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What Are You Doing For Identity Theft Protection?

admin — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 06:52:50 +0000

Having identity theft protection is becoming an increasingly necessary precaution. This type of theft is a rapidly growing crime problem with many avenues in which unscrupulous thieves take advantage of unsuspecting people. Here is some information about identity theft and some things you can do to protect yourself.

What is identity theft? It is quite literally when someone steals your identity and then uses it to their own fraudulent advantage. Once your personal information has been compromised, the thief will set up phony credit accounts in your name with the card or money being sent to a false address, often a PO box. The thief will run up the charges and then default on the loan or credit card. This negative information is then reported to the credit bureau and your scores plummet, because from the creditor’s perspective, it was YOU who made the charges and are now not paying on them.

Identity theft can happen many ways. It is not only a crime that happens when people use the Internet for their financial transactions. Many times a credit card statement will be missing for one cycle. People don’t think much about it, but it could be the first indicator of identity theft. You may begin receiving letters or phone calls from creditors that you don’t even do business with. Coming back from identity theft is a very long and painful process that can potentially cost you hundreds and even thousands of dollars, not to mention months and even years of time when you cannot get credit for anything.

There are ways to get identity theft protection, though. Some common sense things can really save you time and money in the long run. Make sure that you protect all of your personal information. Shred any personal documents like credit card and bank statements, loan statements, even utility bills before you throw them away. Be especially vigilant with anything that has a social security number or bank account number on it. You should also check your credit report at regular intervals. This will help you catch any fraudulent information early on when you can prevent the most damage.

Identity theft is not limited to only online activities, but Internet safety is also important. Do not log into any websites on which you will be giving personal information unless they are a secured website. This means that instead of an “http” it should be an “https”. Do not respond or log in to any email that is sent to you, even if it looks like it is from your financial institution. Legitimate financial institutions will not ask you for personal information through an email. These types of scams are called phishing, and are very dangerous.

There are also many identity theft protection programs available. These programs will send you alerts when suspicious activity occurs on your credit report. They can also help diffuse the costs of disputing fraudulent transactions. If you are interested in this type of program, choose wisely. Not all companies are created equal and some are better than others. One of the premier companies that provides identity theft protection is Life-Lock, where the company even had an advertising campaign where the CEO of the company showed his own social security number in the ad because he felt so extremely safe in doing so!

Identity theft is a huge problem in America today. As a consumer you need to be vigilant in guarding your personal information. There are many things that you can do to avoid becoming a victim. Make identity theft protection a priority. You will be glad that you did!

For more insights and additional information on how you can get Identity Theft Protection as well as reviewing a special offer from Life-Lock for identity theft protection, please visit our web site at http://www.idtheftprotectiontips.com

Tags: credit card, credit report, identity, identity theft, identity theft protection, phishing, security, social security, social security number, Theft, thieves

Find Out How To Prevent Identity Theft

admin — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 02:53:35 +0000

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

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

Identity Theft – Impacting Your Taxes?

admin — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 21:27:22 +0000

If your identity is stolen, your finances can quickly become a nightmare. A less obvious problem is the effect identity theft can have on your taxes.

Identity Theft

Generally, thieves steal your personal data for the purpose of running up credit card charges or opening and abusing new accounts. A developing trend in the identity theft field concerns schemes impacting your taxes.

Selling Social Security Numbers

Identity thieves have created a new line of business – selling your social security number. Who would want to buy it? The list is surprising long, but undocumented workers, individuals with bad credit and people trying to obtain a new identity lead the list. This can create a huge problem for you since any income paid to those individuals is reported to the IRS as being paid to you. This results in the IRS having inflated income numbers and, often, audits when you “under report” your income.

With the creation of the Real ID Act, better known as the National ID Card, things will only get worse. Under the Act, all workers will be required to submit social security numbers to obtain jobs. With our leaky borders, there will be a high demand for your social security number.

False Tax Filings

It doesn’t take much to file a tax return. What’s to stop an identity thief from filing one under your name to generate a refund? Nothing. To generate the maximum refund, you can be all kinds of frivolous deductions will be claimed. After all, it will be you that has to attend the audit.

What Can I Do?

If you receive a notice from the IRS that leads you to believe someone may have used your Social Security Number fraudulently, you should notify the IRS immediately. Indicators can be found in notices from the IRS that state:

1. More than one tax return for you was filed, or

2. IRS records indicate you received wages from an employer unknown to you.

Don’t hesitate or be nervous about contacting the IRS. The agency knows this is a growing problem and not an opportunity to pound on taxpayers.

Richard A. Chapo is with BusinessTaxRecovery.com – obtaining tax refund recovery for overpaid small business taxes. Visit BusinessTaxRecovery.com to read more business tax articles or our new tax credits

Tags: credit card, identity, identity theft, security, social security, social security number, social security numbers, Theft, thieves

Check Your Credit Regularly to Minimize the Risk of Identity Fraud

admin — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 07:15:40 +0000

Every year, the cost of credit card fraud comes to billions of dollars. While this may seem like a large amount, numerous organizations report that crimes related to credit cards are one the rise. The increased use of the Internet has opened additional opportunities for thieves to access your account. And more people are using credit cards, which gives criminals more chances to steal valuable information.Rather than getting alarmed, you can take certain measures to protect yourself from credit card fraud. For starters, it’s important to have a solid understanding of identity theft and how it occurs. Read on for information about these crimes, and to learn what you can do to minimize the risk of identity fraud.How it HappensCredit card fraud can be carried out in a number of ways. One of the most traditional methods is to simply steal a cardholder’s credit card. If a criminal does this, [...]

Original post by KnowHow-Now.com Articles

Tags: credit card, credit card fraud, identity, identity theft, Theft, thieves

10 Tips To Prevent You From Being A Victim Of Credit Card Fraud

admin — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:19:33 +0000

Victims of credit card fraud can tell you just how traumatic it can be. It’s not just the potential money loss, it can also leave a bad mark on your credit report that can take years to sort out.

Most people think that credit card fraud is when your wallet or purse is stolen, and the thief uses your credit cards to buy all sorts of goods and services.

However, the number of purchases made online is growing at an incredible rate and so is the theft or misappropriation of people’s credit card details. All the thief needs to cause havoc to your account is your credit card details, number, expiry date, name and security code.

To prevent this from happening it is recommended that you take note of the followng credit card advice.

Here are a few ways that a thief can get your details with appropriate prevention tips:

* You get a phone call where the person on the line tells you about a special offer usually needing a fast response and your credit card details to make the purchase.

Tip #1 – Never give out your credit card details to people who call to sell to you. Only provide it when you call a company to place a phone order and when you are sure that you are dealing with well-established reputable business.

* You find out that someone has gone through the trash bags you left outside for the trash pick-up. Several days later you get your credit card statement and there are lots of purchases you knew nothing about.

Tip #2 – Invest in a shredder! Make sure you completely destroy your credit card receipts and bank statements before throwing them out. Thieves do go through trash bags looking for your statements and other details of your identity.

* You have a meal in a restaurant and use your credit card to pay for your bill. Your next credit card statement shows unauthorized charges dating from the time you had the meal. When you paid, the waiter made an extra imprint of your card when processing your bill, and then used the details to make internet purchases.

Tip #3 – Make sure that you watch the waiter when he processes your bill and make sure that he knows you are watching. If he takes your card, insist that you go with him to the pay station to complete the transaction.

So, what other measures can you take to stop you being a victim of credit card fraud? Here are some more tips:

Tip #4 – If possible, do not carry your credit cards in your purse or wallet. If the worst happens and your wallet is stolen, you will not lose both your credit cards and your cash.

Tip #5 – Only take the credit card that you are going to use that day – leave the others at home in a safe place.

Tip #6 – Make a list of all your credit card details and issuer contact details. The sooner you can report any loss the less damage can be done and your accounts can be frozen until new cards are issued.

Tip #7 – Never ever sign a blank receipt. Cross out any blank lines for tips on the receipt so that charges cannot be added. Always check your receipt befor you sign.

Tip #8 – If you are buying goods online make sure that you do so via a secure site.

Tip #9 – If you move house, let your credit card issuer know the new address as soon as possible. Thieves make it their business to know what is happening in the neighbourhood and will check mailboxes at empty houses hoping to pick up letters with bank, credit card and identity details.

Tip #10 – Spam email is an increasing problem. You may recieve messages that appear to be from your bank, Ebay or Paypal asking for you to update your bank and credit card details. These emails look real. Never provide details when asked to by email. Always log in to the link provided by your bank or payment processor to make any amendments to your details.

So there you have it…….Follow the tips above to reduce your chances of becoming a victim of credit card fraud!

Jeff Brown is the writer of many articles on personal finance and credit card
use. To read more articles like this one and for information on a range of online
credit card deals, please click the following link: http://www.creditcardsdoctor.com/articles.

Tags: credit card, credit card fraud, credit report, identity, security, Theft, thieves

Discover How You Can Get Identity Theft Protection

admin — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:16:22 +0000

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes of this century and it continues to increase for consumers and businesses that are not aware of it, and are not aware of really how easy it is. With credit card companies doing bare minimums on credit checks these days in their efforts to get more credit cards out there (and rake in an amazing amount of money in interest), this only serves to make the problem worse.

Consider the case of Matt Johnson. This is not his real name but the situation described here is very real and Matt remembers it like it was yesterday. Matt owned a small business that was doing quite well, and had always paid his bills on time even while in college. Matt and his wife started talking about a new car so they went car shopping, and eventually fell in love with a particular car where the car dealership was going to make a very good offer to them. Matt filled out the application form, anticipating that there would be no problems whatsoever. But when the salesman came back with a definite cloud over his head, Matt knew something had come up.

The car salesman proceeded to tell Matt that they could not approve him for a loan for his new car. Matt was astounded and asked to see the credit report that the car dealership had quickly pulled. Matt could not believe what he was seeing – page after page of opened accounts with nearly maxed out credit limits, all of them many months past due.

Yes, Matt had become a victim of identity theft, and in the ensuing weeks, Matt started to get calls from various credit card companies asking when he was going to start making payments. It was a real nightmare, and trying to explain that he was a victim of identity theft to the credit card collection agents was met with extreme skepticism. Even today, more than two years later, the problems on Matt’s credit report have not been cleaned up to the 100% level, and Matt has spent an incredible amount of his personal time chasing down the problems and getting them corrected.

This can happen to you too. Do you have an extra 2-4 hours every day for weeks and months on end to rectify this type of problem if it were to happen to you, without having that time you are spending negatively impact your family life or your work? If you are like most of us, the answer is a resounding NO.

There is a solution. Several companies are starting to offer protection against the crime of identity theft. It is like an insurance policy in some respects, because although you hope you never need it, it sure is nice to know that you are protected if the need should arise.

When you are looking at companies that offer such a service, be sure to look beyond just the cost of the service. For a business, the cost is probably a tax write-off, but even if not, compare the cost of the service against the losses you would sustain without it. Then be sure you are clear on exactly what is covered and what is not, and what your limits of liability are. Make sure the identity theft service works with the credit bureaus, who are the first to know when new credit is requested in your name.

Like insurance, you hope you never need it, but consider the degree to which your life and free time would change if you became and victim and did NOT have the protection!

Jon is a computer engineer with a wide variety of skills and expertise in many areas. For more information about a Identity Theft Protection please visit our web site at http://www.identity-theft-info.com

Tags: credit card, credit report, identity, identity theft, identity theft protection, Theft, victim of identity theft

A Thief Is A Thief…Wrapped In Electronic Sheep’s Skin…Just The Same…A Thief

admin — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 23:25:38 +0000

You pass them everyday going to work, coming home from work, going out for lunch, running an errand, shopping for groceries, hard working people are engaged at earning a living to feed their families and provide shelter for their care. Many lead structured lives dropping children off for day care and then scurrying off to work and working a job that they may or may not like, but they are there and applying themselves to the task. Some get paid on Fridays; others are paid every two weeks, commission sales people are paid when they sell. The self-employed run their own businesses and many meet weekly payrolls. Whether, employed as an auto mechanic, a nurse, custodian, grocery check out, firemen, policemen, truck drivers, pilots, all are working hard throughout the country and all with a seeming bulls eye on their fore head screaming hit me here.

Americans are one of the most productive work forces in the world. The American work force makes things happen. Much pride and satisfaction is achieved through work. Americans work hard for their money. That makes it tough when some scumbag decides to take their money with a slight of hand using the electronic cloak of a thief’s persona. Rationalizations are heard all the time from the convicted felons that the credit card companies make a lot of money and almost deserve to be ripped off. This uttered by a person who has not made the commitment to make and to perform an honest day’s work. Many cards have a $50 liability limit if the credit card Company is called right away. However, what happens when the credit companies are not called right away? Well, it depends on the card limit of course.

Thieves have found a wrinkle around that by giving the cardholder a feeling of comfort using a slight of hand. This allows the thief time to run the card up. Again, rationalization abounds in this act. Acting in concert, the card is lifted and either sold for cash or used by the thief. A few examples follow:

At a college intramural building a student was playing a pick up basketball game. He had carefully changed and placed his valuables in a locker with a key lock. After working out for two hours and racking up several outside three pointers the game was over. Upon returning to the locker room he discovered the locker to have been left ajar and not locked. Quickly checking his valuables, all the credit cards and cash were there and everything appeared in order. He thought it strange, but nothing was missing. Three days later, the credit card Company called and stated that several thousand dollars in purchases had been made on his card. He carefully looked at his wallet again and this time he pulled out all his credit cards and carefully looked at each one. Low and behold the cards had different names, although the same bank logo, and were all expired. So it appeared that the thief had broken into his locker and substituted some bogus cards and bought a few days to max out the cards in low dollar purchases to stay under the radar of detection. If he had called the credit card Company right away, the card would have been cancelled. Through use of the substitution with the bogus cards the thief was able to buy time to complete the ruse. Oh, because the theft was not reported right away, the cardholder was on the hook for most of the money. Americans work hard for their money.

The next scam involves more than one person such as a restaurant where you lose sight and control of your credit card. The item is charged up on the real card then through slight of hand another card on the same bank is substituted and the game begins. If the cardholder grabs the card and sticks it in their wallet without looking the game begins. Police have indicated this is part of the routine for the thieves. The collection of stolen cards adds to the collection of expired cards for future substitution for the intended marks. Stashes of expired cards are held by the thief waiting for a similar card with that particular logo and bank for the scam to unfold. If the patron discovers the error, this is a feint of dismay and the real one is found. Most restaurants run great businesses, like many things, a few spoil it for all the honest businesses.
Americans work hard for their money.

Other versions of this involve swiping the card with an old paper slider or even taking a photo of the card using a newer cell phone while noting the three number code on the back of card. Thus the thief is armed with the credit card number, the expiration date AND the three-digit code on the back of the card. With this information, online purchases can be initiated immediately. This technique utilizes an address other than the billing address. This is a little tricky for the thief because it could lead the authorities right back to the address, so…it could be an adjoining apartment that is carefully watched. Many cards are now requiring a zip code input, if an overly friendly server is probing for your location, a zip code could be deduced from the conversation.
Americans work hard for their money.

If anyone wants to keep their hard-earned money away from these thieves there are a few ways to do that. Short of fingerprint and/or eye scans its important not to be an unwilling participant in this scam. When working out or such put important stuff, such as wallet with credit cards, in a bag and lock it in the trunk of the car or keep the bag close by where all can keep an eye on it. Trust no one. It’s sad, but that’s the way it has to be. If out eating, it might be good to stop at an ATM and operate with cash when dining out. Another alternative is to seek a credit card with a very low limit of say $300 to $500 where if it is ripped off, the damage is minimized. When receiving a card back from an out of sight transaction, carefully examine the card to verify it is one in the same and not a substitute. This is a double insult when a server has been tipped. Perhaps it was not the server’s fault but an effort by the cashier or someone else. In any case, a person is either vigilant with their electronic cards or they are a candidate to get ripped off. Some establishments still have machines with the full credit card number on the two-part receipt. At most, it should only have four digits. Take a dark marker and black it out.

These thieves clothed in electronic sheep’s skin are giving sheep and wolves a bad rap. Keep in mind, this is not the worse of it. If a cardholder is not able to pay the money back then the credit scores plummet and years of endless explanations on this event are in store for this innocent party. In all cases, a police report needs to be filed in every instance. In the aforementioned cases the thief is an outside party. In many cases, it is someone close to the family and a police report is not filed as to protect the family member from going to jail. Alas, the credit score gets hammered again. The focus of this article is on outside perpetrators of credit card crime. Keep credit cards safe or otherwise risk a meltdown on the credit scores and credit history.

Americans work hard for their money. Honest work for thieves appears beneath them.

Dale Rogers is a thirty-year mortgage veteran and frequent contributor to the Broken Credit Blog. The BCB is a free website created to assist the general public with information about credit repair and responsible mortgage lending.

www.BrokenCredit.com
www.sellerhelpsbuyer.com

Tags: credit card, credit scores, Theft, thieves

Steps You Can Take To Avoid Becoming An Identity Theft Victim

admin — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 06:57:04 +0000

Becoming an identity theft victim can happen to anyone. Many people believe they can only become a victim if they make purchases online. However, there are countless ways people can become a victim of identity theft. Identity theft is becoming an increasing problem at an alarming rate.

One of the most common ways people become victims of identity theft is through mail fraud. Every day, people receive junk mail that they carelessly toss in the trash. If someone gets a hold of your junk mail, with some of your personal information, they can easily steal your identity. Therefore, it is important to shred any unwanted mail you may receive. It is worth investing in a cross shredder, so that your information does not fall into the wrong hands. These are readily available at just about any office supply store, or even a national chain such as Best Buy or Circuit City, and they are relatively inexpensive.

You can also become an identity theft victim if your wallet is either lost or stolen. Chances are, you carry credit cards, your driver’s license and other valuable, personal information in your wallet. Therefore, if it falls into the wrong hands, your identity can easily be taken over.

If you have fall victim to identity theft, there are a variety of different steps you will want and need to take. One of the first steps is to contact the three major credit bureaus and place a fraud alert on your credit. This can help in preventing the thief from continuing to use your identity and your credit.

Next, you will want to close any and all accounts that could have been affected by the thief. You will want to speak with a fraud worker for each company, so they have a full understanding of what is going on. When it is time to open new accounts, do not use the same PIN or Personal Identification Number you had used before. Likewise, you will want to avoid using numbers such a portion of your social security number, part of your phone number or birth date. As well, you will want to avoid using consecutive numbers.

You will also want to contact the Federal Trade Commission and file a complaint with them. You can either file the complaint online or by contacting them personally. The information that you provide the Federal Trade Commission will then be used to help track down the person who stole your identity. As well, you will want to file a report with your local police department. By filing a report with the Federal Trade Commission and your local police department, you are then entitled to certain types of protection. The reports will help block any fraudulent information from showing up on your credit report. Likewise, you will not be held responsible for any debt the thief racked up.

One of the most important things you can do is keep accurate records. Keep a notebook with the date and time and name of the person that you talked with at your bank, at your credit card companies, and even at the police department. Keep a copy of the fax or email you sent to report the crime. This is for your own benefit, since there are some credit card companies who may not believe that your identity was stolen, that all these new charges are really yours, and this documentation can help them understand this is real for you.

Anyone can become an identity theft victim. However, there are a variety of different steps you can take to both prevent the theft from occurring, as well as steps you can take to recover from the incident. With the rise in number of identity theft cases, it is very important to remain on the defense and take as many precautions as possible.

For more insights and additional information about how to avoid becoming an Identity Theft Victim as well as finding out about some services available to help prevent identity theft, please visit our web site at http://www.idtheftprotectiontips.com

Tags: credit card, credit report, fraud alert, identity, identity theft, identity theft cases, prevent identity theft, security, social security, social security number, Theft, victim of identity theft, victims of identity theft

“Mugged While Sleeping…Leads To Credit Repair”

Dale Rogers — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:39:10 +0000

On the way home from work, Tom looked at a short list on his “to do list” and began sequencing the list into a logical travel pattern to minimize crisscrossing. Sunday grilling with family and guests were an important event around the pool while cooling off and just chilling and relaxing and disengaging from the challenges and stress from work. This would be another great weekend.

While at the check out in the grocery store, the total rang up $192.52. Tom had given their other credit card to Tricia in the morning so she could make her stops as well. “Sir”, the check out lady said seeing he had a credit card out, “will that be credit or debit?” Tom said, “credit”, as he swiped his card. Some moments passed. “Hmmmmm….” The check out girl said, “Do mind swiping your card again, this one didn’t take.” Tom swiped his card again with the same result. Tom knew there was a $5,000 limit on this card and nothing was owed as he settles up every month like clockwork. In a panic, not believing what was happening, thinking it was just a machine malfunction Tom pleaded with the check out girl while unconsciously raising his voice to “try it one more time!” She does and says, “Nope, didn’t go, do you have another card?” she asks. Tom says, “no, I shared that with my wife this morning.” The clerk says, “Well sir, we have a big line up behind you, you’ll have to push your cart over to the service desk and perhaps they can help you.” Embarrassed by what was transpiring Tom pushes the cart over to the service desk and in further panic, calls Tricia on his cell phone.

As Tom would soon find out, he had been mugged in his sleep. Violated as if someone had pistol whipped him and took all his money and destroyed his credit rating in the process all in one full swoop. This story is repeated many times every day of the year over and over. Lives are interrupted. Yes there is a new law regarding identity theft and yes there are remedies to resolve the issue. However, now instead of having a great weekend with family and friends, he now needs to put on his fireman’s hat and gear to fight a wild fire threatening to destroy his good credit. The point is there is a street savvy criminal element that is out to take as much as they possibly can from you. You are just another mark. Bonnie and Clyde would be considered a couple of pikers compared to this scum. There is the matter of “universal default” where if you a delinquent on one card all the other credit card interest rates increase. A victim must be proactive. Much depends on it. The Federal Trade Commission web site on Identity Theft is a good place to start. This is no substitute for the phone work and letters you will need to employ perhaps over a two or three year period to fight your way back. This is where you will need to invoke your own credit repair program.

Can you totally eliminate this debacle? No, but you can make it tougher. There are steps.
A few measures would be: (1) Get a Post Office Box where no one will be able to rummage through all those credit card offers and later pick that applied card up out of your mail box using a newly supplied phone number to activate. (2) Buy and use a shredder for any and all personal information that formerly was exposed to self-appointed garbage can divers looking for your financial information. (3) When a vendor wants the “Three number code” on the back think twice about sharing it. Some pin numbers are stolen by looking over your shoulder. (4) Check your credit file frequently with all three bureaus. Monitor your credit file. (5) Require that any user of the card needs to show on the spot identification. (6) Don’t run dates of birth when running a credit report this is too much information. (8) Be careful with your information. Credit scores are utilized for granting and quoting mortgages, car insurance, car purchases and all can be adversely effected by a low credit score, whether it is your fault or not. (9) Keep a lower limit credit card for any online or impulse purchases. Lower the hit.

To get satisfaction, you will need to file a POLICE REPORT. Unfortunately, many of the offending perpetrators turn out to be family members and the victims are reluctant to file a POLICE REPORT, which will put the perpetrators in jail. Do not make your information available to anyone in your home. It would be like leaving thousands of $20s, $50s and $100 dollar bills hanging out on top of tables, all over the floor or sticking out a drawer. The temptation is just too great. Make it real tough for ANYONE to hurt your credit rating. No police report, no coverage from the credit card companies and there you are an even bigger victim. Mugged while sleeping by someone in your own home.

Sleep with one eye open. Avoid getting mugged while sleeping. Credit repair is no fun. Limit your exposure. If you find yourself a victim, file a POLICE REPORT and get busy.

Dale Rogers

http://www.brokencredit.com

Dale Rogers is a thirty-year mortgage veteran and frequent contributor to the Broken Credit Blog The BCB is a free website created to assist the general public with information about credit repair and responsible mortgage lending.

www.BrokenCredit.com

Tags: credit card, credit rating, identity theft

How Thieves Physically Steal Your Data!

admin — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:19:18 +0000

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, [...]

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Tags: credit card, credit card numbers, identity, identity theft, security, social security, Theft, thieves

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