Kari M asked:


So i used to have credit protection through my capital one card, it was through a different agency, and they gave me a credit report with the score, activity, open accounts, etc. i could even access it onliine, and they had a $10,000 protection..that was really good for me, i just stopped using it but now i want to find another service like that that i could access online and everything..with insurance and all..whats the best one?

heres my story:

When i had that service i noticed accounts that i did not open. they maxed out and stopped using it. im not sure if it was through my social security number or not, but it definitely made my credit score crap.

now i need to know the steps i should take to clearing my name. preferrably online filing and such…but i need to fix this because now im living on my own and i need a car and loans..

thanks!

Luis

J. asked:


I am sick of calling my credit card company or bank and being bombarded with offers to sign up for identity theft protection and cash advances. I am tired of walking into my local bank branch and being greeted by an employee at the doorway who wants to be sure that I know about their low equity line interest rates.

Why are institutions that deal with people’s finances trying to hustle their fee-ridden services that customers aren’t even interested in? I know it’s for profit, but don’t they realize how annoying and pushy they are?

Brenda

d_rock asked:


I’m just wondering if using a paper shredder to shred confidential documents adds extra protection against identity theft and if purchasing a shredder is actually worth it.

Lee

Maria Gallercia asked:


I don’t believe in debt, I bank with both Wachovia and Bank of America, and don’t want my debit card to be exposed online in anyway because the fear of ID theft unless if I’m using PayPal. If you recommend it, should I get the one with a Discover, Visa, or MasterCard logo. Thank you in advance,

Thomas

Kevin asked:


im young and live in nevada, and i kno it was my address but dam idk!

should i worry for identity theft? or someone stalking me?

or em i overthinking it?

Jeff

pgiggles asked:


I have called and canceled my credit cards but what about my license and other id cards how can I prevent someone from stealing my identity?

Micheal

Tristan Dunston asked:


Australia is losing a billion dollars every year to identity theft, according to the Australian government, and nearly 90 per cent of Aussies are said to be concerned about having their identity stolen.

With identity theft reputed to be the fastest growing crime globally, what is being done to protect Australians from the growing menace posed by identity fraudsters?

The National Identity Security Strategy (NISS) was introduced by the Australian Government in 2005. This national identity strategy aims to tackle identity crime committed with the use of fake identity documents, such as passports and drivers’ licenses. Beefing up the ability of Australian authorities to spot fake identity documents lies at the heart of the strategy. Fake identity documents are used by fraudsters to steal benefits, such as Centrelink payments, and money from the banks.

$28 million dollars has been pledged to the roll out of the National Document Verification Service, a key plank of the NISS. The service will be an online system for checking the authenticity of identity documents, and will be accessible by government agencies. It could also be rolled out to the private sector, which would help banks and other companies verify the identities of consumers. The service will enable government officials to ensure documents presented were actually issued and the details contained within them are accurate.

Biometrics, a method of using the physical attributes of individuals to verify their identity, is increasingly being deployed by governments and private companies to combat identity theft.

Australia’s immigration service, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, is collecting biometric data on new migrants. It is expected the collection of biometric details on ‘non citizens’ – such as photos, fingerprints, and, iris scans – will help national and international efforts to tackle identity fraud. The physical details of new entrants are being stored on the DIAC database, known as the Identity Services Repository.

Plans for a welfare services identity card system costing more than $1billion dollars were scrapped at the end of 2007 following the election of the Rudd Government. The Howard Government planned to give every Australian a biometric smartcard, including photo and individual health and welfare number. This was considered by many to be an identity card scheme in disguise. Reports suggested the smartcard scheme could have been ‘piggybacked’ by private companies, such as banks and financial institutions, as a means of tackling identity fraud.



The use of voice authentication technology to tackle call centre identity fraud is being researched by boffins at the University Of Canberra. The university’s biometrics scientists are working on systems which could enable companies to verify people using their voice patterns. This may avoid the need to send sensitive personal information abroad, reducing the risk of Aussies falling prey to identity fraudsters targeting call centres.

Tough new money laundering laws, which came into force at the end of 2007, will see tighter identity checks on Australians when opening up new bank accounts, using casinos or purchasing travellers cheques. It is expected the Anti Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Finance Act will help to combat identity fraud in Australia. Financial organisations have to meet the strict identity check requirements of the legislation by the end of 2008. This act brings Australia into line with other countries, such as the UK and US, which have strengthened their money laundering rules.

The publication of court judgments on the internet has led the NSW Supreme Court to change the way it writes judgments. Personal identifiers, such as birthdates and addresses, which can be used to commit identity fraud will no longer be published in judgments.

Among the advice in the government’s identity theft self help guide “ID theft kit” is the need for consumers to regularly check their credit report to help spot any fraudulent activity committed against them. A free credit report can be accessed every year by writing to the credit reference agencies.



Jesus

Sam Gooch asked:


A significant number of people are concerned about falling victim to identity theft, new research reveals.

Public concern about being a target of identity fraud has risen as the economic downturn rumbles on, figures from Lloyds TSB indicate.

Research released by the firm shows 39 per cent of people feel at greater risk of having their UK accounts targeted by fraudsters then they did six months ago.

Meanwhile, 52 per cent of those worried about identity theft believe the onset of the financial crisis – in which rising unemployment rates have led more people towards criminal activity – has driven their fears.

Overall, more than three-quarters (76 per cent) of adults claim to be worried about identity theft, while 38 per cent of people have already been affected by such crime.

Jatin Patel, spokesperson for Lloyds TSB, states: “As technology improves, it gets easier and easier for criminals to steal our identities and during tough economic times the temptation becomes greater.”

In an effort to protect themselves and their finances from being compromised by criminals, people were urged to check their bank account and credit cards – in addition to their credit report – on a regular basis for signs of any suspicious transactions.

Meanwhile, people were advised to ensure they keep sight of their plastic cards at all times, while users of social networking sites should be careful about how much personal information they divulge to others. Ensuring that nobody else knows passwords and pin numbers and shredding any paperwork containing personal and financial details before throwing away was also recommended.

Such credit best practice advice could be helpful as 57 per cent of ID theft victims questioned by the bank stated they had not done enough to protect their personal and financial details from falling into the wrong hands.

The advice follows recent research by Financial Fraud Action which revealed a 55 per cent rise in online bank account fraud in the first half of this year. Such crime resulted in total losses of £39 million, while credit card ID theft has risen 23 per cent to account for £23.9 million of the overall £232.8m lost to fraudsters.



Catherine

MoneySavingGuide.com asked:


What is the best ID theft protection service? I mean, other than a shredder… haha. Any good software/services out there?

Corey

Martha Timmons asked:


Preventing ID Theft

ID fraud is one of the biggest crime in the U.S today. Every 4 seconds someone’s identity is stolen.There are now several id fraud prevention services on the market to address this problem. The question now becomes which identity theft protection provider is right for you. How do you easily compare the features of each one? That’s where a site like IDProtectionStore.com with their comparison chart becomes handy. In addition to services that are dedicated to id fraud prevention, you might also want to consider a credit monitoring service to provide you another layer of protection that many id theft prevention services don’t always provide. Many of these credit monitoring services offer a free trial where you’re able to get your free credit score.

There’s credit scoreoffers where you can see your information from one credit bureau. Other services allow you to view your credit score from all 3 credit bureaus. Trans Union, Equifax, and Experian. This is crucial because the data contained in one credit bureau report may not match with what’s on the others. Also, many creditors may choose to see one or more of your credit files. And most offers do not provide a free FICO report for free. You only get to see what’s on your normal credit reports. But a FICO report is not the same as your normal credit report or score. It uses different set of rules for coming up with your FICO score. Most lenders utilize the FICO report to determine your creditworthiness. Therefore it may be most wiseto see your FICO report before applying for a personal loan. Another feature that these offers provide is credit monitoring. With some services you only get the bare minimum while others provide comprehensive credit monitoring prevention. These are some of the reasons why it makes sense to compare the features of these freecreditreport offers.



Luis