Identity Theft Protection Safety Precautions
Identity theft has become the fastest growing criminal activity in the 20th Century, replacing illegal drug sales. For the perpetrators, it offers the highest profit margin with the least risk. In fact, according to one expert, it is estimated that fewer than 1-in-700-identity crimes actually result in a conviction. In the United States alone, Identity theft has reached $53 billion dollars a year. Consumers are directly shouldering about $5 billion of that, but the rest, which is paid by businesses and retailers, is passed on indirectly to consumers who are paying more for goods and services. How BIG is this Problem? In recent months, there has been a rash of reports about big thefts, where criminals are stealing identities in mass quantities. Banks, credit card companies and businesses that house servers storing passwords or other sensitive, private information have all reported “break-ins” that happened through the use of Trojan viruses and other online hacking methods – resulting in the loss of millions of pieces of information being stolen. There have also been instances of the information just getting “lost”, of employees selling it and other lax security measures resulting in the same thing – thieves having access to your identity. What do Thieves Want?
- Your Name
- Date of Birth
- Home Address
- Phone Numbers
- Social Security Number
- Driver’s License Number
- Credit Card Numbers
- CW2 Security Code (the number on the back of your credit card)
- Your Credit Report
- ATM Cards
- Telephone Calling Cards
- Mortgage Details
Where Are They Getting All Your Information? High-tech methods include online thefts from:
- Banks
- Credit-Reference Agencies
- Retailers
- Credit Card Networks
- Data-Brokerage Companies
- Payment Processing Companies
- Phone Companies
- Schools
- Your Employer
- Doctors, Clinics and Health Departments
- Government Agencies
But there are still low-tech methods that are effective as well:
- Dumpster Diving
- Mail Theft
- Retail Theft
- “Phishing”/pretexting/pretending
- Purse/Wallet Theft
What are Thieves Using Your Information For?
- Making charges to your existing credit cards
- Opening new credit cards in your name
- Having phone or utilities turned on
- Withdrawing money from your existing bank accounts
- Employment purposes
- Driver’s Licenses
- Tax Fraud
- Social Service benefits
- Student loans
- Business or Personal loans
- Health care
- Mortgage loans/leases
- Auto loans
- Using your ID when caught committing a crime
How Can You Protect Yourself?
- Keep a photocopy of all your credit cards, bank account numbers and investment account numbers in a safe place
- Keep your credit card receipts – don’t throw them away in a public place
- Put a “fraud alert” on all your credit reports
- If you apply for credit and the card doesn’t arrive on time, call the card issuer
- Choose difficult to guess PIN numbers or passwords. (Don’t use birth dates, your mother’s maiden name, pet’s name, etc.)
- Never give personal information to anyone who sends you an email, a letter or calls you asking for it
- Shred any personal information – such as bills, credit card or bank statements, even pre-approved credit applications before throwing them away
- Don’t use the ATM machine if someone is watching you
- Pay attention to what’s going on around you – cell phones often have cameras in them. If someone is standing close by you with a cell phone while you're entering a PIN number at the ATM or in line at the grocery store, block their view
- Review your bills each month for unusual or suspicious charges. If there’s something you don’t remember or doesn’t seem right, call the creditor right away
- Check your credit report at least once a year
- Store your cancelled checks safely, or better yet, have the bank do it. You can always get a copy if you need one.
- Don’t leave your purse in plain sight when driving
- Keep your valuable locked in the trunk or glove box when driving
- Make all personal information on your laptop or computer password protected
- Don’t carry information about your PIN numbers, passwords and account numbers in your purse or wallet; or at least don’t make them easily identifiable as to which account they belong to
Warning Signs that Your Identity Has Been Stolen:
- Although you have good credit, a loan application is denied, or you’re refused extended credit requests
- You are suddenly contacted by a debt-collection agency
- Your purse or wallet has been stolen, or your house broken into
- There is unfamiliar activity on your credit report
What to do if it Happens to You:
- If your purse or wallet is stolen, call the police immediately, and file a report. Make sure that you’re given a report number
- Contact your bank, credit card and other credit extending companies and report the theft
- Close the accounts
- Contact the credit-reporting companies in your area, and report the theft.
- Review your credit report every 90 days for the next year for suspicious activity
- If there is fraudulent activity, have it removed immediately and monitor your credit report every 90 days for the next year
- Put everything in writing, and follow up with your credit card companies, banks, and credit reporting agencies. Keep copies of all supporting documents
- File a report with the Federal Trade Commission
- Change the passwords on your existing accounts and create new ones for new accounts
Identity theft is real, and it’s a growing problem, and it could happen to you. Although there are no guarantees that you can keep your information safe, by paying attention to the risks and taking proactive steps to protect yourself, you can minimize your chances of someday having an “identity crisis”. Good luck!
|
- Immediate Rules Identity Theft
Unfortunately, all of us are potential victims of identity theft. If you fall into the hands of identity theft, you will need to know the next steps to take to protect your self as much as possible. First,...
- How To Avoid Becoming A Victim of Identity Theft
With identity theft statistics currently at an all time high, and climbing, it just makes sense that we should all be doing everything we can to protect ourselves.One of the most prevalent yet overlooked...
- Identity Theft And The Internet
LexisNexis, a provider of personal and financial data, recently reported that the personal information of as many as 310,000 people nationwide may have been stolen. This figure is nearly 10 times higher...
- Identity Theft who is hurt
Who is hurt when identity theft occurs? Few believe that the victims them self are the only ones hurt when identity theft occurs, however, contrary to their thinking, everyone is hurt when identity theft...
- Identity Theft Tips
Identity theft is an ongoing crime, that in the year of 2004 alone more than eleven million victims lost their identity. Now that we are in recession, the world is in chaos more so than ever and many people...
- Identity Theft
LexisNexis, a provider of personal and financial data, recently reported that the personal information of as many as 310,000 people nationwide may have been stolen. This figure is nearly 10 times higher...
- ID Theft - Are You the Next Victim?
Identity theft is on the rise. One in ten of us have , or will be the victim of this crime. It is estimated that 500,000 to 700,000 Amercians become victims to indentity theft each year. You dont have...
- Finding Peace after Identity Theft
When a person fall victim of identity theft, rarely do they find peace thereafter. Victims of identity theft often struggle with paperwork, reports, credit reports, courts, police and the list goes on....
- 14 Steps You Can Take to Prevent Identity Theft
Becoming a major epidemic, Identity Theft occurs when a criminal uses another persons personal information to take on that persons identity. Identity theft includes the misuse of a Social Security number,...
- Save Your Credit Card from Fraud
Credit card fraud is a kind of fraud where a merchant is "tricked" into releasing merchandise or rendering services, believing that a credit card account will provide payment for goods/services.Typically,...
- Monitoring Your Credit Is Easy As 1-2-3!
Thanks to the FACT(Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions) Act, all U.S. residents will be allowed one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting agencies - Equifax, TransUnion,...
- Tips to Avoid Identity Theft
What is rampant, spreading like wildfire and can kill life as you know it? No, not a deadly virus (but close). Answer: Identity theft. My stepson, Aaron, was a victim of identity theft recently. Someone...
- Internet Privacy a Growing Concern
Lets face it, we look at stuff on the internet, in the privacy of our own homes that we would never look at in public. How often do you walk into your local bookstore and proudly by the latest Penthouse...
- How Identity Theft Can Happen To You
How Identity Theft Can Happen To YouIdentity Theft Can Happen To YouHow does it happen? Your personal information such as your social security number, banking account information, credit card numbers,...
- Don’t be a Victim of Online Auction Fraud
Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes are made and the byline,...
- Identity Theft Victims Persecuted
When a person becomes victim of identity theft the law, the thief, creditors and others often persecute them throughout the battle to restore their identity. Thus, in this article I am providing you legal...
- Identity Theft Taking Over
Identity thieves are taking over millions of lives each year, and the studies are showing the law is making very little headway in stopping the crimes from occurring. Recently, studies have shown that...
- Preventing Identity Theft
What is Identity Theft? It is the theft of your personal information, such as social security number, drivers license number, credit card and bank account numbers, mothers maiden name, and more, with...
- Learning about Identity Theft
Learning about identity theft is one of the most important things you will do in your lifetime, since millions fall victim each year. If you have fallen victim of identity theft, the time to come to blows...
- Victimized by Identity Theft
When a person is victimized by identity theft the person becomes a lifetime victim, simply put because regardless of how many times the law tells you they are working to resolve the problem, they are lying....
- An Open Letter From a So-Called Stupid
Why Identity Theft makes us all dummies, and what you can do to stop being stupid...Someone recently told me, "You would have to be a stupid to lose your personal information." While I respectfully responded...
- The Criminal Mind and Identity Theft
After studying human behaviors, crimes, criminals, emotions, thoughts, and various other subjects and surviving many crimes, I feel it is important to understand the criminal mind to a degree when fighting...
|
|
|
|
