Paul Wilcox asked:




Would you ever consider driving in rush hour with a blindfold on? If you do I’d like to know where you’re driving please. Protecting yourself from identity theft is equally as important. Don’t think just because you’re educated or poor that it couldn’t happen to you. It happens to people from all walks of life. According to The President’s Identity Theft Task Force, there can be as many as 10 million victims of identity theft yearly. You can however, learn to protect yourself by using common sense and it won’t cost you a thing.

Obtain You Credit Report

Obtaining your annual credit report is probably one of the best things that you can do for yourself. You can obtain these free credit reports yearly from Equifax, Transunion or Experian. You can also go on line to AnnualCreditReport.com. This will enable you to see if there are any disputable transactions your accounts may have or if a loan has been taken out in your name. The earlier you can find a discrepancy, the earlier you can try to fix it.

Keeping track of your monthly credit card or bank statements is a must for determining any questionable entries.

Stay Alert

Your driver’s license, Social Security card and laptop are as valuable as any cash you might have to someone looking for information. Keep them with you at all times when you are not at home. Leaving them unattended even in a locked car is not an option.

Emails Seeking Information

If you get an email looking for personal information such as account numbers or passwords that you think may be from your bank, it’s likely that it isn’t really your bank emailing you but someone looking to gather information. These emails can be made to look as realistic as needed in order to seem legitimate. The best thing that you can do is not even respond to these messages. But if you happen to realize after the fact that you have replied to one of these sites mimicking another such as eBay, contact eBay immediately and change your password and freeze your account. Hopefully nothing will happen other than learning a valuable lesson in identity theft.

Jared

homedocny asked:


I’ve been a victim of ID theft before and dont trust brokers, agents and online websites with these details they really dont need to give me a quote.

Bessie

a bush family member asked:


Is it because Real ID will stop illegal immigrants from voting? Or is it because Real ID will stop illegal immigrants from using fake I.D. to commit Social Security I.D. theft?

Monica

Steve Cabouli asked:


Identity theft has become a serious threat in the US affecting more than ten million people per year. A thief may steal and utilize another person’s personal details including name, date of birth, passport details, credit card, driver’s license, and social security number for personal gain, thereby leaving credits in the owner’s name. In other words, these procured details may be used for several unscrupulous activities, from committing to petty crimes and buying some valuables in your name to draining your bank account or opening new account and taking loans.

There are some instances in which victim may lose his job or being accused of some crimes. In fact, the after effect of identity theft is quite alarming, and it may sometimes take several years to recoup from its upshot. Sometimes, a person may come to know that he has become a victim of identity theft only when he receives phone call or a letter from an unknown creditor. Hence, the only way to defend identity theft is to protect your identity. Mentioned further are some important tips for the protection of your identity.

As the first step to protect your identity, participate or sign up with a credit monitoring service, which not only helps you providing tools to assess your credit profile but also send your credit reports as well as inform you in case if any change occurs in your credit report. Further, it would be even better if you utilize the services of ID Theft Prevention and Protection agencies that alerts on your credit report. As such, banks, credit card companies, or insurance companies would contact you prior to doing anything your file, like setting up new accounts, issuing new credit card, or applying for loans. In case, if you become a victim of identity theft, these agencies can help you remove from it, as they have a team of lawyers, investigators, and finance and credit specialists to work for you.

Apart from these, you can protect your identity via being careful and following some simple tips. For instance, never disclose your sensitive information when you receive a phone call requesting your credit card or bank details, as a genuine bank or credit card company never calls out of the blue. Likewise, check twice or thrice before throwing a bill or a piece of paper, as criminals adopt a practice namely dumpster diving to retrieve your most important data.

As per the studies, people mostly become victim of identity theft, as a result of pick-pocketing. Hence, it would be better if you slim down your wallet by placing in it not more than one credit card and ATM card, however without its pin number. Additionally, since people now increasingly become victims of identity theft online, it is advisable to protect your data and critical information using the latest anti virus software.



Sam

Jaime S. Hershman asked:


Credit Identity Theft has topped the list of consumer fraud complaints submitted to the FTC for several years in a row. 9 million Americans report having their identities stolen each year. Are you the next victim?

The crime of credit identity theft takes many forms. Identity thieves may rent an apartment, obtain a credit card, or establish a telephone or utility account in your name. Most consumers do not discover the theft until they review a credit report or a credit card statement and notice charges they didn’t make-or even worse, receive a call from a collection agency.

While some identity theft victims can resolve their problems quickly, unlucky others are forced to spend months repairing damage to their good name and credit record. Some victims may lose out on job opportunities, or are denied loans for education, housing or cars because of negative information on their credit reports. In rare cases, they may even be arrested for crimes they did not commit.

Much of the identity thief’s criminal activity occurs online or over the phone in a very short time period. Therefore, police and other law enforcement agencies are not always successful in finding and stopping identity thieves. Consumers that don’t learn how to protect themselves are tempting fate and could learn an expensive lesson.

Identity theft can happen in a number of ways. Skilled identity thieves use an arsenal of methods to get ahold of your information. They may use unsolicited mail, such as pre-approved credit card applications to open fraudulent accounts.

If your wallet or identity cards are stolen, criminals may use your name, address, and ID to open new accounts in your name. You may also get email or telephone calls offering you special offers or products. Once you provide your credit card information, your card may be charged without your consent.

While shopping at stores, unscrupulous employees may use scanning devices or hidden cameras to your get card, bank, and PIN number information from you without your knowledge.

Tips for protecting your personal information from identity thieves:

1) Buy a paper shredder (many cost less that $25.00). Always shred bank statements, utility bills, pre-approved credit card applications, and other sensitive documents before throwing in the trash. Identity thieves regularly “dumpster dive” in search of these documents.

2) Be wary of “phishing” scams. Some criminals pretend to be financial institutions and will send out fake e-mail messages in an attempt to get you to reveal your account information.

3) Never provide personal information like a social security number over the phone. Don’t give out any of your financial or personal information over the phone unless you have initiated the phone call and you are dealing with a trusted institution or business. Be wary of unsolicited phone calls where you are asked to provide personal information.

4) Do not use easy to guess passwords or PIN numbers. Never use your birthday, spouse’s birthday or phone number for a password. Don’t use the exact same password for every account.

If you are a victim of identity theft, take the following four steps immediately to protect your credit history. You should also keep a record of your conversations and copies of all correspondence.

1) File a police report. This document is essential to supporting your fraud claim and disputing any unauthorized charges.

2) Contact the toll-free fraud number of any of the three credit reporting bureaus below to place a fraud alert on your credit report. You only need to contact one of the three companies to place an alert as the company you call is required to notify other two. Follow up in writing, and include copies of supporting documents.

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285

Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN

TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289

3) Close any accounts that you believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Don’t rely on a phone call. Always notify credit card companies and banks in writing. Send letters by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you can document what was received and when. Each company has its own procedures for disputing fraudulent charges. Ask to be sent the appropriate documents when you report the fraud and close the account.

When you open new accounts, use new PIN numbers and passwords. Again, avoid using passwords that are easy to guess.

4) File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission. You can file a complaint on the FTC website (http://www.ftc.gov) or call the FTC’s Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-ID-THEFT.

By filing your complaint with the FTC, you may provide important information that can help law enforcement officials track down identity thieves and stop them. Additionally, a copy of your FTC complaint in addition to your police report are strong documentation that support your fraud claims with creditors.

Credit identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world. No one is 100% safe from becoming a victim. However, by safeguarding your personal information and taking quick action in response to any problem you can protect your credit history and peace of mind.



Jessie

Jack Wingate asked:


Identity Theft is a relatively new phenomenon.  Unfortunately, this new phenomenon is also highly misunderstood by the general public.  In Part One of our series on Identity Theft Protection, you learned some high level facts about Identity Theft and some various precautions you can take to guard your Identity.  While Part One gives some practical tips to reduce your exposure to Identity Theft, you must first gain a better understanding of what Identity Theft actually entails.

Identity Theft – It’s Not Just Financial

Unfortunately, most people believe Identity Theft is just about “Financial” Fraud.  The fact is, “Financial Fraud” accounts for approximately 30% – 40% of all Identity Theft.  While this form of ID Theft is the most obvious, it is also the easiest to discover and recover from.  Most financial institutions (Banks & Credit Card Providers) have systems in place to detect fraudulent activity on a person’s account.  These same institutions typically have “reimbursement” plans in place to return any funds taken from or charged against their customers’ accounts.  There are limitations and time constraints placed on these “reimbursements”, so it is imperative you read your financial institution’s policies as they relate to fraudulent activity.

While you know about Identity Theft with regard to Financial Fraud, you must also understand that the majority of Identity Theft involves theft for something other than Financial Fraud.  Let’s look at a break down of the Non-Financial Forms of Identity Theft:

Driver’s License Employment Government Medical (fastest growing segment)

Of course, you could potentially break down Identity Theft into many more segments and categories, for our purposes we will focus on these major categories.

Who Are The Victims?

According to a recent study, there were approximately 10 million victims of Identity Theft in 2008.  As should be expected, households with higher incomes were twice as likely to be victims of Identity Theft as low income households.  What may be unexpected is that those households considered to be “higher income” had household incomes of $70,000 or higher (that is only a man and wife making $35K each).

Discovery & Recovery

One of the disturbing facts about Identity Theft is that 38-48% of people discover the theft within three months and that approximately 18% of victims do not discover the theft until 4 or more YEARS have passed.  While identity thieves have access to advanced technology and systems to steal our identities, there are similar technologies and systems in place for the public to discover these thefts.  The problem is, the general public has been slow to adopt these strategies (the it won’t happen to me syndrome).

As disturbing as the previous statistics are, the most important statistics deal with the Recovery of one’s identity.  The average victim of Identity Theft (according to a 2004 study) spends 330 hours repairing the damage caused by a theft.  The vast majority of victims spend between 3 months to 1 year.  As we all know, time is precious.  The fact is the actual monetary loss resulting from an Identity Theft is only about $1,200.  The real cost of an Identity Theft is in the time spent recovering from a theft.  The math is simple, take your hourly wage rate and multiply by the time spent recovering your ID (example a person that make $30K per year earns approx $14.42 per hour / multiplied by 330 hours (average) equals $4,758).

Hopefully this article has given you an understanding about the types of Identity Theft as well as the cost(s) associated with a theft.  Combined with the knowledge gained in Part One of this series, you should now be prepared to determine if you need to look for “Insurance” and what “Insurance Plan” is best.







Lucy

Michael Brewer asked:


It all started with credit cards.

Remembering your PIN number in the check-out line was that industry’s Hail Mary Pass to cut losses from fraudulent purchases back in the mid-80s. Fingerprint and retinal scans were developed by the FBI about the same time to keep us out of secure areas and to keep our prying eyes off top-secret documents.

Now, fast forward about 20 or so years. Throw in a dismal economy, mix in thousands of suddenly uninsured Americans and you’ve got the makings of an apparently unforeseen black hole of security that could threaten the future of affordable healthcare and the efforts of Congress to reform it.

A woman in New York City faces up to seven years in prison on charges she recently forged more than 50 insurance claims that submitted them to her health insurance company for reimbursement. Meanwhile in Miami, a medical clinic for senior patients was raided after investigators discovered a front desk clerk sharing 1,100 Medicare IDs and patient information with her family members. One of her cousins allegedly made off with $2.8 million in fraudulent refunds for services never rendered.

“As more people are not getting the health care they need, we’re seeing an increasing incidence of medical identity fraud,” tells Michigan-based attorney Norbert Kugele to the New York Times. “Someone will show up at a hospital with someone else’s insurance information and will seek treatment under their name.”

Pulling a Fast One

It’s almost like the industry never saw it coming. Of course, Medicare fraud has been going on for years and the Feds have been battling it with great intensity, by their own admission, with mixed success. But security experts warn high profile health insurance fraud cases are only going to grow and there may be no end to creative tactics the perpetrators may use to bilk an already handicapped health system.

President Obama claims the healthcare reform bill being considered by Congress will provide a safety net to prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining health care under the “Public Option.” Just how this will happen is anybody’s guess. Many citizens who relocated to America without proper documentation have been receiving public benefits and/or employment opportunities for years without much scrutiny by business owners or infiltration by state and local governments — so much so that the Feds figure in fraud when making all kinds of budgetary projections to Congress.

Medical identity theft occurs when criminals obtain information such as a health insurance identification or Social Security number and use it to get health care or to obtain reimbursement from insurers and others for false claims. That means your medical history and health care records can include someone else’s information.

Aside from the obvious health concerns that go along with adopting someone else’s health profile, — imagine an ID thief at the doctor’s office, presenting a health insurance ID from a patient who, unbeknownst to the thief, is diabetic, allergic to certain medication or receiving chemotherapy — there are other huge expenses that could undercut any savings that the Obama administration projects would be saved by reform in its current form.

“Hospitals and insurance companies face enormous expenses when it comes to medical identity theft, as they are forced to write-off charges incurred by the thieves,” recently wrote Bankrate reporter Amy Crane. “But its victims find that the financial aspects of this type of identity theft are the easiest to deal with.”

What You Can Do

-  Your insurance card, your life. Security experts think we too often assume that our insurance card is no more valuable than our frequent shopper card or our gym membership. Protect your insurance information as you would your credit card, driver license or other personal asset.

 -  Give your medical records a check-up. Audit your health insurance and medical records annually, as you would your personal credit report. It’s not only o.k. to ask your doctor for your medical records, it’s protected under federal law to do so. If you see anything that look suspicious, call your insurance company right away.

 -  Go paperless. Not only is it environmentally friendly, opting into paperless health insurance benefit and billing statements is a good way to prevent your personal health information from slipping into the wrong hands.

 

 

 

 

 



Adrian

John Goldman asked:


Protecting the identity of your children is just as important as protecting your identity. The reason is that it could be years before your child discovers that their identity has been compromised and by this time their credit and name would all be ruined. There are several reasons for child identity theft which can be same as that of any normal id theft.

The thieves might just steal identity for personal gain and live with their identity. Right when your child is born it is important you take steps to ensure that your child’s identity is protected as it would become very hard for them to live when they grow up. There are some important steps you should take to prevent your child from being the victim of id theft.

Protecting your child’s identity

Make sure you don’t offer information about your child to anyone who needs it for no reason. This also all the services you engage with either online or through the telephone. This means that a stranger or some relative might have the date of birth of your child or even their social security number with the information you provide. They can use it to establish several phone services and when the bill would finally default the telephone company would soon report to the credit bureau and this can lead to blemish on your child which can stay for nearly five to seven years.

Additionally, after this gets on their credit report it might also become difficult to remove it. Therefore protect their information simply by not sharing it any stranger or distant relative.

Steps to protect your child’s identity

However there are some places where it becomes mandatory to provide information about your child such as their school. You should ensure that the NO box containing information about your child would be shared with another business or person. This will also help you keep a track of the people having the information in case you find out in the future that your child’s identity has been stolen.

You should also ask the person who needs the information as to why the need it. They might probably need only the last four digits of their social security number. This can help you reduce the risk of counterfeiter who steals the information when you ask the reason.

You should make it a point to frequently check with the credit bureau to ensure that your child does not have any credit report. There must not be any repot until the child has reached the legal age in your state when they can personally apply for credit.

Therefore until them you should safeguard the identity of your child by being conscientious about who has access to the information. As protecting your own identity is important so is your child’s. You can even get help from specialized services providers in monitoring your child’s identity for a minimal monthly fee. When you find some fraudulent activity in your child’s information and identity make sure you instantly inform the police and the authorized agencies.



Corey

Jenny DeRaspe-Bolles asked:


Because identity theft is both lucrative and easy to get away with, ID theft rings are growing and fast in crime circles from meth addicts to mafia. Consequently, there has been an overwhelming corporate response to meet increased demand for identity theft protection.

You have probably heard of LifeLock, an Identity Theft Protection company that has been in the news quite a bit lately. In a ballsy move, the company’s CEO Todd Davis has published his Social Security number (475-55-5462) prominently and dared anyone to try to steal his identity. Actions speak louder than words, and his certainly show confidence in the protection his company offers. One of the fastest growing companies in the US, Davis must have instilled confidence in his customers with inventive marketing strategy, gaining over 1,000,000 customers last year alone.

So what exactly is it and what do they do? Should you join? We’ve gathered some information about the company and the protection they offer here:

What is it and how does it work?

The system places fraud alerts at all three credit bureaus and essentially makes these alerts permanent. What is a fraud alert? In 2003 Congress passed the Fair & Accurate Credit Transactions Act (or FACTA), which forces credit bureaus to allow you to put a fraud alert on their credit reports, requiring lenders to verify your identity before issuing a card in your name. This alert is temporary, expiring after 90 days, but LifeLock essentially makes these alerts permanent by renewing them before they expire. In effect, if someone gained your personal information and attempted to open a fraudulent credit card in your name, the credit bureaus would have to speak with you to verify your identity before processing the application.

1- opts customers out of preapproved credit offers and junkmail lists, a known source of identity fraud.

2- orders your credit report from all three bureaus, which is automatically delivered to you every year.

3- True Address monitors the National Address Database and alerts you if a criminal has changed your address to receive your mail or obtain your personal information.

4- Lifelock’s Erecon monitors hacker and criminal websites for your credit card numbers and personal information, and lets you know if anyone is attempting to steal them. LifeLock will assist you in replacing your account numbers in the case your privacy has been compromised.

5- offers a $1,000,000 Total Service Guarantee. For legal reasons, LifeLock does not call this insurance. In effect, they pledge to cover your costs (i.e. reimburse financial loss, legal fees to restore credit, etc.) in the event that your identity is stolen up to the amount of one million dollars. Note, this does not cover someone stealing your credit card and using it (which rarely costs you anyway, as this is the bank’s domain). It also only covers new cases of identity theft, existing identity theft victims will not be covered. From their website:

“If your identity is stolen while you are our client, we’re going to do whatever it takes to recover your good name. If you need lawyers, we’re going to hire the best we can find. If you need investigators, accountants, case managers, whatever, they’re yours. If you lose money as a result of the theft, we’re going to give it back to you. We will do whatever it takes to help you recover your good name and we will spend up to $1,000,000 to do it.”

Other LifeLock Features:

* Identity theft protection for children (until age 15) for $25 a year

* LifeLock Customer Service is available 24 hrs 7 days a week

In summary: this is proactive rather than reactive, stopping identity theft before it happens. Security expert Bruce Schneier maintains, In reality, forcing lenders to verify identity before issuing credit is exactly the sort of thing we need to fight identity theft. Making information harder to steal can be quite difficult, you can be very smart and safe and still have your purse stolen, for example. A better solution may lie in making stolen information more difficult to use, and this is the approach LifeLock uses.

How much does it cost?

Protection costs $10 per month or you pay for a year in advance for $110 a year. In addition, various websites offer promotional codes and coupons, advertising yearly protection for $99.

Is it worth it?

It is important to know that almost all of the protection LifeLock offers (fraud alerts, credit reports, etc.) you can do yourself for free. In this regard, they are a service company, saving you the time and hassle of taking these precautions yourself. Here is the information you need to protect yourself (for free):

1. Put a fraud alert on your account. All you have to do is contact (by phone or online) one of the three major credit bureaus and request a fraud alert. No need to contact all three, as they are required to communicate fraud alerts with each other. Remember to renew the fraud alert every 90 days. Fraud Alert Contact Information:

* Equifax

* Experian

* TransUnion

2. Opt out of credit card offers and junk mail.

3. Get your free annual credit report.

In addition to these measures (whether you pay for them or do them yourself), there are other precautions you should take to protect yourself against identity theft.

* Lock your mailbox with a secure locking mailbox.

* Switch from paper bills to electronic bills.

* Shred confidential mail with a cross-cut paper shredder.

* Do not carry paper checks or your social security card on you when possible.



Tina