Oct
22
Randy Vezina asked:
We have written this article for all the Teenagers, and your moms and dads.
Millions upon millions of teenagers are using the Social Networking Sites to chat with friends and meet new friends. The majority of people online are probably ok, but the law of averages demands that some are not. Some people are, quite frankly, stalkers and identity thieves. Those of you looking for a relationship may be the most vulnerable for a stalker. The identity thief and the person who wants to do you physical harm intentionally hunts for people who are open, trusting and looking for a relationship. They will put the time and effort into gaining your trust and finding out everything about your identity. Protect your identity. You must think before posting something on your blog.
If you post photo’s that show adult content and text about engaging in mature conduct you may very well be inviting people who want to harm you and identity thieves. Please be discreet and use good judgment. If you wouldn’t want your mom or dad to see it, then don’t post it. Never make your full name public and even your first name is may be a mistake. Instead, you could use a nickname. By doing this, no one will know who you really are, unless you want them to. Identity thieves are also online when you are, looking for those who post their address, phone number, driver license number, Social Security number, student ID number, and date of birth and the town you live in.
The identity thieves have the knowledge and skill to figure out a Social Security number when they have your year of birth and town you were born in. It would be fine to post the year you were born or your age, but when the thief or stalker combines this info with where you were born, they have the ability to figure out your SSN.
When meeting new people online you must never give your personal information to anybody. Just know that 15% of all identity theft is committed by a family member or real good friend who the victim thought they could trust. As far as I can tell, most teenagers join the social sites so they can meet someone new. Most of the time the new people you meet, are fun and decent. But the problem is that the identity thieves and stalkers have joined the same site as you and they are hunting.
If you do decide to meet someone in person, meet them somewhere public, like a mall or a restaurant with good parking and lots of lighting. A coffee shop is a good place to meet. Why not ask one your friends to go with you so you’re not alone? Protect your identity and don’t tell the new person where you live and meet somewhere that is at least ten miles from your home. When it is time to leave, walk to your car by yourself because they may write down your license number or follow you home when they see the kind of car you drive. Don’t go to their house until you really know them and when meeting someone new let your parents know where you are going and when you’re coming home.
Don’t worry about hurting anybody’s feelings if you don’t want to meet, just politely tell them your not interested and remember that these identity thieves and stalkers are quite good at their trade and they know how to sound sincere. If you are having a party please be careful about inviting new people. Your new friend may be ok but he may bring friends who are creeps and they are coming over only to steal items or look around the house for items and entry points so they can break in later. Always meet new people somewhere other than your place and trust your inner feelings (gut).
Lonnie
We have written this article for all the Teenagers, and your moms and dads.
Millions upon millions of teenagers are using the Social Networking Sites to chat with friends and meet new friends. The majority of people online are probably ok, but the law of averages demands that some are not. Some people are, quite frankly, stalkers and identity thieves. Those of you looking for a relationship may be the most vulnerable for a stalker. The identity thief and the person who wants to do you physical harm intentionally hunts for people who are open, trusting and looking for a relationship. They will put the time and effort into gaining your trust and finding out everything about your identity. Protect your identity. You must think before posting something on your blog.
If you post photo’s that show adult content and text about engaging in mature conduct you may very well be inviting people who want to harm you and identity thieves. Please be discreet and use good judgment. If you wouldn’t want your mom or dad to see it, then don’t post it. Never make your full name public and even your first name is may be a mistake. Instead, you could use a nickname. By doing this, no one will know who you really are, unless you want them to. Identity thieves are also online when you are, looking for those who post their address, phone number, driver license number, Social Security number, student ID number, and date of birth and the town you live in.
The identity thieves have the knowledge and skill to figure out a Social Security number when they have your year of birth and town you were born in. It would be fine to post the year you were born or your age, but when the thief or stalker combines this info with where you were born, they have the ability to figure out your SSN.
When meeting new people online you must never give your personal information to anybody. Just know that 15% of all identity theft is committed by a family member or real good friend who the victim thought they could trust. As far as I can tell, most teenagers join the social sites so they can meet someone new. Most of the time the new people you meet, are fun and decent. But the problem is that the identity thieves and stalkers have joined the same site as you and they are hunting.
If you do decide to meet someone in person, meet them somewhere public, like a mall or a restaurant with good parking and lots of lighting. A coffee shop is a good place to meet. Why not ask one your friends to go with you so you’re not alone? Protect your identity and don’t tell the new person where you live and meet somewhere that is at least ten miles from your home. When it is time to leave, walk to your car by yourself because they may write down your license number or follow you home when they see the kind of car you drive. Don’t go to their house until you really know them and when meeting someone new let your parents know where you are going and when you’re coming home.
Don’t worry about hurting anybody’s feelings if you don’t want to meet, just politely tell them your not interested and remember that these identity thieves and stalkers are quite good at their trade and they know how to sound sincere. If you are having a party please be careful about inviting new people. Your new friend may be ok but he may bring friends who are creeps and they are coming over only to steal items or look around the house for items and entry points so they can break in later. Always meet new people somewhere other than your place and trust your inner feelings (gut).
Lonnie
Oct
6
Should I pay for ID theft protection?
Filed Under Insurance | 3 Comments
Ben O20 asked:
I bank with Lloyds TSB and they offer a service called http://www.privacyguard.co.uk/ to protect you against ID theft. It costs £6.99 a month and was after some advice on if it’s worth it. Should banks not cover this by default? I’m pretty cautious with post/emails and what web sites I visit, I shred my post but I know people that have had ID theft and still concerned it could happen to me?
Catherine
I bank with Lloyds TSB and they offer a service called http://www.privacyguard.co.uk/ to protect you against ID theft. It costs £6.99 a month and was after some advice on if it’s worth it. Should banks not cover this by default? I’m pretty cautious with post/emails and what web sites I visit, I shred my post but I know people that have had ID theft and still concerned it could happen to me?
Catherine
Oct
5
How Serious Is Identity Theft Really?
Filed Under Law | Leave a Comment
Lisa Carey asked:
Yearly Reports of Identity Theft to the Federal Trade Commission:
In 2007 identity theft accounted for 36 percent of the 674,354 fraud and identity theft complaints (reported to the Federal Trade Commission.
In 2005 -255,565 cases of identity theft were reported to the FTC
In 2004 -246,847 cases of identity theft were reported to the FTC
In 2003 215,177 cases reported of identity theft were reported to the FTC
In 2001 CBS News reported that someone became the victim of identity theft every 79 seconds (CBSnews.com, 1/25/01)
Between 1997 and 2005 the Federal Trade Commission reported that over 3 million cases of fraud and identity theft were reported to over 1400 law enforcement agencies in 19 nations. Identity theft crimes are not limited to the United States but are committed world wide.
Facts every consumer should know:
- Credit card fraud (26%) was the most common form of reported identity theft followed by phone or utilities fraud; (18%), bank fraud (17%), and employment fraud (12%). Other significant categories of identity theft reported by victims were government documents/benefits fraud (9%) and loan fraud (5%). (Federal Trade Commission Complaint Data)
- the majority of cases go unreported to Federal or local authorities
- the most common age group affected by identity theft is 18-29
- the top 10 metropolitan areas affected by identity theft include: Phoenix, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; Miami, FL; San Francisco, CA; and Dallas, TX (2005)
- California had the most reported cases of identity theft with a total of approximately 45,000 cases of identity theft (2005)
- the most common method of retrieving information for use in identity theft is through lost or stolen wallets, theft of mail, dumpster diving, and information obtained through friends, family or consumer providers
- another common method of obtaining your information is by “stealing” it at a business that you may you frequent
New, Harder to Detect Form of Identity Theft
Synthetic identity theft occurs when bits and pieces of several people are used in order to create an entirely new identity. Information may come in the form of an address from one person, the social security number of another and employment or banking information from a third or fourth.
Your Damages resulting from Identity Theft:
In a study conducted of 173 victims of identity theft by The Identity Theft Resource Center specific damages were explored. In each case the victim’s damages included:
- an extended period of time to correct their credit status;
- 85% of the victims found out about the theft when they attempted to apply for a job or credit;
- victims are currently spending over 600 hours attempting to repair the damages to their credit
- victims are spending money in the approximate a amount of over $16,000 per victim to repair their credit
- it is taking longer to remove negative, incorrect or falsified information from their credit reports
- many victims equate the emotional impact of identity theft with that of a violent crime – in some cases similar to a rape as the violation can be that personal.
Identity theft is a serious crime. Damages result to individuals, banks, and businesses as well as families. Imagine going to purchase your new home to find out that your credit is damaged and now you are unable to. Imagine the time and money you will spend to correct the problems associated with identity theft. Millions of dollars and Hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and millions worldwide are affected each year by identity theft. Victims, both personal and business must use valuable time, effort and resources to correct the situation, which in some cases is beyond total repair. Damages are not only to your credit and your finances but also to your emotional, physical, and psychological well being.
Reporting suspected identity theft is essential to protecting yourself further and protecting others. Reports should be filed with local authorities, your State’s Attorney General’s office and the Federal Trade Commission. Consumers need to not only protect their information but by reporting efforts at identity theft may be able to stop it from happening in the future.
Consumers can report ID theft to the FTC by calling the agency’s toll-free number: 877-438-4338.
Gertrude
Yearly Reports of Identity Theft to the Federal Trade Commission:
In 2007 identity theft accounted for 36 percent of the 674,354 fraud and identity theft complaints (reported to the Federal Trade Commission.
In 2005 -255,565 cases of identity theft were reported to the FTC
In 2004 -246,847 cases of identity theft were reported to the FTC
In 2003 215,177 cases reported of identity theft were reported to the FTC
In 2001 CBS News reported that someone became the victim of identity theft every 79 seconds (CBSnews.com, 1/25/01)
Between 1997 and 2005 the Federal Trade Commission reported that over 3 million cases of fraud and identity theft were reported to over 1400 law enforcement agencies in 19 nations. Identity theft crimes are not limited to the United States but are committed world wide.
Facts every consumer should know:
- Credit card fraud (26%) was the most common form of reported identity theft followed by phone or utilities fraud; (18%), bank fraud (17%), and employment fraud (12%). Other significant categories of identity theft reported by victims were government documents/benefits fraud (9%) and loan fraud (5%). (Federal Trade Commission Complaint Data)
- the majority of cases go unreported to Federal or local authorities
- the most common age group affected by identity theft is 18-29
- the top 10 metropolitan areas affected by identity theft include: Phoenix, AZ; Las Vegas, NV; Miami, FL; San Francisco, CA; and Dallas, TX (2005)
- California had the most reported cases of identity theft with a total of approximately 45,000 cases of identity theft (2005)
- the most common method of retrieving information for use in identity theft is through lost or stolen wallets, theft of mail, dumpster diving, and information obtained through friends, family or consumer providers
- another common method of obtaining your information is by “stealing” it at a business that you may you frequent
New, Harder to Detect Form of Identity Theft
Synthetic identity theft occurs when bits and pieces of several people are used in order to create an entirely new identity. Information may come in the form of an address from one person, the social security number of another and employment or banking information from a third or fourth.
Your Damages resulting from Identity Theft:
In a study conducted of 173 victims of identity theft by The Identity Theft Resource Center specific damages were explored. In each case the victim’s damages included:
- an extended period of time to correct their credit status;
- 85% of the victims found out about the theft when they attempted to apply for a job or credit;
- victims are currently spending over 600 hours attempting to repair the damages to their credit
- victims are spending money in the approximate a amount of over $16,000 per victim to repair their credit
- it is taking longer to remove negative, incorrect or falsified information from their credit reports
- many victims equate the emotional impact of identity theft with that of a violent crime – in some cases similar to a rape as the violation can be that personal.
Identity theft is a serious crime. Damages result to individuals, banks, and businesses as well as families. Imagine going to purchase your new home to find out that your credit is damaged and now you are unable to. Imagine the time and money you will spend to correct the problems associated with identity theft. Millions of dollars and Hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and millions worldwide are affected each year by identity theft. Victims, both personal and business must use valuable time, effort and resources to correct the situation, which in some cases is beyond total repair. Damages are not only to your credit and your finances but also to your emotional, physical, and psychological well being.
Reporting suspected identity theft is essential to protecting yourself further and protecting others. Reports should be filed with local authorities, your State’s Attorney General’s office and the Federal Trade Commission. Consumers need to not only protect their information but by reporting efforts at identity theft may be able to stop it from happening in the future.
Consumers can report ID theft to the FTC by calling the agency’s toll-free number: 877-438-4338.
Gertrude