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Identity Theft
It can happen to YOU
Did you know that:
And being a victim of identity theft (also known as identity fraud) doesn't mean your entire identity has been assumed by another person. It could be only ONE piece of your identity, like a credit card.
And how about this. Identity thieves don't even have to steal your credit card. All they need is your credit card number.
How do they get it?
They can overhear you giving out the number over the phone or they may see your card on a table in a restaurant. They may observe you typing the information into a computer or even take mail out of your mailbox.
Protect your identity
What can you do to prevent ID theft from happening to you?
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Use a shredder. Watch what you throw away if it has any information that can be identified back to you. Shredders with cross-cut technology do the best job of destroying printed information to make it non-readable.
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Don't leave mail in your mailbox. This applies to mail after it has been delivered to you, as well as putting your outgoing mail in your mailbox to be picked up.
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Know where your purse or wallet is, and keep a list of your credit cards so you can contact the cards issue companies if your cards are stolen or you feel they have been compromised in any way.
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Know where your credit cards are at all times. Identity thieves may write down your credit card numbers and you'll never know your card was used until the charge shows up on your credit card bill.
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Always check your credit card charges when the bill arrives. Identity thieves love the holiday seasons when there is more activity on credit cards, and they can charge items to you that may go un-noticed in a busy season with all your other charges. Make a thorough check and know what you are being charged for is truly something you purchased.
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Make sure you know who you're giving information to when they call on the phone. Watch those solicitors.
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When you are entering your account, password, or PIN information at the ATM, make sure no one can observe what you are typing.
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Make sure you check your credit report from time to time and see that all the creditors are ones you know you have accounts with. This can be done online.
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At Work Prevention: Anyone who has access to your workspace may have access to your computer and the information contained therein. Fellow workers, visitors, business support personnel or, at worst, burglars can get at the information in your computer unless you protect it. Use passwords for sensitive information. Turn off the computer when you are not using it or set the computer to automatically log out after a few minutes of non-use.
Use encryption programs.
Do not have your passwords stored in your software for frequently visited Web sites. Log them in each time you visit a site. You may wish to change hour password periodically. If you do, mix letters and numbers to make your password less vulnerable. And, of course, it is important to have passwords you can remember.
When you replace your computer, make sure that the hard drive on your old computer has all information stored there permanently erased. Merely deleting information on your computer does not permanently erase data. There are a number of inexpensive software programs that will permanently remove information from your hard drive.
- The 3 Credit Bureaus are:
Equifax Experian
www.equifax.com www.experian.com
TransUnion
www.transunion.com
It is good to get the "3-bureau report" as the information can differ among the three credit bureaus.
Be as observant as possible, and minimize the chances of someone else using your identity.
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Title: 15 Ways of reducing the risk of identity theft
Author: John Parsons
Article:
1- Check your credit report regularly
2- Secure personal information in your home, especially if you
have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in
your home.
3- minimize the amount of information someone can steal, do not
carry extra credit cards, your Social Security card, birth
certificate or passport in your wallet or purse, except when
needed. Always store your wallet in a safe place.
4- Make sure you have a locked mailbox, post office box or
commercial mailbox service. When you are away from home for an
extended time, have your mail held at the Post Office, or ask
someone you trust to pick it up.
5- Pickup new checks at the bank. Do not have them mailed to
your home.
6- Reduce the number of credit cards you actively use to a
minimum.
7- Cancel unused bank or credit accounts.
8- Keep a photocopy of all your credit cards, bank accounts, and
investments.
9- Never give out your SSN, credit card number or other personal
information unless you are sure the source is secure.
10- Do not throw out your credit card receipts in public places
always take receipts with you.
11- When creating passwords and PINs (personal identification
numbers), do not use the last four digits of your Social
Security number, mother's maiden name, your birthdate, middle
name, pet's name, consecutive numbers or anything else that
could easily be discovered by thieves. It's best to create
passwords that combine letters and numbers.
12- Install and update virus protection software to prevent a
worm or virus from causing your computer to send out files or
other stored information
13- Do not open files sent to you by strangers, or click on
hyperlinks or download programs from people you don't know.
Opening a file could expose your system to a computer virus
which could capture your passwords or any other information as
you type it into your keyboard.
14- Install a firewall on your home computer to prevent hackers
from obtaining personal identifying and financial data from your
hard drive
15- Before disposing of your computer, remove data by using a
strong "wipe" utility program. Do not rely on the "delete"
function to remove files containing sensitive information
About the author:
Founder of corporatenarc.com. corporatenarc.com is dedicated to
exposing corporate and business scandals, scams, fraud and
deception.
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Title: Prevent Identity Theft
Author: Itna Yeknom
Article:
Preventing Identity Theft
Alas, it's not possible to prevent identity theft and credit
fraud entirely. However, by managing your personal information
carefully, and with a full understanding of its importance, you
can substantially reduce the likelihood that it will happen to
you. The following tips show you how to prevent identity theft.
One Step Up on Identity Thieves
Be careful about giving out personal information. Whether on the
phone, by mail, or on the Internet, prevent identity theft and
never give anyone your card number, Social Security number, or
other personal information for a purpose you don't understand.
Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible, and don't
carry your SSN card. Be sure to keep it in a secure place.
Protect your mail. To stop a thief from obtaining personal
information( stealing identity) about you by going through your
through trash or recycling bin, tear or shred your charge
receipts, credit applications, insurance forms, bank statements,
expired charge cards, and preapproved credit offers. Deposit
outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local
post office. Remember to remove mail from your mailbox after
it's delivered. If you plan to go away, call the U.S. Postal
Service at 800-275-8777 and request a vacation hold.
Guard your credit cards. Minimize the information and the number
of cards you carry in your wallet. If you lose a card, contact
the identity theft protection division of the credit card
company. If you apply for a new credit card and it doesn't
arrive in a reasonable period, contact the issuer. Watch
cashiers when you give them your card for a purchase. Also, when
you receive a new card, sign it in permanent ink and activate it
immediately.
Pay attention to billing cycles. Contact creditors immediately
if your bills arrive late. A missing bill could mean an identity
thief has taken over your credit card account and changed your
billing address.
Safeguard personal information in your home. Especially if you
are having service work done in your home, employ outside help,
or have a roommate.
Find out who has access to your information at work. Be sure to
verify that records are kept in a secure location, and are
accessible only to employees who have a legitimate reason to
access it.
Memorize your passwords and personal identification numbers
instead of carrying them with you. Avoid using easily available
information like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the
last four digits of your SSN or your phone number, or a series
of consecutive numbers.
Other ID Theft Facts
Zero responsibility doesn't mean zero problems. Because credit
card companies must limit consumer responsibility to $50 in most
cases of fraud, and because many new cards include "zero
responsibility" identity theft prevention or protection, some
people think there's no reason to worry about credit fraud. But
in its most advanced form -- identity theft -- credit fraud can
cause wide-ranging long-term problems. Identity thieves can use
your personal information to take over your credit accounts and
open new ones. They may even use your good credit to get a job,
take out a car loan, or rent an apartment.
Check your credit report regularly. Checking your credit report
can help you catch mistakes and prevent identity theft fraud
before they wreak havoc on your personal finances. Make sure
your report is accurate and includes only those activities
you've authorized. It's also a good idea to review your credit
report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies
every year -- it's possible that information is reported to one
but not the others.
Quick Fact
Although the identity theft problem is nationwide, states with
the highest incidence of identity theft are California, New
York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida,
Georgia, Texas, Illinois, and Washington.
About the author:
Itna Yeknom is an independent author for core industry related
websites.
http://www.lendersnow.com">Credit Cards - Credit Check
and Credit Score with Free Credit Report
href="http://www.lendersnow.com/Credit_Report_Credit_Cards/debt-c
onsolidation-debt-repair.htm">Debt Consolidation - Debt
Repair
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Title: DERAILING IDENTITY THIEVES WHILE JOB-SEARCHING,
PART I OF III
Author: Teena Rose
Article:
Going up against identity thieves is like playing a very intense
game of chess. A player makes a move, but not before thinking of
the opponent’s potential moves. It resembles an intense game of
cat and mouse, where there can be only one winner.
Avoiding identity theft with outdated technologies can make even
the most passive jobseeker cringe with fear. Technology isn’t
the only cause, however. Companies that once monitored employees
for stealing and padding timecards are now charged with
observing the personal information of clients from their own
employees. Add international outsourcing to the mix, and we have
the potential mix for disaster.
What does all this have to do with your job-search? Conducting a
job search using the Internet has definitely transformed how
jobseekers contact hiring companies. The availability of copying
and pasting a text version resume into a form at a company’s
website has laid the foundation for an easier and more
convenient process. No longer does a jobseeker need to spend
hours with the traditional method of printing and mailing his
resume to countless recipients.
With the Internet’s convenience, a breeding ground for scam
artists continues to grow each year as well. Identity thefts
have increased to an overwhelming 10 million cases per year, and
many of them are the result of phishing — not surprisingly, the
employment industry is under attack as well.
Phishing is an attempt to extract personal information through
what appears to be authentic emails. If you are job searching,
an email from a seemingly interested recruiter, for example, may
not raise a red flag with you. You may think that the contact
person and company listed are legitimate, yet looks can be
deceiving. Knowing what to look for and how to spot fraud (or
potential areas for abuse) can be the best deterrent to ensuring
you have a safe experience while conducting your job search.
First, be leery of out-of-the-blue employment inquiries.
Scammers and spammers follow the same patterns. Mass emails are
sent to an enormous list of recipients. Not everyone on the “hit
list” is searching for a new job; however, only a small number
of people need to be convinced, or tricked into believing, the
email is authentic in order for the scam to be deemed
successful. Ask yourself a series of questions: Did you send
your resume to this company? Visit the company’s website (type
the web address into your browser, avoid clicking the link in
the email); upon further examination, are they reputable? How
did they hear about you? Call the company if necessary. Always
proceed with caution when you receive a cold-contact email from
someone.
Second, avoid responding to requests for personal information,
such as a social security or credit card number. Let’s say you
receive an email from what appears to be a well-known job bank.
The email states that your account needs your contact and
payment information to be updated in order for service renewal.
You click on the link and you’re taken to a page that looks,
feels, and “smells” right. You proceed by submitting the
requested information.
The link appeared safe, but you were taken to a site designed to
defraud you. Reputable companies will rarely ask for personal
information via email so examine every incoming email for
validity.
Third, when purchasing from an online business, ensure
information is encrypted upon hitting submit. Encryption, in
short, ensures the private information you submit online is kept
safe. When at your browser, you can recognize an encrypted form
when the root URL starts with “https:” instead of “http:” or
seeing the padlock present in the bottom right corner of your
screen. Purchasing from companies having added security measures
in place can ensure your private information avoids the hands of
ill-willed people.
Fourth, read and understand the privacy policy of sites you
patron. The Better Business Bureau possesses a strict policy for
members who do business online. A privacy statement must be
displayed on the company’s website, no exceptions. High business
practices are a necessity for maintaining the trust of online
buyers; and the BBB understands the critical importance of trust
among consumers.
A privacy statement outlines what type of customer information
is collected and how it’s used. Alliances and partnerships, for
example, arrange for Company A to sell or pass on client
information to Company B. The information transferred or sold
could be basic, like name and email address, or far more
in-depth like name, address, social security number, and phone
number. No matter how basic or detailed the information, the
company must have the logistics spelled out in their privacy
policy.
Last, studies have shown that an estimated 80% of online fraud
goes unreported. Go “against the grain” and fall into the
minority of 20%. If the proper authorities aren’t aware of the
magnitude of fraud that actually exists on the Internet, then
getting the much-needed funds to battle the problem will take
more time. The Internet Fraud Complaint Center (ifccfbi.gov) has
an online complaint feature for individuals to report phishing
attacks. The IFCC report process requires basic information,
including information on the perpetrator and type of fraud.
In addition to filing a complaint, forward the fraudulent email
to the legitimate company. Phishing is smearing the good names
of countless companies, and notifying the company about the scam
can also help the fight. Companies brought onboard will ensure
well-rounded efforts to this epidemic.
Avoid giving your information out freely. Whether you’re at the
end of a phishing attack or the job application requires more
information than you’re willing to provide, proceed with
caution. Much like you’ll analyze job opportunities; intensely
examine each person who receives your personal information. With
safe online practices, you’ll get the best return from your
job-search efforts — instead of spending hours filing a police
report and calling credit bureaus and credit card companies.
About the author:
Teena Rose is a certified and published resume writer and author
of "20-Minute Cover Letter Fixer" and "Cracking the Code to
Pharmaceutical Sales."
Read more articles from Teena Rose by visiting,
http://www.resumebycprw.com/resume_articles.htm
Other sites with Identity Theft Information:
Fraud - How Do You Prevent Identity Theft From Happening To You
Fraud Prevention, Information and News about Fraud Online
http://www.fraudwatchernetwork.com/news/how-do-you-prevent-identity-theft-from-happening-to-you.html
Link Title: Fraud - How Do You Prevent Identity Theft From Happening To You
Descritption: Fraud Prevention, Information and News about Fraud Online
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