id theft fraud prevention

August 30, 2009

August 29, 2009

Does Credit card machines collect my personal info?

CK 604 asked:


My friends store, got broke in to and his credit card machine/Debit machine got rip out of his counter, I used his machine couple times that week,I am afraid of ID theft, Could they get my card info from the machine, I am worry. Please help.

Bill

Even the Founder of Lifelock Isn’t Immune to Id Theft

Eric J. Nisall asked:


Back in March, I wrote a post in my blog regarding the increase in identity theft occurrences, questioning the need to pay firms to act as watchdogs when it can be done on your own at little out-of-pocket cost.  Well, it appears that you may be better off taking matters into your own hands after the founder of LifeLock has seen his own personal information compromised on numerous occasions.

You know the guy, Todd Davis, who in those television commercials gives out his own personal social security number in an attempt to convince you that his company can protect your information for a fee.  Well, as it turns out, he was wrong.  In an article posted by USA Today, lawsuits are mounting as details emerge regarding Mr. Davis’ own problems with identity theft. 

Without reiterating the entire article and the facts surrounding the issue, I will simply point out that Mr. Davis claims that there are no indications on any of his credit bureau reports of identity theft.  However, that point is misleading simply because as anyone knows, new information is not reported to the bureaus, or even posted immediately.  It may also be a case of a criminal simply not choosing to attempt to steal Mr. Davis identity at this particular point in time.  They may very well be laying in wait for a more opportune time to do so.  In either event, simply having his information compromised is the point that I stress.  Regardless of whether or not fraud is actually committed, the fact still remains that a paying customer can have their personal, confidential information hijacked.

 Now, can the same thing happen without paying a fee to a monitoring service?  Absolutely!  But, why would you spend even the $10 monthly fee if the result is the same as if you had been monitoring your own credit?  Simply put, if you take the information from the guide I wrote about back in March, and visit some of the links to consumer groups I have posted on my main business site for GreenBridge Advisors you can put yourself at a decided advantage over potential identity theives.



Randall

August 27, 2009

August 26, 2009

Why is dumpster diving illegal (in the USA), when our consumerism wastes so much good stuff?

Am asked:


Ok besides the @ssholes who go into it for information gathering to rip off people (like ID theft), the other side of dumpster diving is for free stuff even eatable food. I will admit that a lot of people throw away working computers by sitting them beside the trash been so it only makes sense that someone re-uses them instead of sending the toxic materials to go in a junk yard.

Lawrence

August 25, 2009

Id Theft, What Is This And How Do I Protect Myself?

Nocita Carter asked:


Identity Theft is when someone uses another person’s social security number, driver license, name, address, telephone number and any other information about that particular person as their own. The unauthorized person that obtains this information without the other person’s knowledge uses this information to commit theft and fraud.

How does a person committing ID theft get my information? By going through your trash, hacking into a computer that you may use, securing a copy of your credit report, stealing credit card and debit card numbers that you may have, stealing your mail,completing a change of address form to reroute your mail to a different address, stealing your purse or wallet, and scamming information from you by posing as a business person.

How would I know if I am a victim of ID theft? If you receive credit card statements for accounts you did not apply for, you do not receive your mail, your credit is being denied and you do not know why, counterfeit checks are used to withdraw money from your bank account, you receive calls from collection agencies about bills for accounts established with your personal information that you do not know about,and other problems that you may have with your personal information.

Should I order a copy of my credit reports to find out if I am a victim of identity theft? Yes, you may want to consider doing this if you suspect that you are a victim of identity theft. You would want to order a copy of your credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies which are: Equifax www.equifax.com 1-800-685-1111; Experian www.experian.com 1-888-397-3742; and; TransUnion www.transunion.com 1-800-916-8800.

What should I do if my identity is stolen by someone? Contact the three credit reporting agencies as soon as possible and let them know that you are a victim of ID theft and ask them to place a fraud alert and your statement as a victim in your credit report file. Order a copy of your credit report from each agency to check the information on your report.

Contact the credit reporting agencies fraud units at these telephone numbers or addresses: Equifax: 1-800-525-6285, P.O. Box 74021, Atlanta, GA. 30374-0241:: Experian: 1-888-397-3742, P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX. 75013:: TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289, Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA. 92834-6790.

Should I close my credit and checking accounts if ID theft has occurred? Yes, you may want to consider closing your credit and checking accounts if you suspect identity theft. Contact your bank and creditors about your identity being stolen and consider closing your accounts and establish new ones.

If your checks are stolen, request that your bank notify the check verification company that they use. You may also want to contact the major check verification companies as well.

The major check verification companies that you would want to contact are the following: Telecheck, 1-800-710-9898 or 1-800-927-0188:: Certegy Inc., 1-800-437-5120:: and; International Check Services, 1-800-631-9656.

You may also want to contact a company known as Scan at 1-800-262-7771 to find out if an identity thief has been using your checks. In addition, you should also contact your local police department and report that your identity has been stolen.

Make sure that you file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about your identity being stolen as well. You can file this report at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.



Lawrence

August 24, 2009

Identity Theft – is Enough Being Done to Protect You?

Tristan Dunston asked:


Australia is losing a billion dollars every year to identity theft, according to the Australian government, and nearly 90 per cent of Aussies are said to be concerned about having their identity stolen.

With identity theft reputed to be the fastest growing crime globally, what is being done to protect Australians from the growing menace posed by identity fraudsters?

The National Identity Security Strategy (NISS) was introduced by the Australian Government in 2005. This national identity strategy aims to tackle identity crime committed with the use of fake identity documents, such as passports and drivers’ licenses. Beefing up the ability of Australian authorities to spot fake identity documents lies at the heart of the strategy. Fake identity documents are used by fraudsters to steal benefits, such as Centrelink payments, and money from the banks.

$28 million dollars has been pledged to the roll out of the National Document Verification Service, a key plank of the NISS. The service will be an online system for checking the authenticity of identity documents, and will be accessible by government agencies. It could also be rolled out to the private sector, which would help banks and other companies verify the identities of consumers. The service will enable government officials to ensure documents presented were actually issued and the details contained within them are accurate.

Biometrics, a method of using the physical attributes of individuals to verify their identity, is increasingly being deployed by governments and private companies to combat identity theft.

Australia’s immigration service, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, is collecting biometric data on new migrants. It is expected the collection of biometric details on ‘non citizens’ – such as photos, fingerprints, and, iris scans – will help national and international efforts to tackle identity fraud. The physical details of new entrants are being stored on the DIAC database, known as the Identity Services Repository.

Plans for a welfare services identity card system costing more than $1billion dollars were scrapped at the end of 2007 following the election of the Rudd Government. The Howard Government planned to give every Australian a biometric smartcard, including photo and individual health and welfare number. This was considered by many to be an identity card scheme in disguise. Reports suggested the smartcard scheme could have been ‘piggybacked’ by private companies, such as banks and financial institutions, as a means of tackling identity fraud.



The use of voice authentication technology to tackle call centre identity fraud is being researched by boffins at the University Of Canberra. The university’s biometrics scientists are working on systems which could enable companies to verify people using their voice patterns. This may avoid the need to send sensitive personal information abroad, reducing the risk of Aussies falling prey to identity fraudsters targeting call centres.

Tough new money laundering laws, which came into force at the end of 2007, will see tighter identity checks on Australians when opening up new bank accounts, using casinos or purchasing travellers cheques. It is expected the Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Finance Act will help to combat identity fraud in Australia. Financial organisations have to meet the strict identity check requirements of the legislation by the end of 2008. This act brings Australia into line with other countries, such as the UK and US, which have strengthened their money laundering rules.

The publication of court judgments on the internet has led the NSW Supreme Court to change the way it writes judgments. Personal identifiers, such as birthdates and addresses, which can be used to commit identity fraud will no longer be published in judgments.

Among the advice in the government’s identity theft self help guide “ID theft kit” is the need for consumers to regularly check their credit report to help spot any fraudulent activity committed against them. A free credit report can be accessed every year by writing to the credit reference agencies.



Mark

August 21, 2009

ID theft continues everyday (4/3/08)

Mike Samadi asked:


(Copyrighted)

Dear friends and readers:

In my previous blogs and bulletins, I discussed ID theft/fraud and scams.

Listen to the reports/news about a neighbor (a couple) in an apartment stolen other neighbors ID and lived richly OFF those people’s IDs.

There are so many other ways for Identity theft Fraud.  Such as

1.  People looking over your shoulder in the stores.

2.  Stealing your mail from your mail boxes (home or post office).

3.  You losing your valet and not immediately reporting the loss to the police, your creditors and banks.  

4.  You provided your credit card to a company for a purchased and the company keeps charging your account when the authorized charge was only SUPPOSED TO BE for one transaction.  “fraud spree”

5.  ID assumption. Like the couple on the CNN news have done with their neighbors.  (go to the link above) 

6.  Electronic transactions.  A lot of us think that the internet or Cell phones are safe.  In fact they are the unsafest and the easiest method for Stolen ID or account information. 

7.  Lost your keys?  I have seen key chains and key valets in which the owners address is engraved on the valet of key chain.  What a silly idea!?!  If you lose your key and a stranger finds it, now you are letting the stranger where you live.  Why don’t you also note the hours you won’t be home and the combination to your safety deposit box and your security key code so that if he/she decided to visit your home (while you’re away), he/she would feel at home.  If I lose my keys, I will make it less troublesome for me and let the police know (IMMEDIATELY MAKE A REPORT).  If I have to take a drastic measure, I will change my house door locks and possibly do the same with my cars.

Making a report WILL PROTECT YOU IN DISPUTING CHARGES, ACCOUNTS and rescues you from a whole long list of other troubles.

“If the keys are surely lost, let it stay lost.”  Don’t invite strangers to your domain.

There are some websites that claim to be secured websites, but in reality they are not. 

I still like to do my “on-line” transactions over my land line phones.  If I truly have to perform an “on -line” transactions, I will LIMIT such transactions to particular TRUSTED companies and through ONE particular bank account in which I review every day *(as a lot of my transactions go through that account and it requires me to monitor the account closely).  You may say, “who has time to monitor an account daily?”.  Believe me when it is your money, credit and life “on the line”, you will protect it (IF YOU CARE).

Anyway, I don’t agree with some people who hand their credit cards to someone they recently met, their car keys to a newly found friends

Best of Luck,

Mike Samadi

Any questions?  Go to Q & A of http://www.MasterCreditRepair.net, read and post.  Go to the “Comment” page and post your story or comment.  Your personal information will remain confidential.  Joint my membership club (coming soon).



Kelly

August 19, 2009

There are 5 Kinds of Identity Theft. Can you Name Them?

Belinda Rachman, Esq. asked:


There are 5 kinds of Identity Theft but most people are just aware of credit card identity theft. That is just 20% of the problem. Here are all 5.

1) Driver’s License Identity Theft

2) Social Security Number Identity Theft

3) Character/Criminal Identity Theft

4) Medical Identity Theft

5) Financial Identity Theft

You are vulnerable to having your identity stolen. You have a significant investment in protecting your good reputation so the last thing you want is for someone to use your driver’s license to commit a crime, not show up for “your” trial which will result in a bench warrant being issued against you. That is exactly what more and more people are experiencing as victims of Driver’s License Identity Theft. If that were to happen to you, you would need a lawyer, probably in the middle of the night.

Given that only one in seven hundred identity thieves are caught, there will be no slowdown in this crime wave any time soon but you can protect yourself from being the next victim. You need a monitoring system that lets you know if a thief opens a post office box, files a change of address card, tries to buy a house or opens a new bank account in your name. If you are falsely accused of a crime due to someone stealing your identity you WILL need the help of the best lawyers.

Social Security – Did you know that on July 1, 2006, 32 states passed laws that require business owners to see a passport or Social Security card from each employee? The government admits that we have 10 million illegal aliens in the country, but business experts put that number between 25 – 30 million. But just for argument’s sake, let’s assume 10 million: if each one of those folks paid just in FICA withholding each week, ,000,000 would be going to the Social Security Administration on a weekly basis. Given they are FOUR TRILLION in debt, they have NO incentive to let the actual owner of the Social Security number know that another 10, 20, 80 people are using that same Social Security number since they only have to pay out to the real owner. But the IRS is going to take a real interest when they see how much “you” earned at your 10, 20 or 80 different jobs but none of “you” did the proper withholding. Your problem begins when the IRS notices that “you” did not pay the federal and state withholding taxes – the real “you” will have to hire an attorney to fight the IRS or you will just pay them because it is less expensive or you may spend years trying to convince the IRS that you didn’t earn that money

Medical – I met a woman the other day who recently went into the hospital for some test and they asked her how her arm was doing. She didn’t know what they were talking about. Apparently someone else had used her medical insurance to treat a broken arm. What if it would have been something more serious, like someone got a heart transplant using her insurance. That would effect her lifetime cap and it would definitely pollute her Medical Data Base if there was nothing wrong with HER heart. Medical identity theft effects your ability to get insurance, proper health care if unconscious and they are relying on wrong info/blood type/heart condition of someone else. HIPPA won’t let you into your own file if you admit that positive HIV test isn’t YOU. That broken arm is now in her medical database. Thank God it wasn’t something more serious. You are going to need a good lawyer to fight this battle to get the other people’s info out of YOUR file.

Driver’s License ID Theft – The government recently decided that the employees at all Department of Motor Vehicles needed to be able to recognize what the driver’s licenses of all the other states looked like so that when a resident of Florida moves to California, the CA DMV can recognize a “real” Florida license. In order to assist these employees, the federal government made up a little book with the EXACT specs on each state’s driver’s license. About a week after that book was mailed out to each state’s DMV it was already being sold on the internet, spawning a new and very lucrative business. All a criminal needs is a laptop computer, a printer, a laminator and that little book, and they have themselves a very prosperous little criminal enterprise. The police cannot tell the difference between the “real” license and the fake one. In fact, they can’t tell the difference between the “database you” and the “Real You” that looks back at you from your mirror!

Driver’s License ID Theft often affects your character/criminal Identity. A prostitute stole a teacher’s purse. She told her principal and friends about it so everyone knew it was possible that something bad might come of this theft. When a newspaper ran the story of the teacher being arrested for prostitution it wasn’t hard to explain to her friends and neighbors what had happened. It was a small town so everyone knew the teacher was a victim of id theft but is that teacher going to be able to change jobs and go to another town where they don’t know her? Her character has been stolen now.

Financial ID theft, this is the one everyone focuses on because we are losing billions each year to id theft. But here is the thing, you know those cute little commercials on TV with the man’s voice coming from the woman’s body and the woman’s voice coming from the man’s body. They talk about ZERO liability. That is a lie! If you don’t contest a bill within 60 days YOU are stuck with it and with our new bankruptcy laws you can’t discharge it. How are you going to contest a bill you never got. These ID thieves are doing change of address cards and having your mail forwarded to another place, a PO box or another residence. And by the way, the Postal Inspector I met the other night mentioned that the post office doesn’t ask for proof that the change of address card you are filing is actually YOU. Anyone can go into the post office and file a change of address card. So how can you contest a bill you don’t get? Sounds like you are going to need another lawyer. All of this ID Fraud stuff sounds like the lawyers full employment bill to me.

The Federal Trade Commission, which is the lead agency handling ID Theft, says that on average, it takes a person 600 hours to restore themselves after being a victim. That is FIFTEEN 40 hour work weeks. NO ONE has that kind of free time. People need the protection of having their credit monitored so they know if someone is opening new accounts, forwarding their mail or opening a PO Box in their name. There are lots of new companies that do credit monitoring but there is only one company that does restoration and that is Kroll Background America, Inc.

Kroll is the only company that was allowed to go below ground zero to remove the gold from the vaults after 9/11. When the FBI, CIA and Saudi government could not find where Sadam hid the Saudi money that he stole, the Saudis hired Kroll. Kroll found it, recovered it and returned the money to the Saudis. The Security and Exchange Commission hired Kroll to discover where all the Enron money went and the City of San Diego hired Kroll to investigate and do the forensic accounting on the recent pension scandal. If our government and big corporations hire Kroll to protect them, why wouldn’t you?



Marvin

August 17, 2009

Credit/debit card question: Do I need them to purchase online?

Filed under: Credit — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 1:11 am
mistahfantastic asked:


More specifically, is there any other way to buy things online w/o a credit/debit card. I can’t get a bank account or credit card, (my credit blows atm due to a little id theft). I’m purely a cash man at the moment. Are there any gift-cards etc you would recommend purchasing, and where. Thank-you for your time :)

Jill

August 15, 2009

Coping With Identity Theft

Joseph Kenny asked:


Lock your doors, hide your money in the safe, hire security guards to protect your prized possessions, but what can you do if someone stole your identity? If something valuable is stolen, you can call the police and hope to get your stolen property back. Rightly termed as the crime of the 21st century, victimizing millions of Americans, you can do very little if you find your identity stolen. Identity theft is on the rise, and nearly everyone is vulnerable to this new-age form of fraud.

How is it done?

Using all possible methods, criminals steal credit card numbers, social security numbers, telephone calling cards, ATM cards and other key pieces of an individual’s identities. The information on these is used to impersonate the victim, by spending maximum money in the shortest time they can.

Preventive steps or Precautions

1. Avoid carrying valuable documents and cards with you whenever you go out, unless it’s absolutely necessary.

2. Opt for the Direct Marketing Associations Mail Preference Service and the Telephone Preference Service. By doing this, your name is added to the computerized name deletion lists used by marketers all over the nation.

3. Pick the newly ordered checks from the bank and do not allow them to be sent to your residential address.

4. To keep the mailing system secure, install a locked mailbox at your residence.

5. Post mail bills and other sensitive items at the post office instead of the neighborhood drop boxes. Sometimes the envelopes containing the address could land in the wrong hands and be altered.

6. Do not give out information over the phone unless it is an individual belonging to a trusted company. Lottery and ‘lucky dip’ calls should not be entertained, as they are usually hoax.

7. Release Social Security Numbers (SSN) only if it is necessary.

8. While creating passwords and PIN numbers, avoid using numbers from social security, birth date, middle name or any kind of important personal numbers; these are said to be easy for criminals to figure out.

9. Cross check that financial institutions are safeguarding your important data. Insist on the removal of account numbers from ATM slips; also ask them to shred the paper reports before throwing them away.

After the Theft

1. The moment you feel that there has been an identity theft, it is important to report the crime to the police. Provide all the requisite documented evidence. Even if the police refuse to give the report, be persistent and demand it. Keep the police report for the bank and credit card company’s reference.

2. Inform the banks, cancel all the savings and checking accounts and get new account numbers.

3. Call the 3 credit reporting companies and ask them to flag the accounts. Ask for a fraud alert to be attached to the report and extend it later if you want to. This fraud alert lets creditors contact you whenever there is an attempt to open an account in your name.

4. File an ID theft affidavit with the Federal Trade Commission after reporting the theft. This affidavit can be sent to credit bureaus and institutions to close fraudulent debts and accounts opened in your name.

5. Lastly, do not blame yourself for the theft, you being the victim should not feel guilty for the theft, and instead handle the situation calmly.

Do not let all the reputation and respect you have earned be trifled with by a petty thief. It is sometimes observed that people you know are the ones who sabotage your identity by using it against you. Be on the safe side and avoid disclosing any personal information to anyone. The identity you have been given is yours to have; no other person has the right to take it from you.



Tommy

IS there a way to find out who is living at a address?

Filed under: Law & Ethics — admin @ 4:36 am
rsnody21 asked:


There is the address I have that it says I am residing at. I have never lived there. Now I was wondering if there is a way to look up on the internet who might actually live there, an if it may even give some landloard information.

The reason for all this is i am dealing with ID Theft, an its driving me crazy. I need to get this resolved an fast.

Lonnie

August 13, 2009

Can church be a dangerous place?

chicky asked:


Anyone can walk in off of the street and plot crimes against Christians. The porn industry can try to frame young men and women. Gossip can be used to defame professionals or to divide friends and families. Christians could gather personal information and pass it on to blackmailers or ID thefts innocently. These are serious concerns that were laughed away at my previous church. Shouldn’t we think about safety in every American institution?
I meant, if they don’t care about the danger, it would not be a safe place to be.

Derrick

The Top Five Ways To Protect Yourself From Online Fraud

Stacey Beattie asked:


Susan Littlegate has been a victim of online fraud not once but twice. In September last year her debit card was used in bank fraud transactions in Brazil, on the over side of the world. Luckily her bank spotted the irregularity of the transaction and cancelled it. The second time she was simply online shopping when her bank card was refused. Upon checking her bank statement her balance had been wiped to zero – her card had been ‘cloned’ and her bank account emptied.

When these situations occur it can be devastating. After Susan’s second experience of bank card online fraud it took well over a month for her bank to retrieve the money, resulting in finance charges for her unpaid mortgage and credit card payments.

It begs the question: – “How would you manage a month with no access your bank funds”?

Rise In Online Bank Fraud

Online bank fraud is on the up and incidents in 2008 alone totalled a staggering £52.5 million in the UK alone.

Nearly 15m people in the UK use the internet for finance and banking services and the most significant rise in online fraud is when criminals take over someone’s bank account through card ID theft with losses up by 39% in 2008.

Online Fraud Tactics

Online fraudsters are known to use a device called key logging.  It is software that tracks what you type in order to collect bank passwords and credit card details. These malicious computer software programs usually find their way onto a computer when a user clicks on an unsolicited e-mail.

Another fraud tactic is ‘Phishing’ where an email is sent pretending to be from your bank asking you to click on a link which will take you to a fake website identical to your own bank site and ask you to confirm your personal bank finance details.

‘Chip and pin’ bank cards were introduced by UK banks in 2004 and proved to be successful in lowering the amount of banking frauds but as online banking has

become increasing popular, with consumers taking advantage of the chance to bank from their armchairs, online bank fraud has started to rise again.

Protecting Yourself

Despite the large number of internet users many have no idea how to protect themselves online.  In order to bank safe online it is essential you play your part in making sure you do not become a fraud victim.

Here are five online finance recommendations to help protect yourself against online fraud: -

1        One in four people do not carry out any checks to see whether a site is safe and secure before carrying out a transaction.  It is essential that you stay vigilant and never relax your guard while shopping online or carrying out financial transactions. Free anti fraud software is available by McAfee to check whether a site is safe before you click on it. Make sure your firewalls are always turned on and you antivirus software is always kept up to date.

2        Always make sure you log out of sites when you have finished your shopping/transactions. If you stay logged in it means your financial details are available to others.

3        Don’t open emails from people that you do not know. Do not click on a link especially if it is in the email and it asks you for personal finance bank details. If you have any doubts about the authenticity of the email do not respond. Beware of emails which offer you a prize or a discount which requires you to choose a user id and password (as many people use the same details for many bank accounts and thieves will collect these details and try to use them).  Any emails which have a sense of urgency or ask you for personal finance or bank details be wary of.

4        It is advised that you change your online bank password every 60 days. All sites that you have an account with will let you easily change your password usually by following a very simple and quick set of procedures. Changing your password regularly will help limit the accounts exposure and misuse, meaning less danger of online fraud. To make your password harder to guess use a mixture of upper case, lower case and number (as long as you can remember it!).

5        Stay in control of your money. The Eclipse prepaid MasterCard is a great way to do just that.  The Eclipse card is not a credit card so you do not need to worry about debt or fraud and it is not debit card so it is in no way linked to your online bank account. You are not able to borrow money; you simply can only spend what you have loaded onto the card, meaning you are completely

in control of your money.  As it is not linked to your online bank account it means people will not be able to fraudulently carry out any activities with your personal banking details. It literally takes seconds to top up your card either using your phone, wire transfer or online banking. You can also use cash to top up at the post office, Paypoint or using a top up pack.

Anyone in the UK who does fall victim of online fraud will have their money reimbursed as long as they have acted with ‘reasonable care’ and not in a fraudulent manner. If you do fall victim to online fraud there are many places where you can get help and advice, including: -

http://www.apacs.org.ukhttp://www.cardwatch.org.uk/

http://www.eclipsecard.co.uk/eclipse_card/Online_security





Frank
Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress
virtual meeting | fix credit rating