarly, an identity thief can get in touch with you posing as a financial institution worker or a landlord and convince you to provide sensitive information including your Social Security Number. An identity thief also can buy your personal information that you supply on financial applications or other paperwork from shop clerks and others who have a genuine purpose to know it.

Additionally, you could be surprised to discover that social networking web sites -- where members regularly display personal data such as their name and address -- are also fishing grounds for identity thieves.

Getting your identity stolen can have extensive implications. It can take years to clear up your credit report after your personal data has been wrongfully used. Moreover identity theft can have a detrimental effect on more than your finances. Investing hours on the telephone with a variety of persons and being required to describe your predicament to every single new representative you communicate with can be very stressful, taking a psychological toll on you. Even after you have dealt with the situation, you will have to speak about the situation every time you are applying for a financial loan or a new job, both of which often will need background checks to be carried out.

Companies that monitor your credit report may not detect illegal use of your social security number. Nor will they necessarily detect unauthorized real estate and utilities transactions, fraudulent use of health insurance or other criminal activity. Given that only roughly fifteen percent of identity theft is related to credit, it is very important to also defend yourself from non-credit-related types of fraud. And given that clearing up your credit record following identity theft is usually a complicated and prolonged undertaking, requiring preemptive actions to prevent identity thieves is a valuable investment.

Identity protection services continuously monitor and analyze a range of data as a way to recognize suspicious actions and catch fraud before it happens. They accomplish this by establishing a database containing information such as your name, contact data, social security number, loan and credit information. Complicated algorithms operate to detect fraud, identifying your chance of becoming the victim of fraudulent activity and informing you of any suspicious activities.

Extra services make it possible for the service to inform you any time an organization or institution having your personal information on file has encountered a security breach in order that you can take appropriate actions immediately. In addition, these kinds of services recommend measures you can consider to resolve a potential problem.

Who Do You Need to Protect From Identity Theft?

By Jacob Warnock
You may think that you're the only person you need to protect from identity theft, but the fact of the matter is that there are others out there that need protecting too. How do you make sure you're not overlooking who you should be protecting and the steps you should be taking? Here are some things to keep in mind.

When it comes to theft of identities, it's everyone's problem. It's a crime that costs all of us. When merchants have to bear the brunt of the related costs, prices go up and we all end up paying. So is it the whole world you need to protect from identity theft? Isn't that too much responsibility?

Technically you can't protect the world from identity theft, but you can do your part to help yourself and other people. You can do this by building your own knowledge and help spread the information and warnings regarding the increasing cases of stolen identities. By increasing people's awareness, you help protect them and at the same time, assist in curbing this criminal activity.

If you notice someone flashing their social security number, or you see someone leaving their credit card behind at a store, look out for them. Tap them on the shoulder and let them know immediately, they will appreciate it. Discreetly tell the person giving their social security number out loud that they'd be better off writing it down and then shredding the paper. Many people are not so much careless, as unaware of the dangers of their actions.

Just remember, strangers aren't the only ones you should protect from identity theft. You can take it a step further by protecting your children and elderly family members as well. You may think children aren't at a risk of having their identity stolen, but they actually are more vulnerable and their identities are prized by identity thieves. Enrolling children and elderly family members in credit protection services can be one of the best gifts you could ever give them to save them from any future probably problems.

Identity theft is everyone's problem. Sometimes, it takes more than just caring for our own selves for whatever happens to our loved ones and other people around us, when they fall victim into the hands of identity thieves, we can get affected as well. Let's make sure we all do our parts in protecting ours elves and those around us from such criminal activity.

Online Identity Theft

By Alice Shown
Online identity theft causes concern to many people and makes some hesitate to utilize online banking, shop online or conduct other financial transactions online. Although identity theft does happen online and needs to be monitored, according to the FTC and research conducted by Javelin Strategy and Research, identity theft occurs by traditional offline methods, rather than internet activities.

Still, according to those statistics, ten percent of identity thefts originate online. For this reason, it is important to understand online identity theft in order to preventing the problem from happening, without having to give up all online financial activity.

In order to protect your identity, you need to protect your personal information both online and offline. There are certain things that must be protected, such as account numbers, passwords, pins and your social security number. This information is most often stolen offline, but can then be used online to commit. In other cases, thieves get the information online.

There are certain techniques used by identity thieves to acquire personal information online. This provides the opportunity for a thief to get far more personal information than could be acquired by stealing documents from homes, mailboxes or garbage cans. Learning how they get the information can help you prevent having your identity stolen.

One way that this is done is through a process called phishing. This involves sending spoof emails to individuals impersonating a financial institution, PayPal or an online merchant. The email takes several forms, but generally requests the individual to change their password online after clicking a link in the email. When you click the link, you are taken to a spoof site that appears legitimate, but belongs to the thief. When you enter your information, they have it and can use it against you.

A less common method, but one that still happens frequently enough for concern, is to set up a fraudulent online store. The thief poses as a merchant and has a working website that may appear legitimate. The information you put into the computer when you place an order, such as personal information and credit card numbers can be used without your knowledge. The best way to prevent this problem is by avoiding sites that you don't know or that aren't secure.

Get Life Lock In Dealing With Identity Theft

By Stefan Royal V Liitle
Before, people only had computer units to aid in typing word documents, organizing charts and handling files. If there was such a thing as using the computer in association with a hobby, it may because of the computer games that are installed in it. Past times then consisted of going around the neighborhood and playing with other kids, reading books, watching VHS tapes or strolling around malls and parks. And then all of a sudden, internet became very much available to the public, thus people of all ages treated computers or laptops as a necessity, and they could stay glued in front of it all day long, as that can be their idea of leisure. This sudden surge of expansion in the online community is quite unstoppable, what with the thousands of information you can look up in the internet. As such, people have also become too dependent on online transactions that there are more risks now compared before, and Life lock would strive to steer you away from those unfortunate incidents.

What is being referred to here? Well, it is the pressing issue that is referred to as identity theft. This term originated way back in 1964 and as such should have been replacement or fraud because technically speaking it is not possible to steal another person's identity. However, in hypothetical terms it can still be considered as such. Moving on, it is when a person purposefully assumes an identity by way of hacking passwords and other security measures protection possessions in order to access to the victim's resources, whether it cash or material form. In more criminally inclined grounds, the using of someone else's identity to conceal one's true own could be for the purpose of committing something illegal, thus putting the blame to the victim if caught. To sum up all these thoughts, it is that serious and should be dealt with accordingly.

Thus with Life lock, you are ensured that prevention - if you have not gone through such - or restoration - if you have been a victim - is ensured. While other companies are not really all out with their support, thus making you do all the efforts, in here with their comprehensive packages, you are given priority and they only need your assistance, not the other way around. According to research, victims do not usually know why their accounts were hacked, and that makes it all the more complicated and hard to track by the victims themselves. A thief could search for information anywhere, like stealing credit cards, using public records or even to the point of rummaging in trash bins. That's how determined those criminals can get, thus starting now you need to be very careful and vigilant, and if by all means, secure your accounts with the help of professionals.

If you have been unfortunate enough to be a victim of such theft, it is understandable that you have experienced a great loss not only financially but psychologically as well, considering that your perception on justice and safety has been displaced and shattered.

Life lock fully understands this, so they move to take a swift course of action by securing first the basics, and that is implementing the restoration phase. They will help you rebuild what you have lost in the best and most reasonable way they can, just to bring back what could be salvaged from the incident. By shouldering the major work, you only have to concern yourself about moving forward and recovering your drive to pursue with life while they do the important job they guaranteed you with.

What Thieves Do With Your Identity

By Alice Shown
Identity theft occurs when someone steals the social security number, credit card numbers, bank statements or other sensitive financial documents and uses the information to commit fraud. Thieves can either run up your existing credit cards or open new accounts in your name, causing extensive damage to your credit score.

Identity thieves have a wide variety of methods for getting people's personal financial information. This can be done by stealing documents from the mail or garbage, stealing the individual's purse or wallet. It can also be done through the use of fraudulent emails, known as phishing or by swiping the card into a small storage device that records the credit card account information for future use.

Once they get the information, what thief do with your identity? There are many things the identity thief can do with your personal information. The simplest is to make purchases with your credit cards and leave you stuck with enormous bills. Only when you get your credit card statement in the mail will you learn the full extent of the damage to your credit rating.

Thieves often change the billing address on your credit card statements by stealing the statement and completing the change of address portion on the back of the statement. They request the change of address, so you don't get your bills in the mail. This buys the thief more time to run up your cards before you notice the damage.

Identity thieves also open new accounts using your social security number and personal information. If they are able to steal a preapproved credit offer from the mail, your purse, car or home, this job is even easier. The new card is sent to another address and the victim often has no idea that the theft has occurred until they are turned down for a car loan or mortgage.

Credit cards are only part of what can be done with personal information, once it is stolen. The identity thief can open a new telephone account, purchase a cell phone plan, electric service, satellite or cable television or other services and products, using your social security number and personal information.

Thieves can open new bank accounts, as well as new credit card accounts. They can also send for new checks with your name and account number and forge the checks to steal money from your account. The same can be done electronically, using your ATM card or cloning your card with a special electronic reader and storage device.

Victims of identity theft have even had the person take out loans in their name. This can be done with vehicle loans and personal loans. Again, since the thief has changed the address, you may have no way of knowing you are a victim until you check your credit report or bill collectors track you down and begin demanding payment for the items purchased with stolen cards.

Identity Theft Prevention, When Your Identity Is Stolen, How Did You Feel? What Do You Do Now?

By Clyde Whyte
I tell you this because I never thought that I could be a victim and you don't think that you can be a victim either. Do You!

Now, I know that my identity was stolen in a manner that we refer to as the old fashion way of stealing, but today the risk of becoming an identity theft victim has been escalated to new heights.

So ask yourself, what identity theft prevention measures are you taking?

• Have you found a good id theft protection company for you and your family?

• Did you buy a shredder to shred all mail and old credit cards?

• Are you updating you anti- virus on your computer regularly?

• Who knows your personal information and the information of your loved ones?

• When at work do you make sure your purse, handbag, brief case and wallet is in a secured place.

• How many people or employees have access to your check books and credit cards?

Today the majority of identity theft cases are committed by individuals that the victim knew.

Let's all wake up and realize that this epidemic is for real. So what's your next move to get identity theft protection? Will you be like a lot of people that believe because they have identity theft protection through their bank, they are Safe?

This kind of protection works but only in a limited capacity. What about protecting your name and your good character? Your medical information? Your Drivers License number and Social Security information? Don't be the next victim!

To avoid identity theft you must find a company that has been in the industry for many years. They will have proven systems in place to help you to not only protect your identity but also systems that will restore your credit and good name.

Imagine the disruption to your life if you became an identity theft victim. Loss of time from work, loss of income and savings and destroyed credit and good name, and all the things that you have taken a lifetime to build destroyed overnight.

There is a company with all the systems in place to eliminate all the aggravations and stress that comes from being a victim of this horrendous crime. Many years ago this company was only used by large corporations and countries. The owner is an ex CIA agent with over 38 years in risk management, because of their expertise they were called upon by the Kuwait government to go after Sadam Hussein's assets, they also played a huge part in the Enron trial. Due to the growing epidemic that we are faced with today this company now provides services to individuals and families. Even more importantly this company provides peace of mind for you and your loved ones. Protect you and your family now before it's too late! Don't procrastinate and live in regret. visit: PerpetrateNoMore.com

Identity theft is the most despicable crime in our world today. These criminals have no regard for age, sex or color. Not enough emphasis is put on informing the public so that's why I will continue to write articles to inform the public that identity theft is alive and growing out of control. Please realize how serious this epidemic is and get Protected Today!

Criminal Defense Attorney Files: How To Defend Yourself From Identity Theft

By Ryan Forster
Identity theft is a form of fraud or cheating of some other person's identification in which another person pretends to be somebody else by assuming that person's identity, usually to be able to access resources or obtain credit as well as other benefits in that person's name. The actual victim of identity theft (here meaning the person whose identification has been assumed by the identity thief) can experience adverse consequences if she or he is held accountable for the perpetrator's acts. Organizations and individuals who are duped or defrauded by the identification crook can also experience negative consequences and deficits, and to that degree are victims.

The majority of us understand the dangers but how to pull off stopping identification theft is yet another matter. Sure we can sign up with among the credit monitoring organizations which have sprung up over the previous few years but what do they really do for their monthly fee and are we required to simply pay it for the rest of our lives? Besides, just about all credit monitoring does is warn you when somebody is attempting to open a new credit line in your name. They cannot do a thing about the criminal who is online emptying the savings account you spent your life trying to fill.

For example, identity fraud may occur when someone steals private information, opens credit card accounts using your name without authorization, and charges products to those accounts. Conversely, identity fraud doesn't happen when a charge card is simply stolen. Stealing one's credit card may be consumer fraud, but isn't identity fraudulence. Identity fraud is really a federal crime in the United States. According to the FTC, identification scam is the most popular form of customer sham. Don't fall victim to identification sham - learn how crooks steal identities, steps you can take to lessen your own risk, plus the features Identity Restoration (IDR) coverage offer through a lot of Insurance providers.

Identity theft can enter numerous parts of our lives. It calls for any instance where a person uses another person's identification documents or other identifiers to be able to impersonate that individual for whatever reason. Based on a study, an estimated ten million individuals in America discovered they were victims of identity theft in the previous year. More appropriately titled identity scam, your own identity might be stolen for somebody to commit the following: monetary fraud, criminal activities, Computer as well as cyber crimes, organized crime, drug trafficking, alien smuggling as well as money laundering.

If you believe that someone is using your own identity illegally, report the crime to a police agency. It's not always possible for agencies to research every case, but making an official "identity theft report" can enable you to resolve problems caused by the ID fraud. The "identity theft report" has to be a document that subjects the individual filing it to criminal charges for providing fake information. This is supposed to dissuade people from filing phony reports to try and avoid paying legitimate debts, not to keep genuine ID theft victims from reporting the crimes.