Aug
31
Lisa Carey asked:
Consumers are not the only ones concerned about and taking steps to protect against identity theft. Many states are taking important steps to protect their residents. A few of these steps include stiffer penalties, imposing sanctions and fines on careless companies and providing their residents with many tools necessary to correct the errors that identity theft has caused.
Many identity theft savvy consumers are: installing anti-spy ware, using shredders, reducing the use of their social security number, using services to stop junk mail and risky credit card applications. But what about the actions of others? After all the care you take to protect yourself, what happens when others, such as companies or service providers do not?
Businesses that have access to your information aren’t always looking for you. It is far too easy to simply throw important personal information away, than to take the sometimes expensive steps needed to have it professionally disposed of. But many states are looking out for your best interest, especially when it comes to identity theft. Texas has a growing reputation for being proactive in preventing identity theft and tough on punishing businesses who don’t protect the consumer. Texas law requires vendors to take specific precautions before disposing of personal documents that may include customers’ bank accounts, driver’s license and Social Security numbers. In the state of Texas, you can bet companies will be thinking twice before dumping your credit application in a public trash can.
Examples of Poor Business Practices:
Public trash cans outside a local Radio Shack were filled with thousands of customer’s sensitive personal and credit information after the dumping of these documents. Credit applications containing names, social security numbers, debit and credit card numbers as well as addresses and telephone numbers and receipts were located, exposing many Radio Shack Consumers to identity theft or credit card fraud.
After investigations by the State of Texas Attorney General’s office, a settlement was reached. Under the settlement with Radio-Shack, the retailer is required to enhance security procedures and implement employee training. Radio Shack also agreed to unannounced compliance audits in all Texas stores bi-annually.
Select Medical was investigated after a report that over 4,000 documents were found in the garbage behind their Select Physical Therapy Location. These un-shredded records included bank account numbers, drug testing results, insurance verification sheets as well as sensitive social and vocational therapy questionnaires. Select Medical will also be required to amend security procedures and implement training for Texas employees about the newly established state laws governing customer record disposal. The insurance forms are of particular concern in light of the growing trend of medical identity theft, in which an individuals’ insurance information is used to obtain medical services or to commit insurance fraud.
Under the settlement agreement, the state of Texas will receive nearly $1.5 million in fines, including attorney’s fees. As outlined in the Identity Theft and Protection Act, the remainder will be used for the investigation and prosecution of future cases of identity theft.
Stiff penalties are just one of the steps taken to protect and prevent identity theft. The Texas Attorney General’s Office has created a checklist for victims of identity theft to take steps and track their progress during recovery. The identity theft check list includes information and forms on: closing all fraudulent accounts made in your name, contacting the 3 major credit reporting agencies and requesting a fraud alert or security freeze for new accounts, reporting identity theft crimes for local law enforcement and obtaining a copy of the police report, and reporting identity theft crimes to Federal Trade Commission and completing and ID Theft Affidavit. Victims are also advised to file a consumer complaint with the Office of the Attorney General in the event that they are harassed by credit collectors as a result of identity theft. Additionally The Texas Attorney General’s Office also offers an Identity Theft Victim’s Kit.
According to 2006 state statistics on identity theft, Texas ranks fourth in the area of identity theft. States are ranked according to victims per 100,000 people, and it should be noted that Texas also has a higher population than many other states. The top ten states with the Most Victims of Identity Theft Per Capita are: Arizona, Nevada, California, Texas, Florida, Colorado, Georgia, New York, Washington, and New Mexico.
Just because your state did not make the top ten list, doesn’t mean you are safe. No matter where you live, this crime is a real problem. Information, advocacy, laws and prosecutions in any state will ultimately help everyone but in the mean time consumers must educate themselves and arm themselves with protection against identity theft as well as the remedies available to them. With the continued efforts of law enforcement, state and federal agencies, stiffer fines and penalties as well as requiring a higher standard of care from businesses, progress is being made on many levels in protecting consumers.
Karen
Consumers are not the only ones concerned about and taking steps to protect against identity theft. Many states are taking important steps to protect their residents. A few of these steps include stiffer penalties, imposing sanctions and fines on careless companies and providing their residents with many tools necessary to correct the errors that identity theft has caused.
Many identity theft savvy consumers are: installing anti-spy ware, using shredders, reducing the use of their social security number, using services to stop junk mail and risky credit card applications. But what about the actions of others? After all the care you take to protect yourself, what happens when others, such as companies or service providers do not?
Businesses that have access to your information aren’t always looking for you. It is far too easy to simply throw important personal information away, than to take the sometimes expensive steps needed to have it professionally disposed of. But many states are looking out for your best interest, especially when it comes to identity theft. Texas has a growing reputation for being proactive in preventing identity theft and tough on punishing businesses who don’t protect the consumer. Texas law requires vendors to take specific precautions before disposing of personal documents that may include customers’ bank accounts, driver’s license and Social Security numbers. In the state of Texas, you can bet companies will be thinking twice before dumping your credit application in a public trash can.
Examples of Poor Business Practices:
Public trash cans outside a local Radio Shack were filled with thousands of customer’s sensitive personal and credit information after the dumping of these documents. Credit applications containing names, social security numbers, debit and credit card numbers as well as addresses and telephone numbers and receipts were located, exposing many Radio Shack Consumers to identity theft or credit card fraud.
After investigations by the State of Texas Attorney General’s office, a settlement was reached. Under the settlement with Radio-Shack, the retailer is required to enhance security procedures and implement employee training. Radio Shack also agreed to unannounced compliance audits in all Texas stores bi-annually.
Select Medical was investigated after a report that over 4,000 documents were found in the garbage behind their Select Physical Therapy Location. These un-shredded records included bank account numbers, drug testing results, insurance verification sheets as well as sensitive social and vocational therapy questionnaires. Select Medical will also be required to amend security procedures and implement training for Texas employees about the newly established state laws governing customer record disposal. The insurance forms are of particular concern in light of the growing trend of medical identity theft, in which an individuals’ insurance information is used to obtain medical services or to commit insurance fraud.
Under the settlement agreement, the state of Texas will receive nearly $1.5 million in fines, including attorney’s fees. As outlined in the Identity Theft and Protection Act, the remainder will be used for the investigation and prosecution of future cases of identity theft.
Stiff penalties are just one of the steps taken to protect and prevent identity theft. The Texas Attorney General’s Office has created a checklist for victims of identity theft to take steps and track their progress during recovery. The identity theft check list includes information and forms on: closing all fraudulent accounts made in your name, contacting the 3 major credit reporting agencies and requesting a fraud alert or security freeze for new accounts, reporting identity theft crimes for local law enforcement and obtaining a copy of the police report, and reporting identity theft crimes to Federal Trade Commission and completing and ID Theft Affidavit. Victims are also advised to file a consumer complaint with the Office of the Attorney General in the event that they are harassed by credit collectors as a result of identity theft. Additionally The Texas Attorney General’s Office also offers an Identity Theft Victim’s Kit.
According to 2006 state statistics on identity theft, Texas ranks fourth in the area of identity theft. States are ranked according to victims per 100,000 people, and it should be noted that Texas also has a higher population than many other states. The top ten states with the Most Victims of Identity Theft Per Capita are: Arizona, Nevada, California, Texas, Florida, Colorado, Georgia, New York, Washington, and New Mexico.
Just because your state did not make the top ten list, doesn’t mean you are safe. No matter where you live, this crime is a real problem. Information, advocacy, laws and prosecutions in any state will ultimately help everyone but in the mean time consumers must educate themselves and arm themselves with protection against identity theft as well as the remedies available to them. With the continued efforts of law enforcement, state and federal agencies, stiffer fines and penalties as well as requiring a higher standard of care from businesses, progress is being made on many levels in protecting consumers.
Karen
Aug
30
H. Milla asked:
According to the statistics, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America and many people each year get ripped off by folks who hack their information. When identity theft happens, it can leave you with a lot of frustration and a big mess to clean up. The problems can be overwhelming and they do not go away quickly. What are people supposed to do to combat this or even to stop it before it gets started? If they are smart, they would try some of the best identity theft protection services out there. Are these services worth it? The answer is overwhelmingly yes.
When looking at the identity theft companies, you have to ask what they can do for you. The thing that they really provide for folks is the ability to rest easy. You do not deserve to go around every single day wondering about when the next problem will come up. It is much better if you know that someone is looking out for you when you are not. These services have an eye on your credit report at all times and they keep up with your finances even when you are too busy to do it. This is something that is worth paying for, without a doubt.
- Notification services
The nice thing about these services is that they do not just sit around when something happens. They will get in touch with you, so that you can start the process of fixing the problem. If you face this problem, it is important to act right away, so that you do not run into problems down the road. The sooner you know about the attempted theft, the more quickly you can take steps to figure out how it happened and how to stop it from happening in the future. This is important and it’s a part of what these services provide.
Those people who have been struck by their identity being stolen can tell you that it is not any fun. When it happens, your entire life gets put on hold and the consequences can last for years on end. The smarter thing is to go with some of the better services out there, so that you can stop this sort of thing from happening before it ever reaches your plate. This will save you the money, time, frustration, and the heartache associated with having your identity swiped by some cyber criminal out there.
Natalie
According to the statistics, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America and many people each year get ripped off by folks who hack their information. When identity theft happens, it can leave you with a lot of frustration and a big mess to clean up. The problems can be overwhelming and they do not go away quickly. What are people supposed to do to combat this or even to stop it before it gets started? If they are smart, they would try some of the best identity theft protection services out there. Are these services worth it? The answer is overwhelmingly yes.
When looking at the identity theft companies, you have to ask what they can do for you. The thing that they really provide for folks is the ability to rest easy. You do not deserve to go around every single day wondering about when the next problem will come up. It is much better if you know that someone is looking out for you when you are not. These services have an eye on your credit report at all times and they keep up with your finances even when you are too busy to do it. This is something that is worth paying for, without a doubt.
- Notification services
The nice thing about these services is that they do not just sit around when something happens. They will get in touch with you, so that you can start the process of fixing the problem. If you face this problem, it is important to act right away, so that you do not run into problems down the road. The sooner you know about the attempted theft, the more quickly you can take steps to figure out how it happened and how to stop it from happening in the future. This is important and it’s a part of what these services provide.
Those people who have been struck by their identity being stolen can tell you that it is not any fun. When it happens, your entire life gets put on hold and the consequences can last for years on end. The smarter thing is to go with some of the better services out there, so that you can stop this sort of thing from happening before it ever reaches your plate. This will save you the money, time, frustration, and the heartache associated with having your identity swiped by some cyber criminal out there.
Natalie
Aug
22
J. M. Smith asked:
If you own a business ask yourself some simple questions concerning ID theft and your business.
1. How do you keep up with the new ID theft laws?
2. Are you even concerned about these laws?
3. Who is your security officer?
4. What training do you provide in ID theft for your employees?
5. Do you know what civil and criminal liability you could face?
6. If your business experienced a breached what would be your next step?
7. Are you aware of FACTA, GLB, & your States privacy notification law?
8. What are your vendors doing with your customer information?
9. IF your vendor experiences a breach who will be responsible?
10. Do you have an ID theft policy and procedure in place?
I could go on for ever. I think you understand that the way you did business just a few years ago is drastically changing when concerning ID Theft and the protection of NPI (Non-Public Information). Whether your a small business or large business, 1 employee or 1,000 you should have some type of breach plan in place.
Your business should have an assessment done and you should have frequent training to your employees and ISO if you have one. Why should you do this? Because the Federal Government not only says so but it’s the right thing to do. You can drive without car insurance but State laws require insurance. It’s the protection for yourself and other drivers.
Bottom line is that you have worked to hard to build your business. It provides for you a living and also provides for your employees. At the same time it can face some severe penalties if your business faced a breach of information. Just look at what’s happening to major companies out there that have had ID theft breaches. The difference with them and your business is that you may not have the capital to recover from legal action against you let alone the possible action from the FTC if they called. Should it not be your responsibility to protect your customers information? They trust in you when they hand over credit card information or other personal information you need to do business. What about your employees information? Their social numbers, banking information, drivers license numbers, their addresses. Does your HR person have all that on a laptop going home everyday? What about a flashdrive?
Take responsibility for your business and your clients. Everyone will benefit and you’ll gain trust faster with those clients and your employees. Offer your employees an ID theft protection plan, it shows your concern and not only that, it helps in your compliance plan.
Loretta
If you own a business ask yourself some simple questions concerning ID theft and your business.
1. How do you keep up with the new ID theft laws?
2. Are you even concerned about these laws?
3. Who is your security officer?
4. What training do you provide in ID theft for your employees?
5. Do you know what civil and criminal liability you could face?
6. If your business experienced a breached what would be your next step?
7. Are you aware of FACTA, GLB, & your States privacy notification law?
8. What are your vendors doing with your customer information?
9. IF your vendor experiences a breach who will be responsible?
10. Do you have an ID theft policy and procedure in place?
I could go on for ever. I think you understand that the way you did business just a few years ago is drastically changing when concerning ID Theft and the protection of NPI (Non-Public Information). Whether your a small business or large business, 1 employee or 1,000 you should have some type of breach plan in place.
Your business should have an assessment done and you should have frequent training to your employees and ISO if you have one. Why should you do this? Because the Federal Government not only says so but it’s the right thing to do. You can drive without car insurance but State laws require insurance. It’s the protection for yourself and other drivers.
Bottom line is that you have worked to hard to build your business. It provides for you a living and also provides for your employees. At the same time it can face some severe penalties if your business faced a breach of information. Just look at what’s happening to major companies out there that have had ID theft breaches. The difference with them and your business is that you may not have the capital to recover from legal action against you let alone the possible action from the FTC if they called. Should it not be your responsibility to protect your customers information? They trust in you when they hand over credit card information or other personal information you need to do business. What about your employees information? Their social numbers, banking information, drivers license numbers, their addresses. Does your HR person have all that on a laptop going home everyday? What about a flashdrive?
Take responsibility for your business and your clients. Everyone will benefit and you’ll gain trust faster with those clients and your employees. Offer your employees an ID theft protection plan, it shows your concern and not only that, it helps in your compliance plan.
Loretta
Aug
21
Why Identity Theft Protection is Essential
Filed Under Legal | Leave a Comment
Jesse Whitehead asked:
The number of people falling victim to identity theft is on a continuous upward trend. If you want to minimize the chance of your personal information falling in to the wrong hands then you will need to understand why identity theft protection is essential for you.
When we want to carry out any form of financial transactions, we often use bank accounts and credit cards that have been linked to our name and personal details. If criminally minded individuals get hold of such information, they can cause you immense financial damage that can take many months or years to repair. The fact is, it is not difficult to acquire a credit card in another person’s name as long as you have some key pieces of information.
So, what you can do to protect yourself from this type of crime? To begin with, you should always be very careful as to who you give your personal information to. For some reason many people don’t think twice of submitting their name, address, phone number, and other details online through the net. This can be a big mistake if the connection is not secure or if the party is unknown. Also, never send personal information in reply to an email from an unknown sender and don’t submit such data through websites that you are not familiar with.
These days, a large percentage of ID theft and fraud occurs online. Be careful of websites that may try to install spyware on your computer without you knowing it. This form of malicious software will not always be apparent on your hard drive, but will be silently stealing all your passwords, user names, PIN numbers and other personal data just the same. One way to prevent spyware and other types of malware from infecting your computer is to have antivirus installed that is regularly updated with the latest virus definitions. Also, be sure to have your firewall enabled and updated.
Another way to prevent identity theft is to dispose of any physical mail relating to financial transactions and accounts. Do not simply throw into your trash when you are done with it. Be sure to dispose of the documents correctly by shredding it. Buy a cheap shredder and destroy any confidential information for good so identity thieves can’t retrieve it.
Finally, beware of scammers that may phone you up and pretend they are from your bank or brokerage firm. If you think a caller is not legit, just hang up and call back the local branch of the institution the caller purported to represent. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to protecting your good name.
Alma
The number of people falling victim to identity theft is on a continuous upward trend. If you want to minimize the chance of your personal information falling in to the wrong hands then you will need to understand why identity theft protection is essential for you.
When we want to carry out any form of financial transactions, we often use bank accounts and credit cards that have been linked to our name and personal details. If criminally minded individuals get hold of such information, they can cause you immense financial damage that can take many months or years to repair. The fact is, it is not difficult to acquire a credit card in another person’s name as long as you have some key pieces of information.
So, what you can do to protect yourself from this type of crime? To begin with, you should always be very careful as to who you give your personal information to. For some reason many people don’t think twice of submitting their name, address, phone number, and other details online through the net. This can be a big mistake if the connection is not secure or if the party is unknown. Also, never send personal information in reply to an email from an unknown sender and don’t submit such data through websites that you are not familiar with.
These days, a large percentage of ID theft and fraud occurs online. Be careful of websites that may try to install spyware on your computer without you knowing it. This form of malicious software will not always be apparent on your hard drive, but will be silently stealing all your passwords, user names, PIN numbers and other personal data just the same. One way to prevent spyware and other types of malware from infecting your computer is to have antivirus installed that is regularly updated with the latest virus definitions. Also, be sure to have your firewall enabled and updated.
Another way to prevent identity theft is to dispose of any physical mail relating to financial transactions and accounts. Do not simply throw into your trash when you are done with it. Be sure to dispose of the documents correctly by shredding it. Buy a cheap shredder and destroy any confidential information for good so identity thieves can’t retrieve it.
Finally, beware of scammers that may phone you up and pretend they are from your bank or brokerage firm. If you think a caller is not legit, just hang up and call back the local branch of the institution the caller purported to represent. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to protecting your good name.
Alma
Aug
20
J. M. Smith asked:
Statistics show that 50-70% of ID Theft comes from within the workplace. This means for the business owner you can spend $100’s and even thousands of dollars in your IT security and have the best encryption service on the planet but if your employee walks out with stolen information on paper that’s thousands ill spent thinking you had ID Theft protection.
Many business owners whether small or large are just not aware of how to fully protect their business and definitely not aware of new ID theft compliance laws. Many attorneys are not aware of these laws let alone help the owner protect the businesses customer personal information.
Businesses spend a lot of money keeping crooks from getting in but what about crooks from within getting information out.
Many owners just don’t have the resources available to them to keep up with the information the Federal Government is putting out and with ID theft laws being somewhat new over the last couple years there aren’t even many ID theft companies out there that can truly help the business.
You may not even be aware of how many people have access to your customer and employee information. What are your vendors doing with your customer information? Do you know what their procedures are if they have a breach with your customers information? Who handles your shredding if you even have a service? What policies and procedures does the shredding company have?
What about your employees? what type of training do you have for them? Are they keeping your customers information secured or could you walk around your business at lunch time and see critical information left on the desk?
ID theft compliance is more than Physical Security. Physical security offers encryption, Shredding service, IT, etc.
Your business should have a full risk assessment done. Helping you become aware of your businesses weakness. When the assessment is complete you should then be able to develop a plan for your business. Generally the cost will depend on how involved you want to be and just how much you want the consulting company to help.
If you think you can’t afford the cost to get your business in compliance think of the cost if you have a breach. You can’t put a number amount on the cost it could potentially cost your business. The loss of customer trust alone can be devastating.
“If you experience a security breach, 20 percent of your affected customer base will no longer do business with you, 40 percent will consider ending the relationship, and 5 percent will be hiring lawyers!” -CIO Magazine, The Coming Pandemic, Michael Freidenberg, May 15th, 2006
Could your business handle these numbers? Even if it could, you should take responsibility for the protection of your customers and employees.
Danny
Statistics show that 50-70% of ID Theft comes from within the workplace. This means for the business owner you can spend $100’s and even thousands of dollars in your IT security and have the best encryption service on the planet but if your employee walks out with stolen information on paper that’s thousands ill spent thinking you had ID Theft protection.
Many business owners whether small or large are just not aware of how to fully protect their business and definitely not aware of new ID theft compliance laws. Many attorneys are not aware of these laws let alone help the owner protect the businesses customer personal information.
Businesses spend a lot of money keeping crooks from getting in but what about crooks from within getting information out.
Many owners just don’t have the resources available to them to keep up with the information the Federal Government is putting out and with ID theft laws being somewhat new over the last couple years there aren’t even many ID theft companies out there that can truly help the business.
You may not even be aware of how many people have access to your customer and employee information. What are your vendors doing with your customer information? Do you know what their procedures are if they have a breach with your customers information? Who handles your shredding if you even have a service? What policies and procedures does the shredding company have?
What about your employees? what type of training do you have for them? Are they keeping your customers information secured or could you walk around your business at lunch time and see critical information left on the desk?
ID theft compliance is more than Physical Security. Physical security offers encryption, Shredding service, IT, etc.
Your business should have a full risk assessment done. Helping you become aware of your businesses weakness. When the assessment is complete you should then be able to develop a plan for your business. Generally the cost will depend on how involved you want to be and just how much you want the consulting company to help.
If you think you can’t afford the cost to get your business in compliance think of the cost if you have a breach. You can’t put a number amount on the cost it could potentially cost your business. The loss of customer trust alone can be devastating.
“If you experience a security breach, 20 percent of your affected customer base will no longer do business with you, 40 percent will consider ending the relationship, and 5 percent will be hiring lawyers!” -CIO Magazine, The Coming Pandemic, Michael Freidenberg, May 15th, 2006
Could your business handle these numbers? Even if it could, you should take responsibility for the protection of your customers and employees.
Danny
Aug
16
Greg Shuey asked:
Annually, approximately ten million people have something very important stolen from them. It is not their car, it is not their child, and it is not their money: it’s their identity. Identity theft is a crime that is on the rise and costing billions of hard earned dollars a year.
While there is no way to ensure 100% identify theft protection, there are several tips to follow that can reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
-Shred all important documents. Whenever you receive a bank statement or a credit card statement, or even a medical bill, do not throw it away. File the papers in a heavy duty filing cabinet with a lock. When it is time to sort through the documents and get rid of what is not needed, run the papers through a shredder. Shredders can vary in price depending upon quality, but for $30.00 you can have a better piece of mind.
-Do not carry your social security card in your wallet. It may seem convenient to have your social security card in your wallet, but it is not necessary. This is a very important identity theft protection tip and if followed can help preserve your identity. -Lock your family’s social security cards up in a fire proof safe. Try to memorize the numbers and not write them down anywhere.
-Be careful who you submit your information to. Unfortunately, there are some people out there who are not very nice. These people may create websites or send out professional looking emails that ask you for very personal information. They may offer you a job or claim to be your bank updating information. Before you submit any information online, call the company and see if they are sending out emails, or check the Better Business Bureau for company information.
-When mailing out documents with personal information on, use security envelops. These envelops make it virtually impossible for anyone to see through them. For even more identity theft protection, only mail important documents in the blue postal mailboxes. If at all possible, try to avoid leaving personal mail overnight in a residential mailbox.
-Photo copy all of the contents of your wallet and file them in a locking safe. By photo copying all of the items in your wallet, you have records of who to call if the wallet is lost or stolen. In the event that you notice your wallet is missing, immediately begin calling and canceling your credit and bank cards. Even if the wallet turns up 2 days later underneath the car seat, you still took the right step toward identity theft protection.
Remember that just because you haven’t given any personal information out or you haven’t lost your wallet, does not mean you are safe. While taking extreme measures for identity theft protection ensures you better piece of mind, it can not guarantee that somebody has not gotten a hold of some information. Always check your credit report at least once or twice a year to make sure no new accounts have been open that you did not authorize. You’ll only have one identity so protect it.
George
Annually, approximately ten million people have something very important stolen from them. It is not their car, it is not their child, and it is not their money: it’s their identity. Identity theft is a crime that is on the rise and costing billions of hard earned dollars a year.
While there is no way to ensure 100% identify theft protection, there are several tips to follow that can reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
-Shred all important documents. Whenever you receive a bank statement or a credit card statement, or even a medical bill, do not throw it away. File the papers in a heavy duty filing cabinet with a lock. When it is time to sort through the documents and get rid of what is not needed, run the papers through a shredder. Shredders can vary in price depending upon quality, but for $30.00 you can have a better piece of mind.
-Do not carry your social security card in your wallet. It may seem convenient to have your social security card in your wallet, but it is not necessary. This is a very important identity theft protection tip and if followed can help preserve your identity. -Lock your family’s social security cards up in a fire proof safe. Try to memorize the numbers and not write them down anywhere.
-Be careful who you submit your information to. Unfortunately, there are some people out there who are not very nice. These people may create websites or send out professional looking emails that ask you for very personal information. They may offer you a job or claim to be your bank updating information. Before you submit any information online, call the company and see if they are sending out emails, or check the Better Business Bureau for company information.
-When mailing out documents with personal information on, use security envelops. These envelops make it virtually impossible for anyone to see through them. For even more identity theft protection, only mail important documents in the blue postal mailboxes. If at all possible, try to avoid leaving personal mail overnight in a residential mailbox.
-Photo copy all of the contents of your wallet and file them in a locking safe. By photo copying all of the items in your wallet, you have records of who to call if the wallet is lost or stolen. In the event that you notice your wallet is missing, immediately begin calling and canceling your credit and bank cards. Even if the wallet turns up 2 days later underneath the car seat, you still took the right step toward identity theft protection.
Remember that just because you haven’t given any personal information out or you haven’t lost your wallet, does not mean you are safe. While taking extreme measures for identity theft protection ensures you better piece of mind, it can not guarantee that somebody has not gotten a hold of some information. Always check your credit report at least once or twice a year to make sure no new accounts have been open that you did not authorize. You’ll only have one identity so protect it.
George
Aug
15
Five Types of Identity Theft
Filed Under Legal | Leave a Comment
Nicole Kinsey White asked:
By now, every adult should know that identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. It has become an epidemic, leaving everyone at risk, including children, adults, the elderly, those with good credit, bad credit, or no credit. And, to make matters worse, most people do not know if their identity has been stolen.
The biggest misconception is that identity theft only affects or involves your credit. If you, too, believe that identity theft only affects or involves your credit, then you might want to keep reading.
In addition to credit related identity theft, there are at least four other categories of identity theft that will not necessarily affect your credit, but can ruin your life. The following are real life stories.
1. Character identity theft. Someone impersonates you and commits a crime in your name resulting in warrants issued in your name, arrests made, and time spent in jail.
Donna has been impersonated by her sister for many years. Unfortunately for Donna, her sister has an extensive criminal record. In order to clear her name, Donna has had to hire an attorney. She has been told that once your name is associated with a crime, it can never come off.
Someone with a criminal record stole Harry’s wallet. Unbeknownst to Harry, the thief then committed several crimes in Harry’s name. Unfortunately, this criminal activity was entered into the database of a background check company that provides data to potential employers. Harry lost his job and has been unable to find work because of the false information.
Three years ago, Jane’s purse was stolen by someone she knew. The identity thief bought a car with Jane’s ID and committed other crimes in Jane’s name (writing bad checks and burglary). No one in law enforcement believes Jane when she says she is not the criminal, not even the District Attorney who is charging her with the crimes.
John, a man from San Diego, traveled to Mexico to visit his relatives. On his way back home, he was stopped and told that there was an arrest warrant issued in his name. Apparently, someone had been committing crimes in his name and using his Social Security number. John was arrested and taken to San Francisco where he spent 10 days in jail. After finally convincing a police office that he was not the criminal, John was released and left stranded without any money.
2. Social Security Number (SSN) identity theft. Someone steals your SSN and obtains employment in your name. The thief’s employer reports wages earned to the IRS under your SSN leaving you to pay income taxes on these earnings. Further, an identity thief’s use of your SSN can cause you to lose life sustaining benefits.
Paul received a letter from the IRS stating that he had earned additional income in 2003. Paul never earned this additional income. An identity thief used Paul’s SSN and earned wages in Paul’s name. Now Paul’s credit is ruined, and the IRS wants to be paid.
Alex lost his wallet, and he never bothered to report it to the police. In 2005, he filed his tax return and expected a refund. Instead, he received nothing. The IRS withheld his refund check to pay off back taxes he owed from 2002. Apparently in 2002, someone had used Alex’s SSN to earn wages in Alex’s name. This “unreported income” left Alex with a $9000 tax bill.
Someone has been using Mary’s SSN to earn wages. Mary, who had been receiving AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) benefits, lost her benefits because income records show her as having a salary.
Jack applied for unemployment benefits, but he was denied because records showed that he was actually working. Apparently, someone in another city had been using his SSN to earn wages in his name. Jack was told that he had to prove that his identity had been stolen.
3. Medical identity theft. Someone steals your identity and either obtains medical insurance in your name or uses your current medical insurance policy to obtain treatment or prescriptions. You can be denied health coverage or lose your current health coverage because of false information placed in your medical record.
An identity thief received treatment for an injury to his hand using a stolen identity. Now, the identity theft victim has been receiving letters demanding payment for drugs and services rendered to the thief.
4. Driver’s license identity theft. Someone commits traffic related offenses in your name. When the identity thief fails to appear in court, warrants are issued in your name.
In 2003, Alex’s driver’s license was revoked because he had another driver’s license in another state revoked due to criminal charges. In addition, Alex had warrants out for his arrest in the other state. After about a year of working to clear his name, Alex’s driver’s license was reinstated.
An identity thief with a poor driving record obtained a copy of Sara’s driver’s license. Now, because of the identity thief’s poor driving record, Sara’s license has been suspended, and she is in danger of losing her auto insurance.
5. Credit identity theft. Someone uses your information to obtain loans, goods, or services and does not pay the bills. The accumulating unpaid bills end up going to collection, which can affect your credit.
For over six years, Kate has been a victim of identity theft. Even a fraud alert placed on her credit report has not stopped the identity thief. As a result, Kate can not purchase a home because of bad credit.
An identity thief wrote bad checks and opened several credit card accounts in Erica’s name. Consequently, Erica’s application to open her own bank account was denied. Erica has had to hire an attorney to clear her name. This has cost her over $4,500.
So, you can see that once an identity thief has your identity, he/she can do just about anything including ruining your life. Don’t think you are immune. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, there have been at least 111 disclosed incidents of data breaches since January 2005 that could potentially expose 53 million individuals to identity theft. This number is steadily increasing. Further, according to the FTC, over 27,000 people per day have their identities stolen in America.
Your information is not safe. As long as others (employers, credit card companies, medical facilities, etc.) have your private information, you are always at risk for identity theft. All it takes is for an employer to lose your information or give it away or one person/employee to steal the information. A cellular phone company experienced just that when employees used customer data to create fraudulent accounts. The bogus accounts were used by the thieves and their friends to ring up thousands of dollars in calls.
When it comes to protecting your identity, being proactive is the only practical way to go to avoid the frustration, time, and expense of restoring your identity and name. Some things you can do to prevent identity theft include not giving out your personal information, shredding unwanted mail, and not carrying your SSN card with you. Also, continuous credit monitoring is an easy, effective and often inexpensive way of keeping an eye on your credit at all times to help prevent credit related identity theft.
Jim
By now, every adult should know that identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. It has become an epidemic, leaving everyone at risk, including children, adults, the elderly, those with good credit, bad credit, or no credit. And, to make matters worse, most people do not know if their identity has been stolen.
The biggest misconception is that identity theft only affects or involves your credit. If you, too, believe that identity theft only affects or involves your credit, then you might want to keep reading.
In addition to credit related identity theft, there are at least four other categories of identity theft that will not necessarily affect your credit, but can ruin your life. The following are real life stories.
1. Character identity theft. Someone impersonates you and commits a crime in your name resulting in warrants issued in your name, arrests made, and time spent in jail.
Donna has been impersonated by her sister for many years. Unfortunately for Donna, her sister has an extensive criminal record. In order to clear her name, Donna has had to hire an attorney. She has been told that once your name is associated with a crime, it can never come off.
Someone with a criminal record stole Harry’s wallet. Unbeknownst to Harry, the thief then committed several crimes in Harry’s name. Unfortunately, this criminal activity was entered into the database of a background check company that provides data to potential employers. Harry lost his job and has been unable to find work because of the false information.
Three years ago, Jane’s purse was stolen by someone she knew. The identity thief bought a car with Jane’s ID and committed other crimes in Jane’s name (writing bad checks and burglary). No one in law enforcement believes Jane when she says she is not the criminal, not even the District Attorney who is charging her with the crimes.
John, a man from San Diego, traveled to Mexico to visit his relatives. On his way back home, he was stopped and told that there was an arrest warrant issued in his name. Apparently, someone had been committing crimes in his name and using his Social Security number. John was arrested and taken to San Francisco where he spent 10 days in jail. After finally convincing a police office that he was not the criminal, John was released and left stranded without any money.
2. Social Security Number (SSN) identity theft. Someone steals your SSN and obtains employment in your name. The thief’s employer reports wages earned to the IRS under your SSN leaving you to pay income taxes on these earnings. Further, an identity thief’s use of your SSN can cause you to lose life sustaining benefits.
Paul received a letter from the IRS stating that he had earned additional income in 2003. Paul never earned this additional income. An identity thief used Paul’s SSN and earned wages in Paul’s name. Now Paul’s credit is ruined, and the IRS wants to be paid.
Alex lost his wallet, and he never bothered to report it to the police. In 2005, he filed his tax return and expected a refund. Instead, he received nothing. The IRS withheld his refund check to pay off back taxes he owed from 2002. Apparently in 2002, someone had used Alex’s SSN to earn wages in Alex’s name. This “unreported income” left Alex with a $9000 tax bill.
Someone has been using Mary’s SSN to earn wages. Mary, who had been receiving AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) benefits, lost her benefits because income records show her as having a salary.
Jack applied for unemployment benefits, but he was denied because records showed that he was actually working. Apparently, someone in another city had been using his SSN to earn wages in his name. Jack was told that he had to prove that his identity had been stolen.
3. Medical identity theft. Someone steals your identity and either obtains medical insurance in your name or uses your current medical insurance policy to obtain treatment or prescriptions. You can be denied health coverage or lose your current health coverage because of false information placed in your medical record.
An identity thief received treatment for an injury to his hand using a stolen identity. Now, the identity theft victim has been receiving letters demanding payment for drugs and services rendered to the thief.
4. Driver’s license identity theft. Someone commits traffic related offenses in your name. When the identity thief fails to appear in court, warrants are issued in your name.
In 2003, Alex’s driver’s license was revoked because he had another driver’s license in another state revoked due to criminal charges. In addition, Alex had warrants out for his arrest in the other state. After about a year of working to clear his name, Alex’s driver’s license was reinstated.
An identity thief with a poor driving record obtained a copy of Sara’s driver’s license. Now, because of the identity thief’s poor driving record, Sara’s license has been suspended, and she is in danger of losing her auto insurance.
5. Credit identity theft. Someone uses your information to obtain loans, goods, or services and does not pay the bills. The accumulating unpaid bills end up going to collection, which can affect your credit.
For over six years, Kate has been a victim of identity theft. Even a fraud alert placed on her credit report has not stopped the identity thief. As a result, Kate can not purchase a home because of bad credit.
An identity thief wrote bad checks and opened several credit card accounts in Erica’s name. Consequently, Erica’s application to open her own bank account was denied. Erica has had to hire an attorney to clear her name. This has cost her over $4,500.
So, you can see that once an identity thief has your identity, he/she can do just about anything including ruining your life. Don’t think you are immune. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, there have been at least 111 disclosed incidents of data breaches since January 2005 that could potentially expose 53 million individuals to identity theft. This number is steadily increasing. Further, according to the FTC, over 27,000 people per day have their identities stolen in America.
Your information is not safe. As long as others (employers, credit card companies, medical facilities, etc.) have your private information, you are always at risk for identity theft. All it takes is for an employer to lose your information or give it away or one person/employee to steal the information. A cellular phone company experienced just that when employees used customer data to create fraudulent accounts. The bogus accounts were used by the thieves and their friends to ring up thousands of dollars in calls.
When it comes to protecting your identity, being proactive is the only practical way to go to avoid the frustration, time, and expense of restoring your identity and name. Some things you can do to prevent identity theft include not giving out your personal information, shredding unwanted mail, and not carrying your SSN card with you. Also, continuous credit monitoring is an easy, effective and often inexpensive way of keeping an eye on your credit at all times to help prevent credit related identity theft.
Jim
Aug
12
Software For Identity Theft Protection
Filed Under Legal | Leave a Comment
Puripong Koomsin asked:
Theft in criminal law pertains to the taking of personal property without consent and without authority from its owner. Personal property pertains basically to movable property. Movable property as the term implies is property that can be moved from one place to another. Thus, said property is mobile. An example is Maya’s wallet and its contents – cash, credit cards, identification cards, manager’s checks, etc. For instance, Maya took Anna’s wallet together with its contents without permission. This is theft. Anna is guilty for the theft of Anna’s wallet and its contents – cash, credit cards, identification cards, manager’s checks, etc. The use of its contents is an altogether different matter from the theft of the wallet and its contents. Theft only pertains to the unlawful taking of the wallet and its contents. The use of the wallet and its contents is a different offense.
Identity theft is both similar and different in the concept of theft presented above. In the above concept what is taken is personal property in the sense that what is taken is movable property. In identity theft what is taken is personal but not necessarily personal property in the sense that it is movable. What is taken in such offense is the very identity of a person. What is taken is ones personal information. This includes ones name, birth date, age, birth place, address, parents’ names, spouse’s name (if applicable), siblings’ names (if applicable), offsprings’ names (if applicable), social security number, employment record, credit record, etc. All these information are taken and used to construct an altogether different identity from the identity of the real owner of the above-mentioned information. Once this identity is constructed, such person with the stolen identity will use all these information to apply for credit cards, loans and mortgages. After the benefits from these financial schemes are obtained by the person with the stolen identity, the bank then runs after the real owner of the identity for collection. Thus, identity theft is once again different from theft in that in the former the offender not only takes whatever belongs to the real owner but also uses the same unlawfully to the detriment of the real owner.
Thus, the real owner is left without an identity, a good reputation, without a good defense and without money. After all the banks and the credit card companies rely on the documents submitted to them. They are not required to go beyond the documents submitted except when these documents are counterfeit or are forged. And more often than not, the documents submitted by identity thieves are not counterfeit or forged as they contain correct and legitimate information. It is just that the person submitting is not the real owner of such information.
How can one be protected from identity theft and identity thieves? There are various soft wares in the market which are similar to anti-virus soft wares which guarantee protection from such incidents of theft. In exchange for a small amount, one can be protected from identity theft and identity thieves.
Ruth
Theft in criminal law pertains to the taking of personal property without consent and without authority from its owner. Personal property pertains basically to movable property. Movable property as the term implies is property that can be moved from one place to another. Thus, said property is mobile. An example is Maya’s wallet and its contents – cash, credit cards, identification cards, manager’s checks, etc. For instance, Maya took Anna’s wallet together with its contents without permission. This is theft. Anna is guilty for the theft of Anna’s wallet and its contents – cash, credit cards, identification cards, manager’s checks, etc. The use of its contents is an altogether different matter from the theft of the wallet and its contents. Theft only pertains to the unlawful taking of the wallet and its contents. The use of the wallet and its contents is a different offense.
Identity theft is both similar and different in the concept of theft presented above. In the above concept what is taken is personal property in the sense that what is taken is movable property. In identity theft what is taken is personal but not necessarily personal property in the sense that it is movable. What is taken in such offense is the very identity of a person. What is taken is ones personal information. This includes ones name, birth date, age, birth place, address, parents’ names, spouse’s name (if applicable), siblings’ names (if applicable), offsprings’ names (if applicable), social security number, employment record, credit record, etc. All these information are taken and used to construct an altogether different identity from the identity of the real owner of the above-mentioned information. Once this identity is constructed, such person with the stolen identity will use all these information to apply for credit cards, loans and mortgages. After the benefits from these financial schemes are obtained by the person with the stolen identity, the bank then runs after the real owner of the identity for collection. Thus, identity theft is once again different from theft in that in the former the offender not only takes whatever belongs to the real owner but also uses the same unlawfully to the detriment of the real owner.
Thus, the real owner is left without an identity, a good reputation, without a good defense and without money. After all the banks and the credit card companies rely on the documents submitted to them. They are not required to go beyond the documents submitted except when these documents are counterfeit or are forged. And more often than not, the documents submitted by identity thieves are not counterfeit or forged as they contain correct and legitimate information. It is just that the person submitting is not the real owner of such information.
How can one be protected from identity theft and identity thieves? There are various soft wares in the market which are similar to anti-virus soft wares which guarantee protection from such incidents of theft. In exchange for a small amount, one can be protected from identity theft and identity thieves.
Ruth
Aug
10
Warren Franklin asked:
The Bad News: Identity theft is escalating at a torrid pace. It has become one of the country’s top problems. The bad guys are finding more ways to steal YOUR identity.
The Good News: You can take control of the situation, become both reactive and proactive guarding yourself against identity theft.
Identity Theft Is Spreading Faster Than The Worst Case Of The Flu!
First, let’s understand just how bad identity theft has become in this country:
The Bad News: Identity theft is escalating at a torrid pace. It has become one of the country’s top problems. The bad guys are finding more ways to steal YOUR identity.
The Good News: You can take control of the situation, become both reactive and proactive guarding yourself against identity theft.
Identity Theft Is Spreading Faster Than The Worst Case Of The Flu!
First, let’s understand just how bad identity theft has become in this country:
Aug
4
Where To Find Identity Theft Protection
Filed Under Legal | Leave a Comment
Jon Arnold asked:
Imagine for a moment, what it would be like to receive the news that someone has committed identity theft, in your name. For example, you go to your local bank, an establishment that your family has used for years, to apply for a home or auto loan. Everything seems to be going well, when the loan officer comes back with papers stating that you owe some outstanding bills, some very hefty outstanding bills.
Puzzled, you then find that someone has made some high end item purchases, maybe it is a complete new home entertainment center or perhaps your identity has been used for other official business such as applying for government benefits or even so simple as you being billed for utilities that you do not personally receive.
You could also find yourself a victim of identity theft by means of someone forging your checks, or even have every bit of savings you have nestled away for a rainy day, can be cleared out by transfer of accounts.
The many different ways that an identity thief can take unfair advantages of their victims, varies with the differences of the criminal personality themselves. Identity thieves are not always strangers; they can also be your best friend, or the friendly clerk at your local grocery store, or even the bank teller. To become an identity thief, one must have information to build a bogus identity situation.
Keep in mind that in this day and time, the majority of financial transactions do occur without personal contact. What this means is, if someone of a shady character found access of such information as your name, address and any documented account numbers or even just your password, they can do you damage.
Now, think of how easy it is to use credit cards and other important numbers and passwords to get into your online accounts or make purchase orders online.
From the moment, that someone scandalous gains access to your personal or business accounts, they are left wide open, to take as much advantage of you and your line of credit as they can. Consider just how fast information flies on the internet, and you will realize that it will not take long for someone to perform a wide range of financial misconduct. Keep in mind, the longer an identity theft is not reported, the more likely, potential damage can occur. Also note that identity theft is not limited to online transactions. It can occur even if you don’t own or use a computer!
When you have been the victim of identity thief, you may find it near impossible to obtain the things you truly need since someone else has tampered with your identity. Here are a few tips on protection from identity theft:
Protect your important information, such as your social security number, as well as any account numbers or passwords. Limit the personal information you do share, your financial privacy is of utmost importance. Shred all your identifying information when you are finished with it, such as important information bearing documents and cards. Be careful when you are online, take precautions from computer borne spies and viruses. Read all privacy policies and opt out of any info you do not wish to share, in other words, click with care. Have your contact information removed from credit bureau marketing lists. Question why anyone would want or need your personal information; online or off, always follow your instincts when confronted with such questions. Check your credit report regularly.
While there is no way to definitely protect yourself from identity theft, you can take these precautions, and consider identity theft protection via identity theft insurance.
Bernard
Imagine for a moment, what it would be like to receive the news that someone has committed identity theft, in your name. For example, you go to your local bank, an establishment that your family has used for years, to apply for a home or auto loan. Everything seems to be going well, when the loan officer comes back with papers stating that you owe some outstanding bills, some very hefty outstanding bills.
Puzzled, you then find that someone has made some high end item purchases, maybe it is a complete new home entertainment center or perhaps your identity has been used for other official business such as applying for government benefits or even so simple as you being billed for utilities that you do not personally receive.
You could also find yourself a victim of identity theft by means of someone forging your checks, or even have every bit of savings you have nestled away for a rainy day, can be cleared out by transfer of accounts.
The many different ways that an identity thief can take unfair advantages of their victims, varies with the differences of the criminal personality themselves. Identity thieves are not always strangers; they can also be your best friend, or the friendly clerk at your local grocery store, or even the bank teller. To become an identity thief, one must have information to build a bogus identity situation.
Keep in mind that in this day and time, the majority of financial transactions do occur without personal contact. What this means is, if someone of a shady character found access of such information as your name, address and any documented account numbers or even just your password, they can do you damage.
Now, think of how easy it is to use credit cards and other important numbers and passwords to get into your online accounts or make purchase orders online.
From the moment, that someone scandalous gains access to your personal or business accounts, they are left wide open, to take as much advantage of you and your line of credit as they can. Consider just how fast information flies on the internet, and you will realize that it will not take long for someone to perform a wide range of financial misconduct. Keep in mind, the longer an identity theft is not reported, the more likely, potential damage can occur. Also note that identity theft is not limited to online transactions. It can occur even if you don’t own or use a computer!
When you have been the victim of identity thief, you may find it near impossible to obtain the things you truly need since someone else has tampered with your identity. Here are a few tips on protection from identity theft:
Protect your important information, such as your social security number, as well as any account numbers or passwords. Limit the personal information you do share, your financial privacy is of utmost importance. Shred all your identifying information when you are finished with it, such as important information bearing documents and cards. Be careful when you are online, take precautions from computer borne spies and viruses. Read all privacy policies and opt out of any info you do not wish to share, in other words, click with care. Have your contact information removed from credit bureau marketing lists. Question why anyone would want or need your personal information; online or off, always follow your instincts when confronted with such questions. Check your credit report regularly.
While there is no way to definitely protect yourself from identity theft, you can take these precautions, and consider identity theft protection via identity theft insurance.
Bernard