id theft fraud prevention

December 29, 2010

ID Theft Checklist – Print & Keep!

Filed under: Legal — admin @ 8:26 am
Syd Tash asked:




Over the last few years I have written a lot, and you have no doubt read a lot about identity theft, and how to protect your personal data online and on your computer. So here, in one convenient list, are some dos and donts you should follow.

1. Before entering sensitive data on a Web site, look for the closed padlock in the upper or lower part of your screen. Make sure the site address begins with https:// That letter”s” means secure. However, these two indicators are not foolproof.

2. Never copy and paste login IDs or passwords. The contents of your Clipboard can easily be seen.

3. Avoid public computers. If you do use one, do not shop or do your banking. Never step away from the computer while an application is open that you had to log in to. Change your password as soon as you get home.

4. If you use your own laptop at a wireless hot spot, make sure you have proper encryption set up. Do not just use the default factory settings. These usually provide little or no protection.

5. Regardless of where or how you do your online surfing, change your passwords every couple of months, or more often if you think they have been compromised. Choose passwords of at least six characters, and include numbers, letters and?,!, *, #, $ if permitted.

6. Do not reply to emails supposedly from your bank, broker, utility company, government agency, PayPal, eBay, etc. Do not click on links in such emails. To go to one of these organizations, click your Desktop icon or Favorites link, or type the address manually into the browser address bar.

7. If you have fallen victim to a fake email (phishing) and have given out confidential information, change your password immediately and notify the company in question. Send them a copy of the spoofed email.

8. Do you travel with a laptop across international borders? Make sure you do not have any sensitive data on the machine that could cause you problems if the computer was inspected by customs agents. If your data is encrypted, you may have to reveal the decryption key, or risk having the laptop seized. Make sure you have a current backup at home or at the office.

9. Do not open email attachments, even if it is from your friend. His computer could unknowingly be infected. True friends do not send each other attachments!

10. Beware if you receive a text message containing an URL on your cellphone. If you select the address, you may download malware to your phone.

11. The Firefox browser from Mozilla is safer than Internet Explorer, largely because Firefox does not use those notorious ActiveX controls, and because it is not part of Windows. It is also reputed to be faster. Give it a try.

12. There are three pieces of your confidential information which you should never reveal, whether online or off, unless you absolutely have to. These are your birth date, your mother’s maiden name and your Social Insurance/Security Number.

New threats and dangers generally evolve much faster than countermeasures. So your best defense is to keep your security programs up to date, including your antivirus, antispyware, firewall and of course Windows. Now be a good buddy and send this entire list to your friends. Suggest they save or print it.

Stephanie

December 26, 2010

December 25, 2010

How ID Theft Happens

Filed under: Legal — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 7:00 am
Tina L Douglas asked:




Identity theft has ruin a lot of lives and future. With its increasing number of victims, identity theft has taken the attention of the federal and state governments, each taking their own initial steps to protect consumers and assist victims of identity theft.

Understanding how identity theft happens can significantly help you protect your identity. If you know how they access your personal information, then you can take the necessary steps to shield your future.
There are a lot of ways on how criminals can get your personal information. Here are the most common:

Stealing/Snatching wallets and purses that contain your personal information.

This is probably the oldest method that identity thieves use to get your personal information. They steal your wallets because this is where you usually keep your social security number, ATM and credit cards which they often use to assume your identity and do all malicious stuffs.

Get inside your mailbox to steal your mail.

Your mailbox is another gold mine of information. Here you receive your credit card and bank statements, pre-approved credit card applications, birthday cards and other correspondences that contain your personal information. Identity thieves intercept your mail, particularly those that contain valuable information about you. If they’re lucky enough, they even file for a change of address so that all your credit card statements will be sent directly to them, and you will never know that they’re running up your credit.

Scour your trash cans to get your personal data.

People who perform this kind of stuffs are also known as dumpster divers. They “dive” in garbage bins because if they can’t intercept mail, then they just wait for people to dump these mails into their garbage bins. People are not fond of shredding their documents before they are disposed off the trash. This makes everyone vulnerable to identity theft.

Enter your home and look for personal information inside.

Some people who join social networking sites often post where they are and what they are doing. There have been instances when people who go out on vacations often arrive home only to find that their house has been broken into and their valuable electronic appliances and other valuables have been stolen. If you tell everyone in your post that you are out on a vacation and you’ll be gone for a week, it is easy for burglars to find your house and break into them because no one is around. All they need to do is monitor your status so that they’ll know if you’re coming back or not.

Obtain personal information that you share online.

Millions of users exchange personal information on the internet everyday. They do these through online banking, shopping, chat, school enrollment and registration, and any other transactions that needs your personal information to secure the exchange. Computer hackers are also identity thieves and they are also internet users with malicious intent that can harm other people who love the internet experience.

Identity theft has become a very serious issue so it’s important that you arm yourself against this crime.

Lauren

December 24, 2010

Affiliate Programs Worthless for 80% of Affiliate Market

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Todd

December 21, 2010

What Are The Consequences Of Criminal Identity Theft?

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Juanita

December 16, 2010

The do’s and don’ts for Financial Success – Money Expert

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Duane

Compare the Top Three ID Theft Protection Services and Find Out What’s New

Filed under: Legal — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 5:34 am
Lisa Carey asked:




If you’ve ever considered investing in the peace of mind an identity theft prevention and protection service, the good news is that today you many more options than in the past.

December 14, 2010

Medical ID Theft – The New Threat to Your Privacy, Health, and Finances

Filed under: News And Society — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 3:41 pm
G Harold asked:




Identity theft, an on going threat to everyone’s privacy and finances, has resulted in numerous calamities for hundreds of thousands of citizens. Many safeguards have been instituted to stop its spread but it continues. And now a new ID theft has surfaced which presents even more serious problems. Medical identity theft, the new id theft problem is growing at an alarming rate. Daily 1000′s of accounts of privacy, health and finances improprieties, as a result of medical identity theft, are reported.

Medical identity theft can create life-threatening problem, especially for senior citizens. For this reason, local and federal law makers are considering drafting legislation which will make the criminal punishment for medical id theft far more harsh than current id theft laws. New proposed laws will go beyond just slapping hands and firing employees. New laws are to include significant fines and sentencing the guilty party to substantial jail time. It is important to announce medical id theft will not be tolerated with a stricter message to deter this type of crime.

Like standard id theft, medical identity thieves steal the victims name, insurance information, and Social Security Number and use it without its real owner’s knowledge. Medical ID identity thieves have the potential to endanger not only the victims finances, but their health as well as they utilize the stolen information to get medical services, obtain fraudulent prescriptions, or, more commonly, to apply for credit.

Over the past ten years the economy for personal information has really matured. The institutions which had the most to lose from the negative reports about wide spread id theft, like banks and online merchants started doing a much better job of protecting data.

Today’s identity thieves go where the cap on resistance is the least and where the financial opportunities are the greatest. Consumers’ medical insurance information is their new venue and electronic medical records are the in road they use to take advantage of this new opportunity. Individual medical information is quickly becoming as valuable as their financial information counter part,” according to Scott Mitic, chief executive officer for TrustedID, an identity theft protection company.

According to market research firm Javelin Strategy & Research new report, data theft related to exposure of medical records rose in one year more than 100%, from 3% in 2008 to 7%, or 275,000 cases, last year.

Once in the hands of these crooks, there is no shortage of ways the hijacked medical information can be put to use. In a number of cases, employees with access to this personal information steals patient credit card information and go on shopping spree. Other cases, involve obtaining and falsifying prescriptions for abuse and resell and more seriously, use of a stolen identity to submit bogus claims to insurers and falsify medical records to support those claims.

“In situations where the intention is to defraud the insurance companies, the medical id thieves are usually more sophisticated individuals who are part of a networked effort. But the origin of the information theft usually remains low-tech and originates from person-to-person communication,” Mitic added.

Seniors, who generally use health care services more frequently, and may not be as aware of identity theft risks, have been the most likely victims of medical identity fraud. Their lack of knowledge of this fraud also make them more susceptible to the deceptive persuasion used to obtain their personal information.

A recent Medicare phone scam conducted in several states targeted elderly consumers by pressuring them to divulge personal details on the pretext they were being issued new Medicare cards. An official sounding organization calls on the phone saying they are updating the victims Medicare data information prior to issuing the new card.

One Medicare scheme, reported in the New York Daily News, involved a 72-year-old woman from Grahamsville, NY. She learned she had become the victim of medical ID theft when she began receiving strange insurance bills. The paperwork showed Medicare had been billed, in her name, for a pregnancy test, a prostate exam, semen analysis, and other medical services she had not had performed. Bureaucratic hurdles prevented her from stopping the fraud, despite that she repeatedly called Medicare to alert the agency. At the end of her three-year ordeal with Medicare, the total fraud in her name amounted to close to $50,000.

Consumers most be vigilant to prevent medical ID theft, both proactively and re actively. All information, including medical insurance information, Social Security information, dates of birth and PIN numbers should be treated equally valuable and never shared unless you are thoroughly familiar with the source you are giving it to. It is important that you check your medical benefits statements as diligently as you do your credit card statements. Also be aware you have the right to request an annual disclosure record from their insurer and do so. Medical id theft is growing. In the wrong hands, this information has the potential to endanger not only your finances, but your health.

Debra

ID Theft Victim?

Filed under: Legal — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 9:58 am
Laurie Zoock asked:




If you are a victim of ID theft, it it imperative that you call the 3 credit bureaus immediately to place a fraud alert on your file through this number: 1-800-680-7289

Once you have called, you will need a real police report (not the online version as Experian will not accept this) Bring your credit reports with you and insist on a MISC ITEMS report if they give you a difficult time.

Go to the FTC’s website you can download and print the ID Theft affidavits, which you will need to have notarized. Include a copy of your credit reports and 2 forms of ID, one with photo, and the police report. Also include a cover letter explaining your situation.Send to each bureau separately via certified return receipt mail(Attn: Fraud Dept).

Experian
701 Experian Parkway
Allen, TX 75013

Equifax
1550 Peachtree Street NW
Atlanta, GA 30309

Transunion
2 Baldwin Place
Chester, PA 19022

Make sure you keep a copy of everything in your files. They have 30 days to respond and should block your accounts. Once you get your reports, review that all information is corrected. If not, resend with a new letter and circle the items still appearing on your reports and request a re-investigation immediately. On items not corrected, you may also send a copy of the police report and theft affidavit to each company directly. Be sure to reference the account number on your report.

You can also put a security freeze on your reports with the bureaus.

Claudia

December 8, 2010

3 Ways to Prevent Identity Theft

Filed under: Legal — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 7:09 pm
Travis Stone asked:




Identity theft is a big crime in America. In 2003, the federal government passed the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act. This created a new crime called “Aggravated Identity Theft” and empowered the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with the authority to track the number of incidents and dollar value of losses due to identity theft.

These FTC studies have shown that pure identity theft (taking over someone’s identity) have steadily been declining but that fraud complaints (partial identity theft) are on the rise. This means that the criminal element behind ID theft has switched from assuming someone’s identity entirely to merely using enough of it to perpetrate fraudulent thefts through consumer credit and similar frauds.

It’s estimated that identity theft is the fastest-growing white collar crime in the U.S. and that more than 8.5 million Americans fall victim to it every year. So, are there ways to prevent identity theft?

Yes, there are lots of ways to prevent identity theft. We’ll look at the “big 3″ that are most recommended as minimum safeguards against becoming a victim of this crime. Most ID theft experts list these three things as the bare minimum every American should be doing to protect themselves.

#1: Watch Those Websites

The first of our top 3 ways to prevent identity theft is learning what you should and shouldn’t put into a website and what to look for to make sure it’s safe. Most victims of credit card fraud and identity theft are initially targeted through Internet scams and websites. While shopping online is relatively safe, there are certain things you should always look for before you enter any information into an online consumer site.

First, know what site you’re dealing with. If the site is a large, reputable company like Amazon or Sears, then you’re on the way to verifying it’s okay. Make sure that the URL (site address) begins with what you know is the company’s real address. So if you’re shopping on Amazon.com, make sure the website address is something like “http://www.amazon.com” or “https://www.amazon.com” so you know that you’re really on Amazon’s website and not a fake.

Next, look for the security seal on the site before you enter any information. When the site asks you for a credit card, checking account, or other information for payment (or personal information about you such as your social security number or driver’s license info), make sure the transmission to the site is secure.

Do this in two ways: look for the “https” at the beginning of the site URL in your address bar-that “s” denotes “secure.” Then look in the corner of your browser-usually to the bottom right-for a padlock that is closed, or “locked.” This is the universal symbol for a secure connection.

Finally, if you have any doubts whatsoever about the website or its security, DO NOT give it any information. When in doubt, don’t buy. Simple as that.

#2: Keep It Off the Phone

If you don’t know who you’re talking to, don’t give out any useful information about your identity. That seems pretty simple, but it’s amazing how many people will give out their mother’s maiden name (a common “security question” for credit cards) or even Social Security number without much question.

“Fishing” is a form of building a profile for identity theft in which a criminal who has basic information (like a credit card number) will call to get enough information to take over the card and even take out new credit in the victim’s name. The criminal will make phone calls pretending to be someone from the card company, one of the utilities, a bank, etc. and ask for information they need as if it were part of a customer service call. Many fall for this.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from a credit card, bank, or other company and they need identifying information from you, tell them you’ll call them back through their recognized corporate number (which you will get yourself from a bill or the phone book). Tell them you don’t give out personal information on the phone if you can’t be sure who you’re talking to. They should understand and wait for you to call them back.

This simple precaution can almost totally prevent your private information from being stolen. Simply because a criminal with a stolen credit card number only has one avenue to steal from you. A criminal with a stolen credit card and your personal information can wreak havoc on your entire credit profile and empty your bank accounts faster than you might think.

#3: Keep Them Safe

When you’re at the store, in the mall, or when you park your car, keep your credit cards, identification, and other valuables safe. If you carry a wallet, keep it in a wallet near your body where you can feel it rather than in a purse. This makes it harder to steal. When you use a card, cover your hand while you enter the PIN number or make sure to give ID to the clerk (whether they ask or not) to remind them that the card could be stolen.

When you park your car to go into a store or your home, DO NOT leave your personal identification and credit cards behind! Take them with you no matter what. Even a one minute into the Post Office to grab your mail can result in your wallet or purse being stolen. It takes just a couple of seconds to open the car door or break the window and take your things.

Last but not least, if you have children, protect their Social Security numbers as you do your own. Just because they’re children doesn’t mean their SS numbers can’t be used to take out credit!

Dorothy

December 6, 2010

Why Hide Your Ip Address?

Filed under: Rent An Apartment — Tags: , , — admin @ 9:25 am
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Jay

December 5, 2010

Save Your Business! the Crucial Importance of an Employee Criminal Records Check

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Minnie

December 1, 2010

Preventing Social Media Identity Theft

Filed under: Legal — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 6:33 pm
Guna Seelan asked:




Social media identity theft is known as cybersquatting where you take help of the social media sites in order to get access to the identity of others. When someone takes unfair methods to pose as you that becomes extremely threatening. This is most commonly known as identity theft and can be a disruptive means to destroy someone else’s life. Think of the movie Net where Sandra Bullock found out that her existence was wiped out as someone else has taken her name and her social security number. She was forced to live a life in exile, unless she could prove her innocence.

Most who take help of social identity theft can harass people. You can be stalked for no reason at all. Using your identity the thief can also steal your money. A lot of social media theft can lead to financial loss. Often they take help of one’s mail id in order to get hold of funds. They can even open new accounts with the help of the identity. Most social media sites give the options of using either the real name or a separate user name. It is better to give your key name in places where the sites have demanded it. Often we do not get our desired username, as someone else is using it. So we have to take help of abbreviations or extra numbers or periods. All these added things can lead to problems.

If you get a user-name which follows your name closely, there will be lesser problems. This will also prevent others from registering with your name. Some names are common. Thieves generally target those names in order to achieve their means. You should take help of methods in order to manage your online identity and prevent the social media theft. This is a time consuming process, but at the end of the day, you do not want to lose your precious money or lose your identity. In order to assure that no one else is using your name in the social networking site, you should follow some basic steps.

You can set Google alerts for the name so that whenever you get an email, the name pops up. You can also start the StepRep account. This is known as a reputation manager which manages all the things online. If you feel that someone else has a profile which is very similar to your profile in the social networking site, you should immediately contact the site’s administrators. The reputation mangers can also look at the matter. If your profile is stolen, then it should be deleted immediately. It is better to take precautions against identity theft beforehand or else you will end up losing not only your money, but your identity as well.

Jo

Shred Your Security Concerns

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Irene

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