Social Security | id theft fraud prevention

March 17, 2011

ID Theft Confused With Other Crimes

Filed under: Legal — Tags: Credit Card Numbers, Financial Accounts, Financial Crime, Grocery Store, Id Theft, Lead, Nerds, Nurses, Patient Records, Purchasing Power, Restraints, Social Security, Social Security Number, Thief, Thieves — admin @ 11:00 pm

Keith Londrie asked:

Identity theft is often confused with other crimes that lead to identity theft. As an example, a thief caught stealing credit card numbers is not necessarily committing identity theft. He is committing a financial crime. Identity theft happens when a criminal steals your personal information for the express purpose of pretending to be you.

Why would anyone want to be you? If you’re anything like me, even the thought that someone would want to take over your life might make you smile and shake your head. Go ahead, I would tell them. It’s all yours. Except I do not really mean it.

Even if you did, what an identity thief wants from you is not really your life; it’s just everything that tells others that your life belongs to you. Your Social Security number is one good example. A person who can’t get a Social Security number will sometimes steal one that belongs to someone else, so they can have the benefits of having a Social Security number.

Another reason that identities are stolen is to gain access to your financial accounts. In fact, this is one of the most common reasons that a criminal is trying to become you. Your power lies in your good name, and if a thief can gain control of your good name, then they also control that power.
The power that I mean is purchasing power. The ability to own a home, hold a job, and apply for credit. These are what identity thieves are after.

Identity thieves are not the pasty-faced, Pop-Tart eating nerds that you might picture them to be. Next time you go out to the grocery store, look around at the people who are also there. Any one of them could be an identity thief. Young, old, rich, poor, any nationality-there are no restraints that say one type of person is more likely to be an identity thief than another.

It doesn’t matter that the doctor you saw last week had the best nurses in the county. One of those nurses could be an identity thief who steals personal information from patient records and then sells that information to another criminal, who then resells it to illegal aliens. Even a single mom of three that just moved in across the street could be an identity thief.

No group of people is more or less likely to be an identity thief. Criminals steal identities for profit, and anyone in the right place with access to the right information might find the lure of extra cash too much to turn down.

Sylvia

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January 15, 2011

ID Theft at Dealerships

Filed under: Finance — Tags: Auto Loan, Car Loan, Cash Buyer, Date Of Birth, Doing Research, Id Theft, Lenders, Negotiation Tips, Nesting Ground, Personal Data, Proven Track Record, Social Security, Social Security Number, Step Foot, Thieves — admin @ 1:49 am

Chris Goodman asked:

A car dealership is a nesting ground for ID thieves because non-public personal data is everywhere. Before you step foot in the dealership, do some research and find you a go do online lender that can assist you with your car loan needs. There are many websites out there that can assist you in things ranging from negotiation tips, helping you determine what your trade may be worth at time of trade in, and even applying for and getting a car loan.

Make sure when doing research that you identify a lender and not just a site that captures your personal information and sends it straight to a dealer. Just because you can complete a credit application on the site doesn’t mean they are an actual lender. Look for the words “lender” or “lending” in their name. This is not a sure sign but something easy to pick up on. Some online sites can provide all of the assistance you need. Some lenders can even help you with finding a “friendly” dealer that has a proven track record of treating their customers fairly. Be sure to ask whatever lender you settle on if they can assist in this area as well. Here are some of the benefits to getting your next auto loan online:

By applying and getting your car loan online and up front before going to the dealership eliminates the needs to provide any personal information to the dealership (date of birth, social security number, etc). The items do not remain secure in a dealership and are very easy for the experienced ID thief to get what they need and fast. Apply and getting a car loan online gives you tremendous negotiation power with the dealer. When you walk in with your financing in hand, the dealer treats you like a cash buyer. Cash buyers always have the upper hand when negotiating large ticket items. When you choose to go online and get your next car loan, you don’t have to spend unwanted time at the dealership. Buying a car the traditional way is an all day affair in some cases. When you take care of the financing upfront, you cut your dealership time down drastically. To help protect yourself against identity theft, here are some tips you may want to implement if you are not already doing so. Safeguard your financial items: Shred all your bank statements, credit card statements and mortgage statements; anything with your name, address and/or account number. No matter how good your spy ware or anti-virus software is, there are very smart computer hackers that can record your keystrokes and figure out what you inputted for your account number and password, so be sure to change them often.

You also want to make sure when conducting financial transactions online to check to ensure the website is safe and that the site is using the latest encryption technology like OpenRoad Lending. There you can apply for a car loan and feel confident that the information you provide will be safe.

Dolores

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January 10, 2011

Simple Steps to Prevent ID Theft

Filed under: Legal — Tags: Bank Accounts, Credit Cards, Credit Histories, Jobs, Lot, Magazines, Merchants, Place Individuals, Service Providers, Shopping Spree, Simple Steps, Social Security, Social Security Numbers, Thief, Victims Of Identity Theft — admin @ 2:43 pm

Tina L Douglas asked:

Identity theft is a fast growing crime that is pretty hard to detect. It is something that attacks silently and before you knew it, all your bank accounts have been drained and your credit cards owe thousands of debt from various merchants and service providers. Everything simply blows in your face and you will be left aghast, confused and frustrated that such a crime happened and all else transpired without your knowledge or without any hint. Identity theft does not only affect the individual but it also affects individual corporations and businesses.

Nobody wants to be a victim of identity theft. I believe everyone will agree to that. We cannot afford another person using our name, much less, our entire identity. For one reason, we all work too hard to protect it and whenever possible, we want it all for ourselves (who wants his identity shared, anyway?). You should be adamant when another person tries to steal your identity and decides to be you.

You see identity theft on television and in the movies. You hear them on the news and read them on magazines. However, identity theft is a reality than it actually seems. I have talked to a lot of victims of identity theft and everyone is in agreement that they never realized how grave id theft actually was until they were the ones who experienced it personally. You will never see the identity thief face to face but just the mere fact that another person was able to gain access to your personal information should be enough to make you feel paranoid and frustrated.

When identity theft is in place, individuals lose their identity because another one feigns it. Credit balances skyrocket because another individual decides to go on a shopping spree without being financially liable for the purchases. Bank accounts are drained, and social security numbers are used to apply for new driver’s licenses. Credit histories are ruined and people are refused of good jobs, promotions and a good future.

You do not have to be a victim of identity fraud. Everyone has a choice. Of course, when you decide that you will not be a victim of id theft, you really have to commit yourself against it. Your entire identity is composed of various information, each stored, kept and monitored by various agencies and organizations in your behalf and otherwise. If you seriously want to protect yourself against it, then you should be vigilant in safeguarding all the components of your identity. You do not just protect your social security number, but you should also protect your bank account number, passwords and even birthdays from being accessed by other persons. All these are important data that should always be kept out of public eye.

Remember, identity theft is not an accident. It is something that you decide would happen to you. If you become a victim, then probably you have missed out on something. Simple steps are significant steps. Take the first step now before everything else is too late.

Kevin

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Personal Information and ID Theft

Filed under: Legal — Tags: Account Fraud, Cr, Creditors, Fraud Alert, Free Copy Of Credit Report, Marketing, Money Opportunities, New Accounts, Number Credit Card, Personal Finances, Personal Information, Seven Years, Social Security, Victim Of Identity Theft, Wallet — admin @ 1:32 pm

Tina L Douglas asked:

Identity theft often involves your personal information and your finances but in a harmful and negative ways. It is a kind of fraud where a thief gathers the personal information of his or her victim to impersonate. The victim may or may not know that he/she’s a victim.

Some of the most abused personal information that can be used by the identity thieves are the Social Security number, credit card number and of course your name. Through these, they will be able to access your accounts and start to use your identity. Stolen identity involves stolen money, opportunities and even stolen future.

One of the best ways to do when you’ve been a victim of identity theft is through filing a fraud alert. This kind of report will keep the identity thieves from creating new accounts under their victim’s name. It can also keep identity thieves from using one’s account. Fraud alert can be classified as initial alert or extended alert.

Once you’ve suspected that your identity is being used by others, you can file initial fraud alert which lasts 90 days in your credit report. If your wallet which contains your credit card is stolen, you can file an initial fraud alert so that your credit card company will be notified. Once they received your report, they should first verify the identity of the one transacting under your name. This kind of alert will also allow you to have a free copy of credit report that will help you to monitor whether there is any unauthorized transaction.

Moreover, you can file extended fraud alert if you’ve really been a victim of identity theft. The alert can stay for seven years under your report. Your name will also be removed from marketing list so that any transaction will be prohibited. But if you request to add again your name on the list, you should provide proofs that you’re really the one who owns that identity. Also, one you’ve filed this alert, potential creditors are required to meet you personally. You will also be able to get two free credit reports for monitoring purposes.

Fraud alerts may not assure you from not being a victim of identity theft or from stopping being a victim of it but it surely reduces the damages and bad effects that identity theft can bring. If we failed to prevent it, we must at least try to lessen the things that will be stolen from us by those advantage takers who deserve to be caught and punished from the crime that they did.

In addition, resolving identity theft doesn’t only need the actions of the victims. The companies involved should also do some actions to protect their clients. They should entertain the reports of the victims so that the damage that can be done to the victim and the company will be repaired as soon as possible. We can also consider these companies as victims because illegal and unauthorized transactions are also done to their company by the identity thieves.

Jeffery

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January 9, 2011

Avoid ID Theft

Filed under: Legal — Tags: Anti Spyware, Circumstance, Combinations, Consequences, Credit Cards, Hackers, Keystrokes, Little Bit, Passwords, Person Information, Social Security, Social Security Number, Thieves, Worth The Risk, Wrong Hands — admin @ 3:44 pm

Billy Burnet asked:

People are more vulnerable than ever these days due to increased technology use by both consumers and thieves. More and more people are finding themselves with emptied bank accounts and stolen identities. To avoid facing this circumstance, you could pay a company that essentially insures your identity. Or, you could work to preserve your identity on your own. In most cases, you should be able to make do on your own and avoid paying significant fees. Below are a few tips on how to protect your identity from thieves. Shred your important documents before throwing them away. You never know who will end up with your trash and who it might pass through along the way. So, be sure to shred documents that contain any person information at all. This would include bills, among other things. Also, be careful with your credit cards and social security number. Don’t leave them lying around for people to see or even steal. When using the internet, there are a few main points to abide by to protect yourself:

* Use strong passwords. Don’t use names, street addresses, or your username as a password. Use strong combinations of letters, numbers, and characters(if permitted).

* Install anti-spyware and anti-virus software on your computer to protect yourself from hackers and viruses. Spyware can track your keystrokes so the people behind the malicious programs can steal your personal information. Make sure the software is up and running on your computer.

* Only shop at trusted and established company’s websites. You might save some money elsewhere, but it isn’t worth the risk or the potentially severe consequences if something negative does happen.

In general, just be smart with your personal information. People are looking for a little bit they can get their hands on. Even small amounts of information placed in the wrong hands can be a problem.

Bernice

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December 1, 2010

Preventing Social Media Identity Theft

Filed under: Legal — Tags: Cybersquatting, Email, Exile, Google, Identity Theft, Mail Id, New Accounts, Periods, Sandra Bullock, Social Identity, Social Networking Site, Social Security, Social Security Number, Thief, Unfair Methods — 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

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September 28, 2010

New and Old Identity Theft

Filed under: Legal — Tags: Account Id, Bank Accounts, Bank Statements, Con Artists, Credit Card Accounts, Email Account, Financial Documents, Home Internet, Irregularities, Lawful Manner, No Doubt, Scams, Social Security, Social Security Numbers, Ways To Prevent Identity Theft — admin @ 4:37 am

Fred Jones asked:

The development of internet is no doubt the greatest development of the century. People can now share and find information they need right in front of their computer at home. Internet, or the sea of information as some people would call it, holds massive amount of information and data from all over the world, written and shared by many different people. The internet provides a lot of information to make people’s lives easier and more productive, including those who use the information in an un-lawful manner. With the surplus of information, it is now as easy as ever to get your identity stolen by the common con-artists.

Too much of anything can lead to a bad result, and in this case, too much information is now helping con-artists to steal your identity. Their old method of digging through trash for credit card numbers, bank accounts, and even social security numbers thrown away is now being used in a more technological way. Back then, the con-artists used these numbers to make a new credit card or even opening up a loan. Now, they search through the data called cookies in a computer to find account ID and passwords to access someone’s information. With the information, they can not only ruin your credit to get money, but there were even some cases where it has ruined people’s reputation by sending spam e-mails through someone’s email account.

Do not be afraid, there are certain measures to be taken to prevent these scams. Like the cross-shredding of important documents, such as bank statements and other financial documents, there are ways to prevent identity theft online. People should still request free credit reports annually to see if there are some irregularities, even new credit card accounts or loans opened under your identity.

The first and the most important step to prevent identity is through secure passwords. Use a strong password, with both letters and numbers mixed in together and it should be more than 8 characters to be safe. Some people go to the extreme to change their passwords every five to ten days, but it is safe to do so every three months. Try making them the not so obvious ones such as birthdays or even worse, your social security number. There are hackers working together with the con-artists today so, try to make it more difficult for them to figure out your password. And lastly, make different passwords for different accounts so if someone figures one out, you are safe on the other ones.

The usual “read all the text” applies in online businesses as well. Since it costs less than $50 to make a website, it becomes easier to set up a very convincing website to obtain your information. So make sure to do some research on a search engine about opinions about that website since some people might post their experience with the site. Well, you can never be too safe, so make sure to research, and even some websites that help you protect yourself, such as identitytheft.com, so make use of your resources and safe surfing.

Tim

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September 1, 2010

Identity Theft Over The Internet

Filed under: Legal — Tags: Bad Checks, Bank Account Numbers, Cellular Phone Service, Con Artists, Credit Card Issuer, Date Of Birth, Delinquent Account, Lexis Nexis, Mailing Address, Name Social Security, Prestigious Companies, Professional History, Science Fiction Books, Social Security, West Publishing — admin @ 6:23 am

Chet Holcomb asked:

Having someone steal your identity seem to be the stuff that science fiction books and movies have on their convoluted plots. But that was before… before the rise of technological advancement, before the creation of the world wide web.

Now, identity theft is no longer a dream for some hackers and internet con artists. One can even say that with their techniques and expertise, it will be like taking candy from a baby… yet this time, it involves more than sweets. Life is at stake, personal and social life.

How can someone steal your identity? By assuming your name, Social Security number, credit card number, or some other piece of your personal information for their own use. In short, identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information without your knowledge to commit fraud or theft.

They open a new credit card account, using your name, date of birth, and Social Security number. When they use the credit card and don’t pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report. They call your credit card issuer and, pretending to be you, change the mailing address on your credit card account.

Then, your imposter incur charges on your account in your name and have the bills sent to the new address. This is why most people may not immediately realize that their is a problem. They establish cellular phone service in your name.They open a bank account in your name and write bad checks on that account.

How Easy is it to Get Personal Information?

The amount of information available on the Internet about you and those you know is almost unbelievable. Various companies offer services that provide address, criminal, civil, and professional history as well as a list of assets and bank account numbers. Also available are the Social Security number, last six addresses, current phone number as well as names and phone numbers of neighbors. Some large, prestigious companies offering such information include Lexis-Nexis and West Publishing Company.

Many smaller companies also provide similar services.
This research used to take days. Today, this information is available in minutes with only a few click of your mouse. Here are economical products that can help uncover personal details you thought were strictly private.

Identity theft involves someone using key pieces of your identifying information in order to impersonate you. The usual purpose is to acquire goods or services in your name through the use of credit or debit cards. The U.S. Postal Service calls it the “one of the fastest growing robbery crimes in America.”

By one industry estimate, more than 1,000 people a day in the United States fall victim to crimes of stolen identity. In 1997 the U.S. Secret Service make 9,455 arrests involving identify fraud. According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse there are over 400,000 thefts of identity each year with that result in more than $2 Billion worth of annual losses for the country. Identity theft is expanding at a rate of 50% per year.

Jay

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August 25, 2010

An Overview of the 5 Types of Identity Theft

Filed under: Legal — Tags: Credit Cards, Email Scams, Financial Accounts, Financial Documents, Financial Identity, Illegal Aliens, Irs, Mail, Medical Treatment, Nightmare, Security Identity, Social Security, Social Security Number, Social Security Numbers, Thief — admin @ 3:54 pm

Bernard Pragides asked:

Identity theft can take many forms. Many people do not realize that there are actually five different types of identity theft. You can take steps to protect yourself from this nightmare, but first you need to know what you are up against. Here is an overview of the five types of identity theft.

1. Financial identity theft is the kind most of us are readily familiar with. This is when a thief steals your information and sets up financial accounts in your name without your permission or knowledge. Basically, they pretend to be you and set up an entire financial portfolio in your name. This includes bank accounts, loans, credit cards, and even mortgages. In order to protect yourself from this type of identity theft, make sure you properly dispose of all personal and financial documents.

2. Social security identity theft is a huge problem and is growing in popularity among identity thieves. In order to effectively pull off financial identity theft, a thief will need your social security number since all banks require it to open an account of any kind. Many thieves get this by dumpster diving, stealing mail, or email scams called phishing. Do not give out your social security number to anyone, no matter who they claim to be, over the phone or the Internet. Illegal aliens will also sometimes steal social security numbers since they are asked to provide one by their employers. Then, the IRS comes to you for any taxes owed on income you did not get.

3. Medical identity theft occurs when a person who does not have insurance uses yours to obtain treatment. This is not good because the data from the other person is now in your file. Imagine if you needed a heart transplant or other major medical treatment at some point and your insurance refused to pay for it because they show you have already had that procedure done and will not pay again. This can also affect your ability to get health and life insurance.

4. Driver’s license theft is now easier than ever thanks to a book put out by the DMV detailing all of the states’ drivers license specs. You can download information on any driver’s license and make one that looks just like the real thing. Obviously, this can be a real issue when you receive a ticket in your name that someone else deserves!

5. Criminal or character identity theft often ties in with driver’s license identity theft. Nefarious characters who commit crimes will have a driver’s license made with your info and their photo. They can then conduct their criminal activity under your name and then slip away when the authorities get too close. Guess whose door the cops are knocking on for the culprit?

Identity theft is a major problem today. You need to be vigilant and guard your information closely. Don’t give out personal information unless it is absolutely necessary, and destroy all correspondence before you throw it in the trash. Identity thieves are looking for an easy target, don’t be one.

So stay alert! Beware!

Beatrice

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August 12, 2010

How To Stop Identity Theft

Filed under: Legal — Tags: Credit Card Statements, Dumpster Diving, General Accounting Office, Heath Insurance, Insurance Card, Payee, Post Office, Private Records, Secure Mail, Social Security, Social Security Number, Solicitation, Solicitations, Thieves, Trash Cans — admin @ 12:59 am

Michael Russell asked:

In today’s technologically advanced world more and more people are falling victim to identity theft both online and offline. It was reported by a general accounting office that over 700,000 Americans have their identity stolen every year and that number is expected to rise over time. While many thieves operate online there are still many “dumpster divers” who go through people’s trash cans looking for a credit card statement or a solicitation that someone forgot to tear up. You may be thinking that people don’t do this stuff but there are people who spend a lot of time waiting on someone to forget to shred a piece of their personal information so they can take it and start running up your credit cards and using your social security number. It may be impossible to stop someone from stealing your identity entirely, but there are things that you can do to lower the risk of having it happen.

A simple way to stop thieves from getting your personal information by dumpster diving is to remember to destroy all private records and statements. You can tear the stuff up, but it is best to shred it. Credit card statements, documents with financial information and solicitations all need to be shredded. It is also a good idea to secure your mail, you can do this by emptying your mailbox quickly, lock it or get a P.O box. By securing your mail it will stop thieves from stealing credit card pitches and other financial information. Never mail bills or checks from your home, it is simple for thieves to go through your mail and get a bill or check and change the payee’s name on the check by erasing it with solvent. Mail out all of your bills and checks from the post office since it is the most secure location to do so.

Your social security number should also be protected. You should never carry your social security card with you or any other card that may have your number on it, this includes your heath insurance card. The social security number is the key to all of your information so thieves look for stuff like this. If they get your social security number they can get access to other important information like your credit report and your bank account. Also remember to never leave ATM, credit card or gas receipts behind.

A lot of people have their identities stolen because they fail to educate themselves about who they’re giving their private and financial information to. When someone calls with some kind of special offer or something don’t be quick to give up your information if you’re interested in their offer, first ask them who they are and what company they represent and then do a little research yourself. Don’t ever give up your financial information over the phone. Monitor your credit card, obtain a copy of your credit report annually and review it thoroughly for anything that may look suspicious to you. Also thoroughly review your credit card statement, make sure all of the merchants look familiar and if they don’t, call your credit card company and notify them about the suspicious things on your statement.

There are simple precautions that you can take to stop criminals from obtaining your private information. Be more aware when you use your credit card and don’t forget to shred up all important information that you throw into the trash.

Terri

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July 20, 2010

How Do Identity Thieves Steal Your Identity?

Filed under: Legal — Tags: Account Numbers, Bank Statements, College Information, Credit Card Numbers, Easy Access, Email, Employment History, Phone Book, Resume, Social Security, Subject Line, Tactic, Thief, Thieves, Trash — admin @ 12:57 pm

Dan Riffle asked:

While identity thieves will use any data possible to assume the identity of another, their bread and butter revolves around your name, social security number, account numbers and credit card numbers. With this information, an identity thief’s next vacation is right around the corner. That is why these items should be your most guarded.

Identity thieves have come up with many inventive ways to steal your identity. Some are very technical, some not so much:

o Do you have an outside unlocked mailbox? Why? This is the first stop for an ID thief. Your mailbox allows easy access to your bank statements, credit card numbers, mortgage statements, 401k account information. Your mailbox is an open book to your life. Close it.

o Have you ever received an email from a financial institution with which you have no association and the subject line states that they need your account information to process a transaction (or similar situation)? This is a “phishing” attempt. They cast out their line into the email ocean of millions of addresses hoping only to bait one unsuspecting fish. While you might not have an account with the financial institution they’re using, thousands of people will. How many of those people will be caught off guard? By the way, these emails, if you open them, appear very official and can even appear to link back to the actual institution. Don’t fall for it.

o Does your company website list information about you, maybe in the form of a small bio and a picture? Ouch! Now the identity thief has your employment history, your college information, and so on. The same thing goes for publicly listing your resume. Couple this information with information found in the phone book and the identity thief has your history along with whatever they can garner from your unlocked mailbox.

o They might steal your trash. You’ve seen a movie or twelve in which a criminal steals somebody’s trash and finds out all about them. This is a tactic commonly know as dumpster diving. (A simple fix for this? Buy a shredder, shred everything twice and divide everything into multiple trash bags. This way one trash bag shouldn’t contain the entire shredded remains of any single document.)

o They might pose as a telemarketer from a company they know you do business with and call you to upgrade your service or convince you to buy some add-on. They will be very convincing because they will have your account number, last payment amount, your address and any other bit of information they can glean from the statement they stole from your…you guessed it…unlocked mailbox. They’ll convince you to add on that service or purchase that new whiz-bang gizmo. “Now, sir, all I need is your credit card number, the three digit code on the back of your credit card and your date of birth and we’ll place the order for you today.” Ouch.

o Outright theft. Some identity thieves just don’t have time for elaborate hoaxes or technologically advances scams. They just steal your purse or wallet whenever they see an opportunity. Another thing they might steal: employee records. It’s amazing the information provided in an employee file!

o They might fill out a change of address form and have your statements sent directly to them.

o They might know you! The identity thief might be your brother, cousin, best friend or…spouse. It isn’t unusual for identity theft victims to get played by someone they know. This is the most unfortunate of circumstance because there’s not much you can do to prevent it outside of never talking about your personal information. This, however, can be hard to hide from a spouse or close relative.

This is just a small list of possible ways to have your identity stolen. Most of the above situations can be avoided with a little forethought and planning. Understanding that identity theft is always a possibility is the first step in avoiding it.

Martin

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June 23, 2010

Protection Against Identity Thefts

Filed under: Legal — Tags: Breaches, Consumers, Death Certificate, Guardianship Issues, Home Invasion, Identity Theft, Illegal Benefits, Impersonation, Impersonator, Intervention Strategies, Occurrence, Online Retailers, Personal Identification, Private Data, Social Security — admin @ 3:27 pm

Clara Ghomes asked:

Identity theft is a term given to an occurrence where an individual obtains the personal information of another person to obtain some illegal benefits. The obtaining of personal information is done through privacy breaches. In case of consumers, this can also happen if they provide their own information to anyone else. Many times the thief obtains (or tries to) personal identification information or documents by physical crime such as home invasion or vehicle break in.

Many sites and agencies (such as Canadian Phone busters and US Federal Trade Commission) address identity theft and recommend intervention strategies. One of the most common of those strategies is the guardianship of the documents or information of personal identifiers. The guardianship issues involve suggestions as to what should consumers do to avoid their private data getting into a criminal’s hands.

Not identifying at all is the best protection against any mishappening of identity theft. This ensures that the personal information can’t be used again to allow impersonation. Identity theft is caused due to too much identification or too little privacy. Many institutions/organizations and activities require consumers to provide their personal information like credit card number, drivers licence number, Social Security number etc. This information is treated as a proof of the individual’s identity but it makes it difficult for people to protect themselves from identity theft. Many online retailers and companies suggest their consumers to ensure regular updates of their operating system and computer’s security to protect them against identity theft online.

Many times impersonator also tries to steal identity of a dead person. The crime can be stopped the personal information is cross referenced with the death certificate of the individual. Recently, many companies have started providing protection services to people against identity theft for a monthly or an annual fee. These services basically work either by monitoring the credit report of the individual and setting fraud alerts on person’s credit files. The credit reporting agencies disclose the credit and personal information to a wide client base and the restrictions on the disclosure can vary from customer to customer.

Also, many times people have been exposed to risks of identity theft through poor supervision of the data which results in data breaches. The corporate mistakes which can lead to data breach include not providing adequate network security to the data, not shredding the data (confidential and private information) before throwing in dumps, giving personal information of consumers to other businesses which do not provide enough security to the data.

Having strong encryption on computers, laptops and any other portable media which contain large amount of personal information of consumers ensure that the data won’t get into wrong hands. Having finger identification or any other biometric information can prevent data breaches but there are limitations to it also.

Alvin

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May 31, 2010

Identity Theft Workers Arrested

Filed under: Legal — Tags: Aliens, Authorities, Criminals, Document Fraud, Entry Document, Identity Theft, Illegal Employment, Illegal Immigrants, Joint Effort, Lawful Employment, Social Security, Social Security Fraud, Social Security Numbers, Undercover Operation, Wagon Train — admin @ 10:19 pm

Dr. Mark Clayson asked:

Over 1300 workers have been detained and arrested by police in the US over identity crime. Charges have been brought against 150 illegal immigrants who have been accused of stealing the identities of US citizens. The purpose of this crime was to gain legal employment. Other defendants will face the charge of illegal re-entry document fraud, social security fraud and identity theft. Additional charges are being brought against almost 100 other defendants.

The identification of these illegal criminals was the result of an organised attack. Operation Wagon Train was a joint effort by related departments in the US. The arrests and undercover operation shows that the United States takes identity theft very seriously. These illegal immigrants were trying to get legal jobs by illegal means. The message being sent out by the authorities is that nobody can gain lawful employment with a stolen identity. The stealing of these identities include the improper use of stolen Social Security numbers and other documents in order to get a job.

Many of the victims of this identity theft had already alerted the authorities to the nature of their stolen personal data. Some of the victims first knew about their stolen identity when the Internal Revenue Service began demanding taxes for unreported income. This income had, of course, come about by the illegal employment of the aliens who had stolen the original identity.

Government officials are increasing their efforts in order to support the crime of identity theft. Last year (2006) almost twice the number of prosecutions took place compared to the year before.

Frank

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February 19, 2010

Organisations Protecting Against Identity Theft

Filed under: Criminal — Tags: Cfa, Consumer Federation Of America, Credit Applications, Credit Reports, Fraud, Identity Theft Protection, Insurance Coverage, Max Thompson, New Ways, Personal Identifiers, Pre Approved Credit, Rapid Growth, Social Security, Thieves, To Catch A Thief — admin @ 8:52 pm

John Goldman asked:

Identity theft is becoming more sophisticated and hard to manage by ever passing day where id thieves are finding out new ways to steal your identity. This rapid growth in the number of cases in identity theft being reported has also been matched by the corresponding increase in the business that offer services to protect you from the impact of id theft.

However the arguments still remain when it comes to the effectiveness of services offered by these id theft protection companies. Therefore you need to find for yourself how services based on the organization would help protect your identity.

Services included

Max Thompson of Identity Theft Protection 101, identities five services which are generally offered by id theft protection companies. The services include daily monitoring of credit reports, providing you a list of the credit applications issued on your name, maintain fraud alerts on your credit reports, eliminate pre approved credit offers and also monitor other personal identifiers like your social security number.

The LifeLock Company for instance which is owned by Todd Davis offers an excellent example of the problems faced by these companies in offering your guaranteed identity theft protection. The owner of the company who is know for displaying his social security number in ads for his company’s effectiveness actually had his id stolen which caused their customers to file suit against them.

Report from Consumer Federation of America

There was a report by Consumer Federation of America or CFA in March 2009 entitled To Catch a Thief and it discussed whether id theft protection services are actually worth the cost which voiced concerns on the effectiveness of these companies. However after researching around 16 businesses which offered id theft protection service and the CFA had found several problems with their service.

Some of these include lack of proper information on costs and coverage, incomplete data about insurance coverage, misleading statements regarding the effectiveness of fraud alerts, vague guarantees and also the use of internal negotiation methods which could limit rights of a consumer.

The report from CFA also criticized the companies which publicize id theft ‘protection’ service. However according to the author of the report, although the services offered by these companies might offer protection from the effects of id theft, completely preventing it is very difficult.

According to the federal trade commission you are recommended to use free identity theft protection services that you are entitled for before buying services from different companies. The FTC also specifies that based on the Fair Credit Reporting Act you are permitted to place both a seven year extended alert and 90 day initial fraud alert on your credit report without any charges.

When these alerts are in place, the creditors will have to personally contact you before issuing any credit under your name. You can even use credit freeze option that can stop anyone from gaining access to your reports. Therefore when choosing identity theft protection organizations make sure know what services you are offered and how much it would cost you for their service.

Doris

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