Why Is Identity Fraud/Theft Rising?

A study by Javelin Strategy and Research in 2005 showed that 9.3 million Americans are victims of identity theft each year. This is about 4.25% of adults. The Home Office in the United Kingdom also claims that this crime is reaching epidemic proportions, although they do not actually collect data and statistics. But why is this becoming such a problem? This article hopes to help answer some of your questions.

In the USA today, about $52.6B is the annual cost of identity fraud, which works out at about $5,686 per victim. These statistics from the Javelin study also highlighted that anyone who has been a victim of identity fraud spends about 28 hours trying to sort out the problems. Although the financial cost is met by banks and other institutions, these costs then get passed onto consumers.

In this age of modern technology, it is possible for you to extend your credit without ever having seen your customer. There has also been a massive increase in the use of the Internet and telephones to buy goods and make payments in this way, as well as an increase in the volume of personal information help by third party companies.

You may not realise but, in the USA, a lot of your most personal information is readily available to the public including mortgage details, driving license details, and social security numbers. Although this information is not as easy to get hold of in other countries, it is still help in the relevant organisations where its many employees have easy access to this.

Another problem is with companies such as car hire agencies, car dealerships, and solicitors. They now insist on taking a copy of their client?s identity documents, such as birth certificate. So you end up handing over your identity to these companies. Unfortunately, if you need to deal with these companies, there is nothing that you can do but a way to protect yourself is to ask for any of these documents back when you no longer deal with them.

One of the most common ways of illegally accessing your personal information is still through bank statements, cheques and credit cards. This risk is increased if you throw all bank, credit card statements straight into your rubbish bin. Criminals are known to go through your rubbish looking for this information that they can use to gain access to your finances. Therefore, it is absolutely vital that you buy a paper shredder. These are not expensive, but can save you a lot of money if someone ever gained access to your accounts in this way.

The prevalence of identity theft does seem to depend on the country that you live in. A lot of Continental Europe require people to own ID cards, which must be shown when their identity needs to be proven, e.g. when opening bank accounts, hiring cars and so on. These cards are very difficult to copy and it therefore makes it very difficult for people to commit fraud. Since they are so readily available, most companies will not accept any other forms of identification.
More articles from this author can be found at http://www.identity-theft-center.com

Protect Your Self Now from Identity Theft

Protect Your Self Now from Identity Theft

Protecting your self now from identity theft is the best thing you will ever do in your lifetime. Companies are now working to fight identity theft by adding new software programs that supposedly adds additional protect, however when you give out your information over the World Wide Web you are always at risk. Thus, in this article we will inform you of the steps you will need to take to protect your self from identity theft.

Steps Never give your personal information out on the World Wide Net, unless you know the company is trustworthy and has encryptions to secure the site. Still, you may want to consider ordering products or paying bills by use of Money Orders, rather than checks. Recently, I learned from a friend living in England that UK postal workers were caught selling personal information to immigrants so that these people can remain living in the UK. Thus, I have not received a steady collection of information as of yet, still, it is something to consider, since thieves come in all forms. The Criminal Justice Departments try to blame the crimes on the poor, however, most crimes committed are acted out by less suspicious people, such as lawyers, doctors, postal workers, et cetera. Continuing the steps you should NEVER respond to Phishing or Spam Mails, since the mails often have potential thieves sending them. Phishing Mails slightly differ from Spam mail, in that the sender will send out an email claiming that your accounts are frozen or pending stop. Some of the mails have links, which direct the receiver to a site that appears to be a legitimate account site. Thus, banks, creditors and lenders already have your information, thus giving information to these mails will only land you in a whirl of problems in most instance. Spam mails or other types of Phishing Mails may propose winnings. NEVER open or give personal information to anyone via email. It is important to change your PIN numbers and Passwords randomly. Changing the codes will confuse the server, thus it will help prevent identity theft. Few people claim that changing your Password and Pin Numbers every six months will help; however, I recommend random changing of the codes for additional protection.

As a victim of identity theft, I learned the hard way of how to protect, prevent further activities and so forth. Restoring trust after your identity is stolen is next to impossible. Still, I do not set my self up by allowing my lack of trust to control my life.

If you are ordering online make sure you know the companies worth. Conducting a background check of any company online is easy and only takes a few minutes. To conduct a background check, visit the Better Business Bureau Site by typing in the search engine BBB.

When making purchases with credit/debit cards, checks or other types of cards make sure no one is watching you when you type in your PIN numbers or Passwords. If someone is standing over you when you are making a purchase, I recommend changing your Pin number and/or Password right away. I become suspicious when at a store using my debit cards to make purchases. Often the customer standing behind me is watching and it annoys me, and sometimes the clerk watches the transaction. I immediately alert them, letting them know that this is a personal transaction and no one has the right to watch me type in my PIN number. Thus, I change my passwords and PIN numbers randomly to prevent identity theft.

It is important to conceal your personal information at all times. If you carry a wallet and/or purse make, sure you know where your valuables are at all time. Personally, recalling numbers in your mind rather than carrying them in your material possessions is safer. In other words, remember your Social Security Number at least and store the card in a safe place. You should never give your Social Security Number over the phone lines, however when contacting the Social Security Administration you will have no choice.

Finally, taking all the steps to prevent identity theft includes learning all the details as possible about the crime.

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

Internet Mail Identity Theft

Internet mail is one of the main sources that perpetrators of identity theft utilize to gain access to personal information. The perpetrator may send threatening mails, or mails that seem appealing. Spam or Phishing emails are linked to identity thieves and arrive in millions of mailboxes worldwide. Not one of us is singled out to become the next victim. Rather, identity thieves focus on getting identities to gain, instead of worrying about whom they are stealing the identity from.

Few thieves will target a specific company or person, especially if they are aware of the worth of the accounts. Thus, these thieves are acting on greed and intend to get rich by stealing someone else's identity. The dispatcher of such mails are challenging the receiver by deception hoping the receiver will give out personal information, such as banking routing numbers, bank numbers, PIN and passwords, Social Security Numbers and other precious information that the thief can utilize to gain control over your identity.

Added emails that you may want to bear in mind are Spam mails that often assert that you have won x amount of cash, please act now to receive your prize. Logic should tell you that if you have not joined a contest or gave your information over the phone lines or internet, then chances are you have not won a prize. Recently, I received various mails claiming that I have won $32,000 and is requested to pay the tax on the winning, and to please respond now to receive your prize. DELETE. Other mails followed claiming that I could receive scholars or grants to attend such and such college, to earn my degree act now by providing my personal information. NOT!

After my identity has been stolen, unless your name is GOD you are not getting any personal information from me. My bank already has my personal information, thus there is no reason for them to email me asking for my personal information. Banks clearly state in the Terms & Conditions that they will "Never" send electronic mail requesting information from the recipient at any time, thus giving your information to an electronic email with your bank name listed in the header is only asking for trouble.

Identity thieves think of everything when it comes to stealing identities, including sending emails in respected names. FDIC was targeted by thieves, thus the sender sent mails to recipients of the bank requesting that they provide personal information now to avoid closure of their accounts. Microsoft was also targeted by thieves when mails were sent to various boxes requesting the receiver to download patches to protect their computers. Once the receiver downloaded, the attachment a dangerous Virus quickly took control of their computer, leaving the computer bleeding and leaking with empty spaces that would direct anyone to the information stored on the computer.

EBay is a target for thieves. Few thieves purchase items on EBay claiming to send the owner a check that amounts to more than the purchase price and that the owner should send the remaining amount back to the purchaser by electronic form, or else through "Western Union." The checks were found to be copycats and were attempts to steal. Thus, the Internet is not a safe environment; therefore, I will provide helpful tips to help you prevent identity theft.

Steps to protecting your identity:

Never open emails that you do not trust.

Never give out personal information abroad the internet, unless you know the company is trusted and has encryptions to secure the site. Still, you may want to reconsider and order directly via postal mail from the company.

Do a background check on any site you are thinking of giving your information to.

If possible, send Money Orders to pay bills or else pay for products online and offline.

Never give our personal information over the phone lines.

Do not post personal information on forums, bulletin boards or discussion boards online.

Conceal your personal information at all times, including at home.

When using ATM or other machines to make deposits, withdrawals or purchases make sure no one sees, you type in your PIN number.

Change your Pin numbers and passwords randomly.

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

What is Identity Theft ?

Does Identity Theft actually happen? How is it possible for someone to steal your identity? Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such as your name, credit card number or other identifying information, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes.

Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years - and their hard-earned money - cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit record. In the meantime, victims may lose job opportunities, be refused loans, housing or cars, or even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit.

How it works:

In recent years identity theft has been on the increase. By trickery, by stealing information from rubbish bins or office bins, or by using publicly available information, a crook obtains personal information about youfor example, date of birth and mother's maiden name. The result could be that the thief is able to obtain credit cards, take out loans, issue counterfeit cheques or credit cards and go on a spending spree in your name. In effect, they become you for the sole purpose of committing fraud or theft.

This type of crime also can go undetected for many months, if not years, because bills and other documents often are sent to fake addresses, not to your house. You may only become aware of the situation after unpaid and overdue bills begin to accumulate and your credit record has been downgraded. You may even be denied a loan or credit card, an apartment, a job or other opportunities because an identity thief ruined your credit rating.

Best defense:

To avoid credit card fraud protect all your credit card numbers, account passwords or other personal information. Be suspicious of unsolicited offers that seem too good to be true, because they could be fraudulent attempts to get your bank account numbers or other personal information.

If credit cards or IDs of any kind are missing, immediately notify the issuers. Pay attention to your bank and credit card statements, and quickly report a suspected fraud.

If Your Personal Information Has Been Lost or Stolen:

If you've lost personal information or identification, or if it has been stolen from you, taking certain steps quickly can minimize the potential for identity theft. Close accounts, like credit cards and bank accounts, immediately. When you open new accounts, place passwords on them. Avoid using your mother's maiden name, your birth date or your phone number.

You may freely reprint this article provided the author's biography remains intact:

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.