Crime and Identity Theft

What is crime? Crime defined is an atrocity or enslavement, an act carried out by a single or group of individuals, targeting the population, or a set area to attack. When an identity thief gets hold of a persons identity he/she has CONTROL to a large degree over an entire population of people, and next to complete control over the victim in which the identity he stole.

Identity is cards that link personal information to thousands of databases worldwide. The government stores in its filing cabinets the identity of millions of individuals, including members in foreign lands. Companies store on their databases each day millions of identities and the list continues.

Crime has been ongoing since the first Sin. The first crime reported in history was the act Cain committed against his brother Abel. Followed by the first recording came a linage of other crimes, thus each year the crimes worsen and the law is far from putting a stop to the unlawful acts committed against an entire population, including the victims of the crime.

The law is made up of assumptions, thoughts, ideas, opinions, et cetera. Each year the law changes when a number of complaints, theories, protests, and other letters come in on a particular subject. Therefore, if you want to fight identity theft you must learn how to protest the laws and stand up for your rights. This includes every one of us standing up, fighting, and protesting ongoing without cease. Furthermore, protesting and fighting back includes adhering to assertiveness and avoiding violence and aggressiveness.

As a protestor of many laws, for years I have made waves with the government by enforcing my statements and repeatedly letting the government know new crimes or actions pending, or letting them have insight of the small town where I live and constantly telling them about the many complaints. As a study of Criminal Justice I have learnt that what I am doing is what all of us should be doing, thus it takes the PEOPLE to make the changes.

Identity theft has increased since technology has enhanced throughout the years. The financial processors designed to pay bills, make purchases, et cetera puts us at risk of identity theft. My son asked me last night, "What happen to Type Writers?" this is one of the questions I have asked for years, and all I could tell him, is "Someone thinks they have the ultimate solution to fix everyone problems," thus risks are increasing.

At one time, the world was comfortable with typewriters and rarely did you hear reports of identity theft. If you did, it was escalated to the millions of reports you hear each year today. Thus, technology, financial processors and other sources are making it easier than ever for criminal minds to take hold of someone's identity. The downside is the true victims of the crime pay (over and over and over and over and over and over)...Get the point...for the crime committed against them.

When identity theft occurs, we all are victims of the crime, since gas prices increase, produce prices increase and other necessity prices increase. We are in a race and the motive is to survive greed, self-centered, ill-minded world. Thus, the patients diagnosed with mental illnesses often have more sense than the common people that make waves for criminals to control our lives. Most patients diagnosed with mental illness (outside of psychopathic and other major illnesses) have never committed a crime in their lives. Few may have committed petty crimes, but for the most part they live and they learn. Yet, many degrade the suffering souls that have more sense than most people do in existence.

Thieves often are accused of having Antisocial Behaviors. In many studies it shows that the thieves follow patterns that lead to Antisocial Personality Types, thus in the next article we will go over the symptoms of Antisocial Behaviors to help you determine who the real thieves are?

Tony Robinson is an International Author, Webmaster and Security Guru. Check out his Identity Theft Protection Tips at http://www.officialidentitytheft.com/

Resources for Identity Theft Victims

Having the right resources to prevent theft or else learn how to cope with identity theft and take the steps to recover from the loss is essential, since more victims occur daily. First, you will need copies of your credit reports or else information that will help you to see what is on your credit reports. The Free Credit Report site is just one area online where you can view copies of your reports. The site is secure as you will see when you look in the search engine, noticing the's' behind the http: in the area. The's' stands for secure site. Otherwise, you can visit the TransUnion site, Experian site or Equifax to request an annual free copy of your report. If you have received your free annual report then you will need to view the updated copies or else pay the small fees to obtain personally copies of your reports. If you are a victim of identity theft, you will need to mail a letter to the three bureaus requesting a copy of your reports and provide proof of your identity, including utility receipts of last area lived, rental or mortgage receipts, picture ID and social security number.

Once you have copies in your hands review the reports carefully to make sure that nothing is showing on your report that does not belong to you. If you notice, any unauthorized debts report them immediately to the bureaus, disputing the actions. If you are a victim of identity theft make, sure you monitor your reports carefully all through the year and from that point on. Some recommend that you review your reports during the first year at least twice and yearly thereafter, however, twice is not enough. Take it from someone that knows from experience.

Thieves will work longer hours than most police officers to get what they want and when they want it. Therefore, reviewing your reports only twice per year is leaving room for the perpetrator to take full control. If you recently fell into the hands of an identity theft, be sure to report the crime immediately and keep copies of the police report. The police will do little to find the perpetrator unless you meet their special criteria of victims, but for the most part, you will have ammunition. Next, report the crime to the Federal Trade Commission Consumers, where you information will reach government officials. Again, expect little effort to find the perpetrator, but at most, you will have additional ammunition.

If you have to go to the FBI and higher if necessary to make the law work for you and to enforce that the perpetrator is caught. Unfortunately, victims of identity theft rarely receive justice. You might want to go online and read any information available on identity theft to learn how to protect, recover and take the steps to ensue the case.

It is important that you protect your self from identity theft, even if you are a victim. All of us are encouraged to change our passwords and PIN numbers at random to avoid loss. We are also encouraged to close any accounts if a thief has your information, including closing credit card accounts, bank accounts, and other accounts in your name. Keep watch over all new accounts, including statements you receive. Make sure you keep all copies of your receipts, even if the receipts do not seem important. Store the receipts, statements and any notes you keep on your self in a safe place.

Many people store information on computers, but this is a bad idea. Computers are far too risky of loss to store valuable information on them, thus store you information on discs, tapes and keep hard copies in a safe place for sufficiency.

It is important that you keep your personal information out of everyone's hands, including friends, family if necessary and so forth. All it takes is one mistake and your life can fall into anyone's hands at any time. Finally, if you are a victim of identity theft, report the crime to the Department of Motor Vehicles also, since criminals holding your driver license will do anything in your name.

Tony Robinson is an International Author, Webmaster and Security Guru. Check out his Identity Theft Protection Tips at http://www.officialidentitytheft.com/

When to Fight Identity Theft

The time to fight Identity theft is now. If you are not a victim of identity theft, do not take any chances, since it is next to impossible if not impossible to restore your life once someone takes hold of your identity.

Identity thieves will steal your identity nearly anywhere in the world, but many of the utilize the World Wide Web to take advantage of millions of people. Since, technology has developed it has open the doors to predators of all walks and these hungry souls are taking full advantage of the developments.

Thieves are tricky. In the world, we have all types of predators including serial killers, thieves, rapists, extortionists, and so forth. Serial killers are one of the hardest predators to catch, and what follows the steps of a skilled killer is an identity thief. Comparing the two, you would be luckier to have a serial killer on your trial verses having lost your identity. Serial killers will annihilate you instantaneously after interrupting your life quietly. Likewise, a thief will monitor the moves of random candidates ready for the taking and when they gain access to your identity, you will battle for the rest of your life to restore your life in general.

When you become a victim of identity theft you are a victim forever, however when you become a victim of other crimes and survive you are a survivor once you come over the trauma in the path. Thus, identity thieves once hold of your information can open accounts in your name, withdrawal money from your accounts, violate your credit reports, commit crimes and use your identity to evade the authorities, or else commit crimes and leave you holding the bag. Identity thieves that hold your information can contact the government and file for anything they like in your name and the government will have no clue, since they are assuming you are the one requesting the documents.

Thus, if you suspect your identity is stolen take the first step and contact the authorities. Next, you will need to contact the government, and social security administration as well as the license bureau. You will also need to contact your bank, credit card providers, debit card providers, utility providers, property owner, mortgage and anyone that is connected to you and your information. You will also need to get copies of your credit reports and dispute any activities immediately on the reports that are not belonging to you. Be sure to request that TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax put a FREEZE on your accounts. If the companies put up a Fraud Alert the alert will leave you open, thus a FREEZE will go further with creditors when you apply for credit in the future. I stress FREEZE, since this will halt anyone from adding any debts to your account. If a fraud alert is, pending then anyone can add debts to your account, which takes three to seven and even ten years to remove, even if you did not create the debts.

After you have took all the necessary steps you will need to continue monitor any new accounts and continue monitoring your credit reports randomly. Anytime new information becomes available that insinuates that someone has violated your identity make sure you provide the updates to the authorities.

So, do you still want to ask when to fight identity theft? If you are still asking this question then you obviously missed the point. In the year of 2002 alone, more than one-half million individuals lost their identity and the statistics are increasing each year.

Identity theft is a major crime where the criminal rarely meets the authorities. The World Wide Web opens the door for thieves to come and go as they please without little exposure. Thus, learning the steps to prevent identity theft is critical, especially if you are connected to the Internet, or frequent the World Wide Web often. For more information on identity theft, visit the online connections where you can find a swamp load of information that will help you to protect your identity. Otherwise, visit your local library to learn how you can prevent identity theft, even if you never use a computer.

Tony Robinson is an International Author, Webmaster and Security Guru. Check out his Identity Theft Protection Tips at http://www.officialidentitytheft.com/

Preventing Identity Theft

What is Identity Theft? It is the theft of your personal information, such as social security number, driver's license number, credit card and bank account numbers, mother's maiden name, and more, with the intent to obtain credit and credit cards from banks and retailers, steal money from the victim's existing accounts, apply for loans, establish accounts with utility companies, rent an apartment, file bankruptcy or obtain a job using the victim's name.

Did you know that in some states Identity Theft is not even against the law? The victim has to prove their innocence. This shocks most Identity Theft Victims, as it should. It shocks me. Law Enforcement and Credit Card Services should be there to help, but in many cases they don't.

Being prepared, just in case someone steals your identity is a must. It may be inconvenient, but unless you want to go out and try to use your credit card one day, just to find that someone else has been using your identity to make purchases and your card is no longer accepted, then you need to take steps to prevent your identity from being stolen. It can take years to clear this up if it happens to you, so a little prevention now is the answer.

Facts about Identity Theft;

? It is considered by law enforcement to be an absolute epidemic, the fastest growing crime in the United States at this time.

? For the criminal, identity theft is a relatively low-risk, high-reward endeavor. Credit card issuers often don't prosecute thieves who are apprehended. Why? The firms figure it's not cost efficient. They can afford to write off a certain amount of fraud as a cost of doing business.

? Recently criminals have been using the victim's identity to commit crimes ranging form traffic infractions to felonies. How would you like to find out you are wanted for a crime you know nothing about? It has happened.

? All that is needed is your social security number, your birth date and other identifying information such as your address and phone number and whatever else they can find out about you. With this information, and a false driver's license with their own picture, they can begin the crime.

? If you wait until it happens to you, it's a nightmare. You won't know until you are denied credit or a creditor contacts you about a charge you know nothing about.

How do I prevent Identity Theft?

At Home;

? If you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your home, make sure your personal information is not readily available to them.

? Deposit your outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office, rather than in an unsecured mailbox. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox. If you're planning to be away from home and can't pick up your mail, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to request a vacation hold. The Postal Service will hold your mail at your local post office until you can pick it up or are home to receive it.

? Tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired charge cards that you're discarding, and credit offers you get in the mail. To opt out of receiving offers of credit in the mail, call: 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688).

? Give your Social Security number only when absolutely necessary, and ask to use other types of identifiers. If your state uses your Social Security number as your driver's license number, ask to substitute another number. Do the same if your health insurance company uses your Social Security number as your policy number.

At Work;

? Ask about information security procedures in your workplace or at businesses, doctor's offices or other institutions that collect your personally identifying information. Find out who has access to your personal information and verify that it is handled securely. Ask about the disposal procedures for those records as well. Find out if your information will be shared with anyone else. If so, ask how your information can be kept confidential. Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work; do the same with copies of administrative forms that have your sensitive personal information.

Online;

? If you do financial transactions over the Internet, read their privacy and or security statements. You want to know who they share your personal information with. You want to know they use a "secure server" for transactions. You want to know how they store your personal information. If you don't like what you hear, don't do your business at that website. There are always alternatives.

? Use PayPal. You can transfer a limited number of funds into your paypal account and use it to buy merchandise online instead of your credit card.

? Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or on the Internet unless you've initiated the contact or are sure you know who you're dealing with.

? Before you share any personal information, confirm that you are dealing with a legitimate organization. Check an organization's website by typing its URL in the address line, rather than cutting and pasting it. Be cautious when responding to promotions. Identity thieves may create phony promotional offers to get you to give them your personal information.

Going Out;

? Carry only the identification information and the credit and debit cards that you'll actually need when you go out. Don't carry your social security card with you unless you expect to need it.

Should I buy identity theft insurance?

Some companies offer insurance or similar products that claim to give you protection against the costs associated with resolving an identity theft case. Be aware that most creditors will only deal with you to resolve problems, so the insurance company in most cases will not be able to reduce that burden. As with any product or service, make sure you understand what you're getting before you buy. If you decide to buy an identity theft insurance product, check out the company with your local Better Business Bureau, consumer protection agency and state Attorney General to see if they have any complaints on file.

Conclusion: Be smart. If someone is asking for your personal information, anyone, including friends, acquaintances, companies, stores, websites, or anyone else, ask questions. Find out why they need this information, what they are going to do with it, how long do they keep it stored, who they share it with, and how can you be sure it is going to be kept secure.

For more information on how to obtain credit cards, reduce credit card debt, or prevent Identity Theft, go to http://creditcards.youngparentsmagazine.com Jennifer also has a lot of information at http://www.youngparentsmagazine.com for young parents. Chris McElroy runs a missing children?s organization at http://www.kidsearchnetwork.org

How To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

While nothing is ever foolproof you can learn how to protect yourself from identity theft. Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America today with victims reporting new cases to authorities at an alarming rate.

Last year alone in 2004, more than 9.9 million Americans were victims of identity theft scams. Those crimes cost them nearly $5 billion. That number of victims and their losses are probably much higher. Several cases go unreported because people are either embarrassed that it happened to them or have no idea where to report it when it does happen.

First, here are a few ways to prevent identity theft so you have less chance of it happening to you. A very important step in learning how to avoid identity theft is to keep a close watch on all of your personal information and your credit report.

Check your credit reports from all three credit bureaus at least once a year to see that everything is accurate. If you find an error, dispute it immediately so you can protect yourself against fraud. Similar names and similar social security numbers often get mixed up, or even worse, someone could have stolen your identity.

Another way to prevent identity theft is not to carry your Social Security card or anything with your Social Security number on it in your wallet. Keep your social security number private because someone could easily steal your identity with your number.

The same goes for your bank card pin number because it makes it easy for a thief who has stolen your wallet to help themselves to your bank account at an A.T.M.

Other ways to prevent identity theft also need to be applied to the Internet. If you use the Internet, make sure all your security software like virus protection and spyware software is up to date. Be aware of Internet scams that ask for any personal or password information.

Legitimate businesses will never send you an e-mail asking you to confirm your personal identifying information. So never give out personal information unless you initiated the contact or you're absolutely sure who you're dealing with.

Also be especially careful about giving your credit card number over the phone to telemarketers. While most companies are legitimate this is a popular way for thieves to obtain your name, address and credit card number.

So what happens if you do become a victim and what is involved in reporting identity theft? Here is the information for the agencies you need to contact.

1. Contact the fraud departments of any one of the three major credit bureaus to place a fraud alert on your credit file. The fraud alert requests creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. As soon as the credit bureau confirms your fraud alert, the other two credit bureaus will be automatically notified to place fraud alerts, and all three credit reports will be sent to you free of charge.

Equifax: 800-525-6285

Experian: 888-397-3742

TransUnion: 800-680-7289

2. Close all of the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use an ID Theft Affidavit when disputing new unauthorized accounts. The credit bureaus will help you with this step.

3. File a police report. Get a copy of the police report to submit to your creditors and others that may require proof of the crime. If you don't file the police report you may have trouble proving this actually happened.

4. File your complaint with the FTC. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps them learn more about identity theft and the problems victims are having.

Visit the Federal Trade Commission's Web site at http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft . The FTC provides educational materials and self-help tools, as well as an online reporting form. The FTC also maintains a toll-free hotline at 1-877-ID-THEFT, with consumer counselors available to assist victims.

If you've had bank accounts set up fraudulently in your name, call these check guarantee companies: Telecheck at 800-366-2425; and the International Check Services Company at 800-526-5380. They can flag your file so that counterfeit checks will be refused.

If your crime was email related, the best place to report email scams is The Internet Fraud Complaint Center or (IFCC). They are a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). Their web address is: http://www1.ifccfbi.gov

The bottom line is keep any personal information about you private so you won't become a new victim of this terrible crime. Using these tips to learn how to protect yourself from identity theft and reporting it to the proper authorities will give you a better chance of avoiding this nightmare for you and everyone around you.

This article is provided by http://www.spyware-information.com where you will find free spyware cleaners, downloads, removal software, valuable tips and updated articles about adware and spyware removal programs to protect your identity. For other informative spyware and adware articles go to http://spyware-information.com/articles_1.html

 

Identity Theft: It Can Happen to You!

Permission is granted for the below article to forward, reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website, offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long as no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and the resource box below is included. Identity Theft: It Can Happen to You!

By Stephen Bucaro

You step outside to find your car has been repossessed and a foreclosure notice posted on the front door of your house. All because of delinquent loans "you" made. Or the police come to make an arrest because "you" used a fake prescription. Can't happen to you?

Think again. All an identity thief needs is a copy of your credit report. This document contains your birth date, Social Security number, place of employment, salary, credit card numbers, and details about all of your financial transactions, savings and investments.

Using your identity, the thief can take your assets, leave you in debt, and commit crimes in your name. After the damage is done, it may take years, if ever, to clean up your records. Credit companies like to hang on to information like glue, they won't just delete it.

Lenders are not interested in your identity theft claim. They want to protect their own interests first. They would rather clear up the identity theft question after they take your assets. And everybody the police arrest claim they didn't do it. Someone else who stole their identity committed that crime. They would rather close the case quickly than get involved in a complicated identity theft case.

How to Protect Yourself

1. Guard your personal information. Don't provide your Social Security number, or any financial information, to anyone without knowing why they need it.

2. Don't throw away any financial documents without shredding them first. That includes those credit card linked blank checks that your bank keeps sending you, and unsolicited credit card offers.

3. Close any accounts that you don't use. Keep the number of credit card accounts and lines of credit you use to a minimum.

4. Once a year request a copy of your credit report and check it for accuracy. You can get your credit report from Equifax for $9.00 www.equifax.com

5. Carefully examine your monthly financial statements for unusual activity and examine your credit card bills for charges you can't identify.

If You Become a Victim

1. Immediately contact the creditors where fraudulent charges were made and request that a fraud alert be placed on your file.

2. Under the Truth in Lending Act, you can be held liable for a maximum of $50.00 in unauthorized charges per credit card.

3. Download an identity theft affidavit from the Federal Trade Commission Web site. http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/affidavit.htm

4. File a report with your local police department.

5. Keep a complete record of the identity theft and your efforts to clear your records. Send all letters related to the theft by certified mail. Keep a record of all telephone calls you made and received, with dates and the names of the individuals you spoke to.

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the U.S. It can happen to you. Protect yourself by guarding your private information and carefully examining your financial statements. If you become a victim, take the steps outlined above, and keep a complete record of your efforts to repair the damage caused by this crime. Resource Box:
http://bucarotechelp.com To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter Send a blank email to bucarotechelp-subscribe@topica.com