Nov
13
Tony Francis asked:
What is identity theft? For starters, identity theft is a crime. And currently it is the fastest growing crime. In the United States alone, everyday an average of 27,000 people and their identity are being pilfered. For every second an identity is stolen. For every three seconds an identity of a person is being exposed to identity thieves.
Identity theft is the term used to refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal information or identity through deception or fraud, typically for their economic gain.
Basically, everyone is at risk of identity theft, because all people whose personal information or identity is in the hands of other people can be victims of identity theft. But the good thing is that people can get identity theft protection, to counter the risk of identity theft.
Taking precautions to protect yourself from identity theft is in the best interest of everyone. Unlike your fingerprints, which cannot be obtained and used by somebody else, your personal data, if stolen, can be used against you.
Your Social Security number, your bank account or credit card number and other valuable identifying data, ¬ if fallen or obtained by wrong hands can be used for personal gain at your expense.
And because identity theft is a big problem and being a victim is a bigger problem, everyone should know identity theft protection.
Everyone could get identity theft protection. A person could be protected by a credit monitoring agency. When you have signed with a credit monitoring agency, and you become a victim of identity theft, or in other words your identity was stolen, the credit monitoring agency you have will immediately inform you about the incident and they will guide you through the steps on how to fix it.
Another identity theft protection a person could get is to have a identity theft protection agency. Identity theft protection agencies unlike credit monitoring agencies, does not only monitor your credit but also takes active steps to prevent fraud in the first place. They do this by placing alerts on your credit report, so that financial and insurance companies must contact you before they do anything with your file. They will do this before they will create new financial accounts, issue new credit cards in your name, or apply for mortgages and loan.
And some identity theft protection agencies even constantly remove you from junk mail and pre-approved credit card lists and marketing databases. And if in case a person who signed with an identity theft protection agency becomes a victim of identity theft, instead of him or her spending all that time on the phone, these services have at his or her disposal a team of investigators, accounts, credit specialists and lawyers to help him or her deal with the problem.
And aside from these agencies whose sole purpose is to help you fight and prevent identity theft, there are also identity theft protection tips that everyone could practice to counter identity theft.
And examples of these tips are: to check and monitor your credit reports, to update your anti virus software because most identity stealing happens online with the use of viruses found on downloaded files, and to be vigilant with phishing mails and fraud phone calls.
Identity theft protection might cause you time, effort, and money, but it is better compared to the financial hardships brought by being a victim of identity theft.
Troy
What is identity theft? For starters, identity theft is a crime. And currently it is the fastest growing crime. In the United States alone, everyday an average of 27,000 people and their identity are being pilfered. For every second an identity is stolen. For every three seconds an identity of a person is being exposed to identity thieves.
Identity theft is the term used to refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person’s personal information or identity through deception or fraud, typically for their economic gain.
Basically, everyone is at risk of identity theft, because all people whose personal information or identity is in the hands of other people can be victims of identity theft. But the good thing is that people can get identity theft protection, to counter the risk of identity theft.
Taking precautions to protect yourself from identity theft is in the best interest of everyone. Unlike your fingerprints, which cannot be obtained and used by somebody else, your personal data, if stolen, can be used against you.
Your Social Security number, your bank account or credit card number and other valuable identifying data, ¬ if fallen or obtained by wrong hands can be used for personal gain at your expense.
And because identity theft is a big problem and being a victim is a bigger problem, everyone should know identity theft protection.
Everyone could get identity theft protection. A person could be protected by a credit monitoring agency. When you have signed with a credit monitoring agency, and you become a victim of identity theft, or in other words your identity was stolen, the credit monitoring agency you have will immediately inform you about the incident and they will guide you through the steps on how to fix it.
Another identity theft protection a person could get is to have a identity theft protection agency. Identity theft protection agencies unlike credit monitoring agencies, does not only monitor your credit but also takes active steps to prevent fraud in the first place. They do this by placing alerts on your credit report, so that financial and insurance companies must contact you before they do anything with your file. They will do this before they will create new financial accounts, issue new credit cards in your name, or apply for mortgages and loan.
And some identity theft protection agencies even constantly remove you from junk mail and pre-approved credit card lists and marketing databases. And if in case a person who signed with an identity theft protection agency becomes a victim of identity theft, instead of him or her spending all that time on the phone, these services have at his or her disposal a team of investigators, accounts, credit specialists and lawyers to help him or her deal with the problem.
And aside from these agencies whose sole purpose is to help you fight and prevent identity theft, there are also identity theft protection tips that everyone could practice to counter identity theft.
And examples of these tips are: to check and monitor your credit reports, to update your anti virus software because most identity stealing happens online with the use of viruses found on downloaded files, and to be vigilant with phishing mails and fraud phone calls.
Identity theft protection might cause you time, effort, and money, but it is better compared to the financial hardships brought by being a victim of identity theft.
Troy
Nov
11
Ronald Hudkins asked:
Whether you want to realize it or not, identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States today. All of us, no matter how careful, can become victims of identity theft. In 2007 there were seventy nine million credit card and Social Security Number thefts according to major news media investigations. In fact, it was determined every three seconds another identity is stolen. That was an increase of four million additional people over the previous years statistics, that had their identity or financial information compromised.
Anyone with a Social Security number and assets to loose should be concerned with identity theft. Unfortunately, a common belief by many people is they assume they have nothing significant for thief’s to take advantage of. Bear in mind criminals are much better than you are at making use of your information. For example; there is credit card theft where someone steals your credit card and runs up charges. Identity theft is where someone steals your personal information (social security number, date of birth, name, etc.and very successfully uses individual identities’ to gain employment, establish a new citizenship or open new lines of credit.
You must realize that your information is stored locally and nationally. Your dentist, doctor, banking facility(s), college transcript, club memberships are examples of data configurations where your personal information is stored. I don’t have to remind you there have been numerous sophisticated agencies and institutions hacked into and identities stolen. How easy it would be to have your identity stolen from neighborhood businesses, your mailbox or even your trash receptacles. Your information like it or not is everywhere thus, a great step is to shred any paper containing your personal information as a proactive measure to protect your identity.
It’s no secret that many savvy consumers have learned to place fraud alerts on their accounts which prompt creditors to call them if someone is trying to establish credit in their names. But did you know these alerts are generally only valid for a period of ninety days? Are you really confident enough to believe your going to take the time or for that matter, even remember to renew fraud alerts every three months? Remember too, just because you have fraud alerts placed does not guarantee you from becoming a victim.
There is an option to implement a credit freeze which locks down all of your personal information making it impossible for anyone to open a line of credit in your name, including you. There are also fees involved with many credit freezes. When you place a freeze, you pay a fee. From this point forward, if one wants to open some new line of credit i.e. credit card, cell phone, auto loan, etc., the freeze must be lifted; there will be a fee for that as well. There are 33 states plus the District of Columbia that have an option to authorize individuals to implement a credit freeze. Unfortunately, if you don’t live in one of these areas, you can not undertake this proactive option.
Because of the many and increasing breaches that have been published,there has been an ever increasing prominence of credit watch services. What exactly is a credit watch, and what benefit does such a service offer the consumer? Credit Monitoring (or a watch) is the credit bureau selling the consumer their own information. After there has been a change on your credit report, the bureau notifies you in 24 to 72 hours that there has been a change. It is then the consumer’s responsibility to check the information for accuracy and by the way, if they find that it is a case of identity theft, the consumer is responsible for any losses, expenses and has to spend the time to clean up the mess. The Bureaus do nothing to actually prevent the crime of identity theft, nor do they help fix the problem. The FTC says it takes an average of 177 hours and over two years to clean up an identity or credit compromise, if you can clean it up at all.
I’m not trying to come off as a fatalist and give anyone the impression there is nothing that can be done about criminal activity. If you worry about identity theft, then it’s time you got to know about identity theft services. These agencies provide proactive identity theft protection.
On your behalf, ID theft companies request that fraud alerts be placed on your accounts. By placing these fraud alerts, you are asking that creditors take extra care to identify who you are and to investigate the validity of any pending transaction. These services also request that your name be removed from pre-approved credit card lists and junk mail lists. Additionally, services annually order your free credit reports from the three major credit reporting bureaus. In the event that your identity is compromised, qualified professionals are available to assist you in addressing whatever complications may arise.
In summary one might ask; What is the actual need for a service that protects identities? The simple answer is nothing more than convenience and protection. The assurance that nothing is overlooked in the shuffle and required responsibilities in everyday living that would keep you from taking the measures necessary to protect your identity. These services have but one concern and mission, to safeguard your identity and assets.
Erica
Whether you want to realize it or not, identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States today. All of us, no matter how careful, can become victims of identity theft. In 2007 there were seventy nine million credit card and Social Security Number thefts according to major news media investigations. In fact, it was determined every three seconds another identity is stolen. That was an increase of four million additional people over the previous years statistics, that had their identity or financial information compromised.
Anyone with a Social Security number and assets to loose should be concerned with identity theft. Unfortunately, a common belief by many people is they assume they have nothing significant for thief’s to take advantage of. Bear in mind criminals are much better than you are at making use of your information. For example; there is credit card theft where someone steals your credit card and runs up charges. Identity theft is where someone steals your personal information (social security number, date of birth, name, etc.and very successfully uses individual identities’ to gain employment, establish a new citizenship or open new lines of credit.
You must realize that your information is stored locally and nationally. Your dentist, doctor, banking facility(s), college transcript, club memberships are examples of data configurations where your personal information is stored. I don’t have to remind you there have been numerous sophisticated agencies and institutions hacked into and identities stolen. How easy it would be to have your identity stolen from neighborhood businesses, your mailbox or even your trash receptacles. Your information like it or not is everywhere thus, a great step is to shred any paper containing your personal information as a proactive measure to protect your identity.
It’s no secret that many savvy consumers have learned to place fraud alerts on their accounts which prompt creditors to call them if someone is trying to establish credit in their names. But did you know these alerts are generally only valid for a period of ninety days? Are you really confident enough to believe your going to take the time or for that matter, even remember to renew fraud alerts every three months? Remember too, just because you have fraud alerts placed does not guarantee you from becoming a victim.
There is an option to implement a credit freeze which locks down all of your personal information making it impossible for anyone to open a line of credit in your name, including you. There are also fees involved with many credit freezes. When you place a freeze, you pay a fee. From this point forward, if one wants to open some new line of credit i.e. credit card, cell phone, auto loan, etc., the freeze must be lifted; there will be a fee for that as well. There are 33 states plus the District of Columbia that have an option to authorize individuals to implement a credit freeze. Unfortunately, if you don’t live in one of these areas, you can not undertake this proactive option.
Because of the many and increasing breaches that have been published,there has been an ever increasing prominence of credit watch services. What exactly is a credit watch, and what benefit does such a service offer the consumer? Credit Monitoring (or a watch) is the credit bureau selling the consumer their own information. After there has been a change on your credit report, the bureau notifies you in 24 to 72 hours that there has been a change. It is then the consumer’s responsibility to check the information for accuracy and by the way, if they find that it is a case of identity theft, the consumer is responsible for any losses, expenses and has to spend the time to clean up the mess. The Bureaus do nothing to actually prevent the crime of identity theft, nor do they help fix the problem. The FTC says it takes an average of 177 hours and over two years to clean up an identity or credit compromise, if you can clean it up at all.
I’m not trying to come off as a fatalist and give anyone the impression there is nothing that can be done about criminal activity. If you worry about identity theft, then it’s time you got to know about identity theft services. These agencies provide proactive identity theft protection.
On your behalf, ID theft companies request that fraud alerts be placed on your accounts. By placing these fraud alerts, you are asking that creditors take extra care to identify who you are and to investigate the validity of any pending transaction. These services also request that your name be removed from pre-approved credit card lists and junk mail lists. Additionally, services annually order your free credit reports from the three major credit reporting bureaus. In the event that your identity is compromised, qualified professionals are available to assist you in addressing whatever complications may arise.
In summary one might ask; What is the actual need for a service that protects identities? The simple answer is nothing more than convenience and protection. The assurance that nothing is overlooked in the shuffle and required responsibilities in everyday living that would keep you from taking the measures necessary to protect your identity. These services have but one concern and mission, to safeguard your identity and assets.
Erica
Nov
1
Identity Theft Victim Records
Filed Under Law | Leave a Comment
Keith Londrie asked:
Identity theft crimes are not new, but they have become more persuasive in the past decade. In mid-2005, San Francisco Chronicle discovered that holders of more than 40 million credit cards were vulnerable to financial fraud because identity thieves had compromised their credit card information. Earlier that year, information and data broker, Reed Elsevier Group PLC, revealed that several hundred thousand people might have had their profiles stolen from one of its U.S. databases. One quickly learns to secure their computer networks so that these kinds of attacks, or leaks are non-existant.
Information compromised included names, age, physical descriptions, mailing addresses, Social Security, and driver license numbers. This is virtually everything an impersonator needs to set up a clone of the identity theft victim, enabling him to make a number of financial and personal transactions in the victim’s name. Usually an identity theft victim is usually under age forty, while about 11 percent of victims are age sixty or older. According to Federal Trade Commission (FTC), one in six identity theft victims said that thieves used their personal information to open at least one new account, such as credit card accounts or loan accounts, to rack up debts on existing accounts. The most recent data indicates that 9.3 million Americans (or 4.25% of all adults) are victims of ID theft on an annual basis. This is an alarming rate and should show you that you NEED to take preventative steps toward protecting your identity.
An identity theft victim risks the destruction of his/her good credit history, and may spend years, and large sums of money restoring the credit history and goodwill. There are instances of an identity theft victim been denied work or insurance or been detained for crimes he did not commit! Some victims of ID theft found that their names have been misused after police stopped them for a traffic violation and discovered that there is a warrant for their arrest. There are also times when an innocent person receives a summons to appear in court to answer for a criminal act. FTC’s latest survey shows ID theft losses to businesses and financial institutions total $52.6 billion annually. Recently, Federal Trade Commission launched a website annualcreditreport where all consumers are eligible for a free copy of their credit reports. Take the time to go to that site and get your free credit report. This can be a step to alerting you to suspicious activity.
Beth
Identity theft crimes are not new, but they have become more persuasive in the past decade. In mid-2005, San Francisco Chronicle discovered that holders of more than 40 million credit cards were vulnerable to financial fraud because identity thieves had compromised their credit card information. Earlier that year, information and data broker, Reed Elsevier Group PLC, revealed that several hundred thousand people might have had their profiles stolen from one of its U.S. databases. One quickly learns to secure their computer networks so that these kinds of attacks, or leaks are non-existant.
Information compromised included names, age, physical descriptions, mailing addresses, Social Security, and driver license numbers. This is virtually everything an impersonator needs to set up a clone of the identity theft victim, enabling him to make a number of financial and personal transactions in the victim’s name. Usually an identity theft victim is usually under age forty, while about 11 percent of victims are age sixty or older. According to Federal Trade Commission (FTC), one in six identity theft victims said that thieves used their personal information to open at least one new account, such as credit card accounts or loan accounts, to rack up debts on existing accounts. The most recent data indicates that 9.3 million Americans (or 4.25% of all adults) are victims of ID theft on an annual basis. This is an alarming rate and should show you that you NEED to take preventative steps toward protecting your identity.
An identity theft victim risks the destruction of his/her good credit history, and may spend years, and large sums of money restoring the credit history and goodwill. There are instances of an identity theft victim been denied work or insurance or been detained for crimes he did not commit! Some victims of ID theft found that their names have been misused after police stopped them for a traffic violation and discovered that there is a warrant for their arrest. There are also times when an innocent person receives a summons to appear in court to answer for a criminal act. FTC’s latest survey shows ID theft losses to businesses and financial institutions total $52.6 billion annually. Recently, Federal Trade Commission launched a website annualcreditreport where all consumers are eligible for a free copy of their credit reports. Take the time to go to that site and get your free credit report. This can be a step to alerting you to suspicious activity.
Beth