Stop Identity Theft » social security

How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

ID Theft Writer — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:48:41 +0000

Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. With tens of millions of identities being stolen in the last year, you must make sure that you do not become identity theft’s next victim.

There are a few steps that you can take to reduce the probability of falling victim to identity theft. Probably the easiest thing to do is to just use your common sense. Make sure you protect your important personal information and do not give it out unless you absolutely have to.

You need to check your credit bureau report at least annually to ensure that there has not been any credit opened in your name without your authorization. If you are aware of what should appear on your credit report, then it is simple to see if there has been any unauthorized use of your personal information.

You should be using identity theft shield to reduce your exposure to the possibility of your identity being stolen. There are several companies that specialize in protecting your identity. identity theft prevention companies use a credit report fraud alert so that you are alerted anytime someone attempts to open up credit using your social security number.

These identity theft companies also reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, including credit offers. This limits the chances of mail theft resulting in your identity being stolen.

Also, identity theft companies monitor the black market and online activity for any unauthorized use or selling of your valuable information. Criminals typically will sell your valuable information, such as your social security number and name and address, which is used to steal your identity.

With ID theft hitting one out of every four residences in the United States, you need to make sure you are protected. By using an identity theft prevention service, you are doing what you can to make sure you do not become a victim of identity theft. To find out more about these services, you can read about TrustedID.

Tags: credit report, d, fraud alert, identity, identity theft, identity theft protection, preventing identity theft, security, social security, social security number, Theft, trustedid, victim of identity theft

Antispyware Software Can Stop Cyber Intruders

ID Theft Writer — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:46:09 +0000

There is no doubt that technology affects most people who live anywhere other than third-world countries. It is difficult to go through a day without the need to put some type of technology to work. The most common and powerful piece of technology for most people is the personal computer that they use at home and at work. Because people and businesses are now so dependent on their computers, it is essential that they make sure to have effective antispyware software installed and running on their systems.

Like just about every type of advancement made throughout time, there are associated positives and negatives. When it comes to the technological advancements that surround us today and which are so much a part of our lives, there is no difference. In many ways, technology is a two edged sword, bringing about conveniences and expanding capabilities in ways many people had never dreamed of, yet at the same time bringing with it some alarming and numerous internet threats to every person who uses a computer to access the internet.

Most people are aware of identity theft products thanks to companies such as Lifelock but losing your social security card isn’t the only way to have your identity stolen. Hackers are constantly prowling the internet looking to steal an identity.

One thing that is quite effective at combating those insidious internet threat security trends that are so prevalent today is to use a robust and reliable antispyware software application. Of course, it is not enough just to install this kind of internet security software on your computer; it is also imperative that it is always updated and constantly scanning your system.

Any internet threat that is instigated by cyber criminals of the world is constantly changing in an effort to stay one step ahead of even the best antivirus and antispyware programs on the market. Because of this, it is imperative that you update your antispyware and other computer internet security software frequently.

These days, many of the top-of-the-line internet security suite software packages are designed to automatically check for updates and download them without any intervention from the computer user. This can all happen seamlessly in the background so that other work and important tasks are not interrupted, yet the internet safety software is always functioning at the best possible level. The only requirement for these automated software updates to happen is for the computer to be running with the application running in the background or on a system level, and making sure that the computer is connected to the internet.

The best quality antispyware software programs available today have a feature that allows them to automatically check to see if there are updates on a regular basis. Most programs check for these security updates on a daily basis, which is sufficient in most cases. However, there is one program that stands out in terms of the frequency of updates. The Kaspersky internet security application goes above and beyond the standards of their competition. It is programmed to check for updated security patches every hour, which means new online threats can be squelched very quickly.

Oh the blessings and curses that the internet brings. On one hand the internet is used by most people daily to keep up with friends, work or play games. On the other hand it leaves your computer wide open to malicious software that can bring your computer to a screeching halt. If you use the internet then you need to be concerned with internet safety. All it takes is one vicious virus or Trojan and you could find yourself with a jacked up computer.

Get the software you need to be secure: Click Here and protect yourself for free.

Tags: antispyware software, d, identity, identity theft, security, social security, Theft

Stop Identity Theft in its Tracks

ID Theft Writer — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:46:07 +0000

ID theft is the quickest growing crime in the United States. With tens of millions of identities being lost in the last year, you must ensure that you do not become identity theft’s next victim.

There are several things that you can do to limit the probability of falling victim to identity theft. Probably the easiest thing to do is to just use your good judgement. Make sure you protect your valuable personal info and do not give it out unless you absolutely have to.

You need to check your credit report on a regular basis to make sure that there has not been any credit opened in your name without your authorization. If you are aware of what should be on your credit bureau report, then it is simple to see if there has been any unauthorized use of your social security number.

You can also use protection against identity theft to limit your risk to the chance of your identity being stolen. ID theft prevention is a speciality of several reputable services. ID theft protection services use a credit bureau fraud alert so that you are alerted whenever someone attempts to open up credit using your social security number.

These ID theft solutions also eliminate a lot of junk mail, which includes offers of new credit. This limits the chances of mail theft resulting in your identity being stolen.

Also, identity theft companies watch the black market and the Internet for any unauthorized use or selling of your valuable information. Criminals typically will sell your personal information, such as your social security number and name and address, which is then used to steal your identity.

The average identity theft victim spends 600 hours and $8000 to repair their credit. By using an identity theft prevention service, you are doing a lot towards making sure you do not fall victim to identity theft. To get more information about these services, you can read about Life Lock.

Tags: credit report, d, fraud alert, identity, identity theft, identity theft protection, life lock, preventing identity theft, security, social security, social security number, stop identity theft, Theft

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

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

Why identity theft is likely to get much worse

Michael Soliatis — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:57:14 +0000

In 2005 some ten millions residents of the USA were victims of identity theft with each one losing an average of about $7,000.

Clearing their name can take each victim a year during which time they’ll spend some 200 hours working on the problem (writing letters, making phone calls, etc.) at a personal cost of over $1,000 in expenses. That’s over a month of full time employment.

Even then a quarter of all victims will not succeed in clearing their name.

So how do identity thieves steal the personal information they use to such devastating effect?

Identity thieves will steal your mail, search through your trash, steal from your home, steal your purse or wallet.

And don’t imagine these identity thieves are always unknown to you because the people who have the easiest access to your belongings are people you let into your home or people you associate with at work, in clubs and in public place.

Identity thieves can also make use of public records and phone books. And these days many of these records are stored and easily accessed online.

Of course, some identity thieves will go to greater lengths by using easily available software programs to attack insecure networks or vulnerable home computers.

Having stolen your identity what do the thieves do with your personal information?

42% will steal from existing credit card accounts or spend money on a new account created in the stolen name.

20% will commit telephone or utility fraud.

13% will steal from an existing bank account or open a new account in the stolen name from which they can withdraw money.

9% will use the stolen identity to gain employment, 7% to obtain a loan and 6% to obtain documents such as a driver’s license, social security number or government benefits.

It behoves us all to take care of our identity, to treat it as something just as precious as other valuable belongings and to take all reasonable steps to ensure that others cannot steal it.

Author Michael Soliatis maintains that it’s essential to protect yourself from identity theft and avoid becoming a victim.

Tags: credit card accounts, social security, thieves, victims of 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, [...]

Original post by KnowHow-Now.com Articles

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

Preventing Identity Theft – Don’t Be Next

adc1000 — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:47:19 +0000

Mailbox: Lock it securely! Many people still do not bother and yet it’s one of the easiest steps you can take in preventing identity theft. Without it, all the identity thief needs to do is walk past, open and grab your post. Cut your post down as much as possible by singing up to online banking and cancelling paper bank statements.

Purses And Wallets: Getting hold of your typical purse or wallet is like striking gold for the identity thief so always try and keep it safe. Also, have a look through it right now and see if you really need to be carrying everything that’s in there. Your social security number for instance, when was the last time you actually needed it going about your every day business? Take it out and leave it somewhere safe and only take it with you when you know you will need it, new job, hospital visit etc. Better still, try and memorize it so you never need to carry it on your person.

The Trash: If you are serious about preventing identity theft you simply must invest in a paper shredder. You can pick one up for around $20 nowadays and its a must have tool to beat the dumpster divers. All identity thieves know the easiest way to find a usable identity is to look in the trash. A bank or credit card statement, letter from the hospital etc. All can be used as a first step in creating another financial you.

Do Not Dismiss The Pro’s: A company like Life Lock charge around $10 a month which is great value for money when you consider the peace of mind that comes with it.

Giving Away Information: The identity thief is a brazen thief. Posing as your doctors office, your bank etc. they will often phone or email folk asking for personal information. Emails especially seem to work well for them, probably because of the sheer numbers. Software allows them to email millions at a time so it only requires less than 1% to comply and they’ve had a good day at work. Never give out social security numbers, bank account details and especially passwords. Your online bank, ebay, Amazon etc. NEVER ask for your password in an email.

Lockers: You are much more likely to know the person who steals your identity than the criminal be some con artist working from a laptop in Nigeria. If you use lockers at work or the gym, use your own locks on them if possible. If you go away on vacation, empty your lockers before you go. If a work mate know’s you are away for 2 weeks he’s got a great head start with those credit cards!

The above are just a few of the many steps you should be taking if you are serious about preventing identity theft. For many more tips and advice on preventing identity theft please feel free to grab your copy of our complimentary ebook, “Facts About Identity Theft“

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

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