Stop Identity Theft » credit card numbers http://stopidentifytheft.com and protect your credit Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:39:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 How To Protect Your Credit Card Information http://stopidentifytheft.com/how-to-protect-your-credit-card-information http://stopidentifytheft.com/how-to-protect-your-credit-card-information#comments Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:04:08 +0000 ID Theft Writer http://stopidentifytheft.com/how-to-protect-your-credit-card-information

credit card information

Sometimes, people hesitate a moment when they are at the checkout counter; about to hand over their debit card or credit card. They wonder briefly if their credit card information is really safe when the card is out of their hands. People are so accustomed these days to using their plastic for just about every type of purchase they make that they just assume that their credit card transactions will be handled securely, or at least hope that is the case.

However, the fact of the matter is that more and more often in this age of high technology, with criminals preying on people whenever and wherever possible, there is more risk than ever because of those who are intent on committing credit card fraud. Increasingly, people are finding that their personal information has been compromised and that their credit card statements are filled with charges that they never made, but instead were the work of those who work unceasingly to steal people’s identities and their credit card numbers.

One area that some identity theft and financial security experts have identified as a problem is with the smaller businesses and retailers that operate in neighborhoods around the nation. These experts claim that many small companies simply do not have proper precautions in place to protect the credit card information they process with the credit card transactions they handle. This can leave a security breach that can allow criminals to get their hands on this sensitive financial data.

In many cases, customer credit card info is still stored on computer systems located in these establishments and the data is not even being encrypted or secured in any way. In addition, many of the smaller businesses neglect to adequately protect their computer networks with secure firewalls and other anti spyware programs that can help to protect these companies from malicious viruses and trojans, which can compromise all of the data that is stored throughout the computers on their networks.

Another problem that has added to the security concerns voiced by industry experts is that the credit card payment processing industry has been lacking in providing a high level of training in order to properly educate small business owners and their employees of the potential problems that can occur as a result of lax computer and credit card processing security. Add to that the simple fact that most small business owners and those employees who help to manage and operate the business are rarely computer experts, and it is easy to understand how the problem has arisen and escalated with the expanded usage of debit and credit cards.

Over the course of the last year or so, the big credit card companies have begun pushing for better training and have also increased the requirements they have for security in order to reduce the risk of credit card information getting into the wrong hands. These additional steps should help reduce credit card fraud and identity theft and also should serve to help the consumers feel comfortable using debt and credit cards as much as they like.


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Tags: card information, credit card companies, credit card fraud, credit card information, credit card numbers, credit card payment, credit card processing, credit card transactions, debit card

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]]> http://stopidentifytheft.com/how-to-protect-your-credit-card-information/feed 0 Find Out How To Prevent Identity Theft http://stopidentifytheft.com/find-out-how-to-prevent-identity-theft http://stopidentifytheft.com/find-out-how-to-prevent-identity-theft#comments Mon, 22 Sep 2008 02:53:35 +0000 admin http://stopidentifytheft.com//?p=569 If you haven’t done so recently, you should invest a minor bit of time and effort into getting yourself a copy of your credit report. It is free once a year in most states, and you need to get a separate copy of it from each of the “big three” credit reporting bureaus, which are Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. Some creditors report to only one of them, some report to a couple of them, and some even report to all three of them. The key point is that the data maintained by each one is not necessarily the same, and in fact, is probably vastly different.

Why is the data different? With the hundreds of millions of credit reports that these companies need to maintain, errors are almost inevitable. Interestingly enough, studies have shown that the MAJORITY of consumers have at least one or more inaccurate or erroneous piece of information in their credit report. The scary part is that, contrary to popular belief, the errors will NOT be corrected automatically. In fact, if you don’t alert the credit bureau of the errors, then the errors will be carried forward with your record, year after year.

Please be aware that while identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes of this century so far, it is not limited to just online activities. Granted, with the advent of the ease of shopping online and being able to purchase something at a great price with just a couple of mouse clicks is attractive for many, there are steps you should take to ensure that you have done everything responsible that you can do to avoid your information from getting into the wrong hands. One of the first places to start is to get yourself a copy of your credit report, and look especially for accounts that you are not aware of, which is the first sign that you may be a victim of identity theft.

Online identity theft is a serious crime that can clean out your life savings and leave you with a damaged credit history that may take years to repair. Unless you’re familiar with the person with whom you’re dealing, or are filling out an official form for a legitimate personal or business purpose, information such as a social security number, bank account numbers, credit card numbers and other types of data that might have a bearing on your individuality should never be divulged. If you’ve ever used a credit card to order take-out food over the phone, you’re leaving yourself wide open to identity theft.

Congress passed the Fair Credit Reporting Act several years ago in an attempt to smooth out some problems in the credit reporting industry. The presence of this alert requires any creditor to verify the identity of the borrower prior to granting credit in his or her name.

When you travel, regardless of how you book your reservations, your personal information will still end up on the company’s computer and stored in their databases. Many companies, including some large major corporations, do not protect your personal data the way they should.

Many people ignore the importance of protecting their personal and financial information against identity theft until they become a victim of it. The amount of goods and services purchased with fraudulently obtained personal identity was more than $50 billion dollars last year.

If you purchase merchandise online frequently, you may want to use a separate credit card that you obtain just for that purpose. Always use ONLY that credit card. For the junk mail that you receive regularly saying you are approved for a new credit card or mortgage loan, don’t just simply throw it in the trash. Instead, invest in a shredder and take the time to shred those letters. Many cases of identity theft occur because the thief has gone “dumpster diving” to find those pre-approval letters, and opens an account in your name.

Jon is a computer engineer who maintains web sites on a variety of topics based on his knowledge and experience. You can read more about protecting yourself against Identity Theft at his web site at Prevent Identity Theft

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Tags: bank account numbers, credit card, credit card numbers, credit report, financial information, identity, identity theft, online identity theft, personal identity, prevent identity theft, security, social security, social security number, Theft, victim of identity theft

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]]> http://stopidentifytheft.com/find-out-how-to-prevent-identity-theft/feed 0 How Thieves Physically Steal Your Data! http://stopidentifytheft.com/how-thieves-physically-steal-your-data http://stopidentifytheft.com/how-thieves-physically-steal-your-data#comments Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:19:18 +0000 admin http://stopidentifytheft.com/how-thieves-physically-steal-your-data Basically, the theft of sensitive information from companies can happen in two ways: physical data breaches or online breaches of security. Physical identity theft refers to cases where the identity thief needs to get in close to their targets or to the information they are trying to obtain. These sorts of identity theft efforts include dumpster diving to search for documents which contain information such as account numbers, social security card or credit card numbers, addresses and like. Basically, any information which contains personally identifying information on a customer, vendor or employee is of use to identity thieves. Mail may be stolen or thieves may pose as company representatives over the phone in an effort to extract information from unwary employees.
Here are top fifteen ways in which corporate information is stolen by physical means:
1. Dumpster Diving – Someone will physically go through trash or recycling bins searching for employee records, addresses, [...]

Original post by KnowHow-Now.com Articles


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]]> http://stopidentifytheft.com/how-thieves-physically-steal-your-data/feed 0 Identity Theft: Phishing in Dangerous Water http://stopidentifytheft.com/identity-theft-phishing-in-dangerous-water http://stopidentifytheft.com/identity-theft-phishing-in-dangerous-water#comments Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:50:10 +0000 Daryl Campbell http://stopidentifytheft.com//?p=504 Have you received one yet? You know. The email directing you to visit a familiar website where for some odd reason you’re being asked to update your personal information? The website asks you to verify your passwords, credit card numbers, social security number, or even your bank account. You recognize the company name as one that you’ve done business with in the past, so you click on the “take me there” link and proceed to provide all the information they’ve requested. No problem right? Except you find out much later that the website is a fraud. It was created for one reason: to steal your personal information. Welcome to the world of phishing.

Phishing (pronounced as “fishing”) means to send an email to a recipient falsely claiming to have an established, legitimate business. By fooling the recipient into giving their private information, the phisher has in effect stolen their identity.

It’s not easy to spot an email phishing for information. At first glance, the email may look like it is from a legitimate company. The “From” field of the e-mail may have the .com address of the company mentioned in the e-mail. The clickable link even appears to take you to the company’s website, but in fact, it is a fake website built to replicate the legitimate site.

Many of these people are professional criminals that have spent considerable time in creating emails that look authentic. Users need to review all emails requesting personal information carefully. When reviewing your email remember that the “From Field” can be easily changed by the sender. While it may look like it’s coming from a company you do business with, looks can be deceiving. Keep in mind that phishers will go all out in trying to make their emails look as legitimate as possible. They will even copy logos or images from the official site to use in their emails. They also like to include a clickable link which the recipient can follow to conveniently “update” their information.

How do you check to see if the link is authentic? Point at the link with your mouse, and then look in the bottom left hand screen of your computer. The actual website address to which you are being directed will show up for you to view. This is a fast and easy way to check if you are being directed to a legitimate site.

Also never and I mean NEVER click the links within the text of the e-mail. Delete the e-mail immediately and empty the trash box in all of your e-mail accounts as well. If you are truly concerned that you are missing an important notice regarding one of your accounts, then type the full URL address of the website into your browser. That way you can be confident that you are being directed to the true and legitimate website.

Phishing is a major weapon of choice for online identity thieves. Don’t get hooked.

Daryl Campbell’s website fightidtheft.winthemarket.com provides free tips,resources, featured articles from experts and up to the minute news concerning identity theft and fraud.

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