Identity Theft Victims Persecuted

When a person becomes victim of identity theft the law, the thief, creditors and others often persecute them throughout the battle to restore their identity. Thus, in this article I am providing you legal advice, inform you of your rights and help you to battle the fight of identity theft and get results. Abroad the World Wide Web is beyond measure of narratives and information. Each year millions of people are affected by identity theft.

If you think that you are not a victim of identity theft, you may want to rethink when I am done writing this article. Each time a person loses his/her identity the prices of gas, food, household goods, materials, and so forth increase. The government claims to spend billions of dollars fighting the crime, thus each year when you pay taxes a few of those dollars giving to the government is paid out to fight identity theft.

Now what do you think? Listen on. Each year MILLIONS of people fall into the hands of identity theft, and none of us can determine if we are the next victim. Each year, we hear reports of bankers giving out personal information to unauthorized individuals and/or companies that potentially put us at risk.

Throughout the world companies, financial services, government, law technology, and many others are fighting identity theft, yet each step they take the predators are one-step ahead.

Criminals come in all forms, including doctors, lawyers, politicians, law, spouses, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, clerks, postmasters, and the list continues. When you send in your monthly bills there is no guarantee that one of the employees as developed an idea to steal your identity. When you give out your information abroad the World Wide Web, there are no guarantees that your identity will not fall into the hands of an identity theft. When you visit stores, gas stations there is no guarantee the clerk, or someone looking over your shoulders will you key in your PIN number will steal your information.

Today, no one is your best friend; rather anyone of us is potentially capable of stealing identities. Sounds dramatic, but the reality exists when you hear reports all over the world that tell you stories about identity theft. During the September 11, ordeal the terrorists stole identities first and used the information to carry out the terrorist act.

In the UK, reports of identity theft occur each day, with some of the perpetrators being postmasters according to few. The postmasters steal information and sell it to immigrants who wish to remain in the country.

Few identity thieves have committed felony crimes and need new identities to cover their tracks. Other identity theft are teenagers peek to levels of curiosity that they learn how to crack open computers owned by others and steal information. The teenagers may not use the information, while others may. Some of the teenagers carry out the crime out of pure curiosity with no harmful intentions, however it is still a crime committed innocently by the curious minds.

The ultimate thief will steal identities to gain. Many thieves use personal information to open accounts, apply for credit cards, mortgages, and other lines of credits. The thieves will use the personal information to live a productive lifestyle while the victim fights effortlessly to regain back his/her name. The thief will think nothing about what the victim goes through and may even laugh when news reports tell stories about how hard people are struggling to restore their lives. Thus, these are the worst types of criminals, since not only are they capable of committing identity theft, they are capable of committing murder.

Identity thieves have also killed to use someone else's information, therefore, keep in mind that anyone can be your worst nightmare. Finally, protect your self with all measures to prevent identity theft. The fight should include suspicious thinking when someone asks you for your confidential information and never giving your information out over the net.

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

Fraud - Identity Theft And Fraud

Identity theft and fraud is when someone illegally obtains someone else's personal information such as social security number and possibly credit card information for the purposes of some sort of economic gain.

Besides social security number and credit card info, other personal pieces of information that a someone might steal to commit identity fraud are your bank account number and telephone calling card number. The stealing of this information leads to a number of crimes such as illegally transferring funds from your bank account, using your telephone card to make phone calls and the worst case scenario, using your credit card number to run up large debts on your account. This is the most common type of identity fraud. Some people even go as far as committing crimes using a person's personal identification such as stolen car and drivers license. Then when the police go knocking on a door it's your door they end up knocking on. Sometimes the damage done is so extensive that the person's credit rating is destroyed and in many cases the person's life is in ruins.

So what does one do to prevent against identity theft? Actually there are a number of precautions you can take that, while they don't guarantee it won't happen to you, can greatly decrease the chances of you being a victim of identity fraud.

For starters, be very stingy about giving out your personal information to anyone, especially if they are asking for it for something that seems like it may be a scam, like if somebody tells you that they've got a sure fire way for you to make $10,000 real fast and all you have to do is give them your credit card number. This should be a warning sign that should light up the sky for you. Don't ever fall for these scams.

If someone calls you at home and says they are from your bank and need some information from you, this is most likely an attempt to get your personal info as the bank should have everything it needs on file already.

If someone calls you on the phone and says you are eligible to win some terrific prize and to qualify for it all you need to do is give them your credit card number, again, this is most likely a scam as there is no reason for you to have to give out that information if you have truly won a prize. Never fall for this one.

If you're traveling, only take what you absolutely must have with you. It's best to get travelers checks instead of carrying around a credit card. Travelers checks are insured and you won't end up running up a big debt from a lost or stolen credit card. Also, the less ID you carry with you the less chance that it can be gotten from you unless someone cracks open your head and drains the info from you.

The bottom line is to just be careful with who you trust and what you trust them with. By doing this you stand the best chance of avoiding being the victim of identity fraud.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Fraud

How To Avoid Getting Into Identity Theft Trouble

The credit card industry seems to be growing at an unprecedented rate. According to some statistical reports, the average American household has at least one credit card. In fact, from the total respondents in the survey, 81% of the households have at least one credit card.

This goes to show that more and more people are enticed to get their own credit card. The reasons for doing so are based on the fact that credit cards offer extreme cashless shopping convenience. Hence, everybody seems to be motivated to get at least one credit card.

However, the travails of the credit card industry do not end here. This is because the reality that evolves on the credit cards does not just depend on the way people use credit cards but with the way on how they use it and protect themselves.

What people do not realize is that the manner on how they use their credit cards can greatly affect the way they live. For instance, frauds and fraudulent activities are very prevalent in the industry and the best targets of the culprits are those who use credit cards whenever they are into shopping.

People should take note that one of the most prevalent credit card scams in the society today is the identity theft. In fact, it has been reported by the FBI that almost 350,000 up to 500,000 cases of identity theft are known to exist in the U.S. every single year.

Basically, identity theft is when some unscrupulous people try to get some information from you such as your social security number and other pertinent personal and financial data.

These sets of information are used deceitfully by these people for their own benefits. Hence, the poor victim does not realize that his identity was stolen and that his financial future is doomed.

For this reason, it is important to know how to avoid getting into trouble. Here is how:

1. Protect your personal data and any financial information

Never entertain phone calls that require you to give any personal data or information, even if the caller says he is from the bank that issued your credit card and that the information gathering is just some sort of verifications.

If this is the case, try to inform him that you wish to do the transactions personally. Hence, it is important to very if the caller is, indeed, a representative of the bank.

2. Avoid freebies and offers that involve credit cards

If you were offered with some promotions requiring you to give some personal information, then, it would be better not to entertain the promo at all.

Things like these will only entice you to try it. In the end, it is too late to realize that you have just been a victim of an identity theft.

3. Have a regular check up on your credit standing and bills

Most of credit card holders are so lazy to do regular check ups on their status. If you do this, it will be easier for you to detect any probable identity theft case on your part. Credit reports can definitely tell you if there were purchases that you know that you did not make.

4. Do not carry them around

The problem with most people is that they ten to carry their cards wherever they are. This is a bad habit that should be stopped. You will never know what will happen while you are in a public place, where identity theft could just be lurking around, waiting for its next victim.

The bottom line is that credit card users should be responsible enough not to allow these fraudulent activities to happen. Keep in mind that the reason why these kinds of frauds exist is that there are people who are unconsciously victimized every now and then.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides identity theft resources on www.about-identity-theft.info

The Identity Theft Epidemic : What The Experts Arent Telling You

Picture yourself walking down the street, all alone. It's late at night. It's a bit brisk, and the wind is blowing through the tall buildings on both sides of you. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, someone runs by you, knocks you over, grabs your wallet, and takes off.

It sounds like a scene from a movie, and there may come a time in the future where this type of person-to-person crime is only found in movies. Why would anyone rob a bank, or rob an individual, when they could simply use a person's information to obtain employment, credit cards, and lines of credit?

By now, everyone knows what Identity Theft is. Identity Theft has been showing up in the news for several years, and there has been a large public awareness campaign since the FTC Report in September 2003.

In their report, the FTC shared that the average Identity Theft victim spends over $1,400.00, and more than 200 hours, just to clear their good name. Reports now are saying that victims can end up spending much, much more in terms of time, money, and frustration.

Other people may be willing to spend that kind of time and money, but if you don't have an extra $1400 or 200 hours, read on!

What is Identity Theft?

Identity Theft couldn't happen to me, right?

What can I do to protect myself?

There is good news.

Identity Theft Insurance?

What is Identity Theft?
ID Theft happens when someone takes any piece of your personal information, and fraudulently uses it to obtain access to your credit, bank accounts, or to obtain employment.

How can it happen?
There are literally thousands of ways your information can be stolen, and, as Harris County district attorney Chuck Rosenthal knows, if it can happen to him, it is proof that identity theft and fraud can happen to anyone. "Rosenthal said nearly $8,000 was stolen from his account before it was discovered [] He said that he still has problems because of the crime -- his check was refused when he tried to buy supplies for his daughter."

There are thousands of stories like this one, which you have already been hearing about in your local or national news.

What can you do to protect yourself?
To be proactive, here are what the "experts" are telling you to do. Read this list carefully, and while you do, think about what it would mean in added time and frustration for your life:

Avoid giving out your Social Security numberShred or destroy bank and/or credit card informationShred or destroy any credit card or other direct mail offersCreate passwords containing numbers and lettersAvoid buying or making donations via the phoneBuy goods online only from a reputable Web siteInstall a computer firewall at home Read the privacy statements for all your accounts and your bank's liability clausesCheck your credit report more frequently Use only one credit card for purchases Avoid shopping online Update your computer virus protection daily Install Spyware software on your computer to be sure that you're not accidentally having your keystrokes recorded Drop your mail in the blue post boxes, not in your mailbox Don't leave mail in your mailbox overnight or on weekends... While you're at it, sign up for a locked mailbox, because you can't trust that your mail will stay in your mailbox The list goes on...and on...and on...

The "experts" are telling you to rearrange your entire life to proactively defend yourself against Identity Theft. However, what no one is telling you is this:

There is no 100% guarantee that your information won't be used. No matter what you do, you are as likely a target for Identity Theft as any other person you know.

Approximately 2,500 Washington County (Maryland) Board of Education employees discovered this when their Social Security numbers, names, birth dates and other private information were accidentally posted on the school system's web site for up to 45 days during 2004.

Consumer Reports states, "It is an equal-opportunity crime, affecting victims of all races, incomes, and ages. Overall, more than 33 million Americans, about 1 in 6 adults, say they have had their identities used by someone else sometime since 1990."

There is good news
If you become a victim of Identity Theft, you basically have two choices. You can try to handle it on your own, or you can let a professional help you.

If you try to handle it on your own, you might try to contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB). A visit to the BBB's web site reveals this statement:

"If your complaint is against the identity thief, it is unlikely that the BBB can assist you. We urge you to report the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission.

So you visit the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) web site, where you read the statement: "The FTC serves as the federal clearinghouse for complaints by victims of Identity Theft. While the FTC does not resolve individual consumer problems, your complaint helps us investigate fraud, and can lead to law enforcement action."

In other words, the BBB and FTC will give you information on how to spend 200 hours and $1400, and will let you report information to them which can "lead to law enforcement action."

Beyond that, you're on your own, because they will not work to restore your individual credit. But they will send you a 25 page book with some very helpful information. Good luck.

This is not to fault the BBB or FTC. It's only to say that they do not have the resources to, on a daily basis, help over 27,000 people restore their good name and credit. Clearly, Americans need a different kind of help to resolve this issue.

Identity Theft Insurance?
Several companies, including Citibank and the three credit repositories, are offering different kinds of credit monitoring services. You have probably seen the very funny Citibank ads, promoting the protection of your information from thieves, and as a result of the ID Theft epidemic, Citibank now offers protection for their credit cards. This is an excellent idea, but credit card fraud only accounts for approximately 40% of Identity Theft cases.

What about the other 60% of identity theft cases? Well, most often, they happen when someone is using your name to obtain credit or employment. The three credit bureaus have stepped in to offer you credit monitoring services, which will let you track what is going on with your credit on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This way, if your information is being used by someone you don't know, you will know about it the day it happens and, ideally, you'll be able to do something about it. The cost ranges from $4.95/month to $19.95/month. With these services, you're generally still on your own to get the issue resolved, but hopefully the early detection will help you be able to resolve the issue in less than 200 hours, and with less than $1,400.00.

Another company has stepped in, because they have seen this trend, and the need that consumers have for protection from identity theft. Kroll Worldwide is the world's foremost risk consulting company. They've been responsible for things like:

Tracking Saddam Hussein's money after the first Gulf War, creating an evacuation plan for the Sears Tower and many of the world's tallest buildings, and handling high profile cases such as the Enron debacle.

Kroll has created a product which not only monitors credit on a daily basis, and (like the credit repositories) gives you credit reports in a way that you can understand them, but they also assign a personal licensed investigator to you, who will do the work along side of you, to get your credit and identity restored and to track down the thief who committed the crime. This saves you time and money

Identity Theft shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, many state and federal law enforcement agencies are predicting that the problem will get worse before it gets better. Other companies are sure to follow the lead of Kroll in providing Identity Theft solutions. Probably no other company will be able to match the background and experience of a company like Kroll, but they will create similar products to help consumers, and within the next 3-5 years, Identity Theft protection will become an important part of the insurance-type products we use to protect ourselves on a daily basis.

In short, what the experts aren't telling you is this:

There is no guaranteed way to protect your information,

In an advanced age of rapid and electronic banking and communication, your information is publicly available to anyone who wants to find it,

If you've been a victim before, you're more likely to become a victim again, and

Identity Theft, as a crime, is here to stay.

Changing the way that you do things reduces the likelihood that you will become a victim, but you have no way of being sure that your information will stay your information.

The real state of affairs today is that you are walking down that dark street on a windy night, and someone robs you, but you don't know it, or feel it, for days, weeks, or months.

Having Identity Theft protection with highly qualified companies like Kroll is like walking down that street, knowing that you have a highly trained personal bodyguard watching your back and walking by your side.

It sounds like a scene from a movie, and there may come a time in the future where this type of person-to-person crime is only found in movies. Why would anyone rob a bank, or rob an individual, when they could simply use a person's information to obtain employment, credit cards, and lines of credit?

By now, everyone knows what Identity Theft is. Identity Theft has been showing up in the news for several years, and there has been a large public awareness campaign since the FTC Report in September 2003.

In their report, the FTC shared that the average Identity Theft victim spends over $1,400.00, and more than 200 hours, just to clear their good name. Reports now are saying that victims can end up spending much, much more in terms of time, money, and frustration.

Other people may be willing to spend that kind of time and money, but if you don't have an extra $1400 or 200 hours, read on!

What is Identity Theft?

Identity Theft couldn't happen to me, right?

What can I do to protect myself?

There is good news.

Identity Theft Insurance?

What is Identity Theft?
ID Theft happens when someone takes any piece of your personal information, and fraudulently uses it to obtain access to your credit, bank accounts, or to obtain employment.

How can it happen?
There are literally thousands of ways your information can be stolen, and, as Harris County district attorney Chuck Rosenthal knows, if it can happen to him, it is proof that identity theft and fraud can happen to anyone. "Rosenthal said nearly $8,000 was stolen from his account before it was discovered [] He said that he still has problems because of the crime -- his check was refused when he tried to buy supplies for his daughter."

There are thousands of stories like this one, which you have already been hearing about in your local or national news.

What can you do to protect yourself?
To be proactive, here are what the "experts" are telling you to do. Read this list carefully, and while you do, think about what it would mean in added time and frustration for your life:

Avoid giving out your Social Security numberShred or destroy bank and/or credit card informationShred or destroy any credit card or other direct mail offersCreate passwords containing numbers and lettersAvoid buying or making donations via the phoneBuy goods online only from a reputable Web siteInstall a computer firewall at home Read the privacy statements for all your accounts and your bank's liability clausesCheck your credit report more frequently Use only one credit card for purchases Avoid shopping online Update your computer virus protection daily Install Spyware software on your computer to be sure that you're not accidentally having your keystrokes recorded Drop your mail in the blue post boxes, not in your mailbox Don't leave mail in your mailbox overnight or on weekends... While you're at it, sign up for a locked mailbox, because you can't trust that your mail will stay in your mailbox The list goes on...and on...and on...

The "experts" are telling you to rearrange your entire life to proactively defend yourself against Identity Theft. However, what no one is telling you is this:

There is no 100% guarantee that your information won't be used. No matter what you do, you are as likely a target for Identity Theft as any other person you know.

Approximately 2,500 Washington County (Maryland) Board of Education employees discovered this when their Social Security numbers, names, birth dates and other private information were accidentally posted on the school system's web site for up to 45 days during 2004.

Consumer Reports states, "It is an equal-opportunity crime, affecting victims of all races, incomes, and ages. Overall, more than 33 million Americans, about 1 in 6 adults, say they have had their identities used by someone else sometime since 1990."

There is good news
If you become a victim of Identity Theft, you basically have two choices. You can try to handle it on your own, or you can let a professional help you.

If you try to handle it on your own, you might try to contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB). A visit to the BBB's web site reveals this statement:

"If your complaint is against the identity thief, it is unlikely that the BBB can assist you. We urge you to report the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission.

So you visit the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) web site, where you read the statement: "The FTC serves as the federal clearinghouse for complaints by victims of Identity Theft. While the FTC does not resolve individual consumer problems, your complaint helps us investigate fraud, and can lead to law enforcement action."

In other words, the BBB and FTC will give you information on how to spend 200 hours and $1400, and will let you report information to them which can "lead to law enforcement action."

Beyond that, you're on your own, because they will not work to restore your individual credit. But they will send you a 25 page book with some very helpful information. Good luck.

This is not to fault the BBB or FTC. It's only to say that they do not have the resources to, on a daily basis, help over 27,000 people restore their good name and credit. Clearly, Americans need a different kind of help to resolve this issue.

Identity Theft Insurance?
Several companies, including Citibank and the three credit repositories, are offering different kinds of credit monitoring services. You have probably seen the very funny Citibank ads, promoting the protection of your information from thieves, and as a result of the ID Theft epidemic, Citibank now offers protection for their credit cards. This is an excellent idea, but credit card fraud only accounts for approximately 40% of Identity Theft cases.

What about the other 60% of identity theft cases? Well, most often, they happen when someone is using your name to obtain credit or employment. The three credit bureaus have stepped in to offer you credit monitoring services, which will let you track what is going on with your credit on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This way, if your information is being used by someone you don't know, you will know about it the day it happens and, ideally, you'll be able to do something about it. The cost ranges from $4.95/month to $19.95/month. With these services, you're generally still on your own to get the issue resolved, but hopefully the early detection will help you be able to resolve the issue in less than 200 hours, and with less than $1,400.00.

Another company has stepped in, because they have seen this trend, and the need that consumers have for protection from identity theft. Kroll Worldwide is the world's foremost risk consulting company. They've been responsible for things like:

Tracking Saddam Hussein's money after the first Gulf War, creating an evacuation plan for the Sears Tower and many of the world's tallest buildings, and handling high profile cases such as the Enron debacle.

Kroll has created a product which not only monitors credit on a daily basis, and (like the credit repositories) gives you credit reports in a way that you can understand them, but they also assign a personal licensed investigator to you, who will do the work along side of you, to get your credit and identity restored and to track down the thief who committed the crime. This saves you time and money

Identity Theft shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, many state and federal law enforcement agencies are predicting that the problem will get worse before it gets better. Other companies are sure to follow the lead of Kroll in providing Identity Theft solutions. Probably no other company will be able to match the background and experience of a company like Kroll, but they will create similar products to help consumers, and within the next 3-5 years, Identity Theft protection will become an important part of the insurance-type products we use to protect ourselves on a daily basis.

In short, what the experts aren't telling you is this:

There is no guaranteed way to protect your information,

In an advanced age of rapid and electronic banking and communication, your information is publicly available to anyone who wants to find it,

If you've been a victim before, you're more likely to become a victim again, and

Identity Theft, as a crime, is here to stay.

Changing the way that you do things reduces the likelihood that you will become a victim, but you have no way of being sure that your information will stay your information.

The real state of affairs today is that you are walking down that dark street on a windy night, and someone robs you, but you don't know it, or feel it, for days, weeks, or months.

Having Identity Theft protection with highly qualified companies like Kroll is like walking down that street, knowing that you have a highly trained personal bodyguard watching your back and walking by your side.

Jonathan Kraft is a specialist in computer-related Identity Theft and options within the legal system. For more information on how you can protect yourself and make sure that your information stays your information, visit http://www.consumerfairplay.com/idtheft.html

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 Early Detection Is Key

Identity Theft Early Detection Is Key
by Jonathan Citrin

Protecting yourself from Identity Theft (ID Theft) is an important matter. ID Theft is defined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as, "when someone uses your name, address, Social Security number, bank or credit card account number, or other identifying information without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes."

In a summary report dated September of 2003, the FTC reported that "almost 10 million Americans have discovered that they were the victim of some form of ID Theft within the last year." Further, the FTC estimates that the "total cost of this crime approaches $50 billion per year." (The report can be viewed and printed at http://www.ftc.gov/os/2003/09/synovatereport.pdf.)

Though preventing ID Theft is ideal, also important is your ability to quickly determine when your identity is being used without your knowledge. Early detection is essential in preventing undue loss, as well as protecting your credit from long-term damage. One means of finding out if you have been a victim of ID Theft is through the use of a credit report.

A credit report is a list of all credit cards, debts, accounts, and other information associated with your social security number. That is, by going to the website of one of the three main credit reporting agencies and running a credit report, you will be able to see all the financial information linked to your social security number. Most importantly, you may be able to identify an error or fraudulent activity.

When viewing your credit report online, information will be given in seven sections: personal information, account information, inquiries, collections, public records, consumer statement, and dispute file information. One of your main objectives should be to verify all accounts and information as being valid. Carefully read the entire credit report looking for errors or anything unfamiliar. If you should see something out of the ordinary or wrong, contact the credit reporting agency immediately- you may be a victim of ID Theft.

Equifax, one of the three major credit reporting agencies, says you should, "Check your credit report regularly. Checking your credit report can help you catch mistakes and fraud before they wreak havoc on your personal finances. Make sure your report is accurate and includes only those activities you've authorized. It's also a good idea to review your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every year -- it's possible that information is reported to one but not the others."

To that end, Equifax has developed a great tool for running your credit report. It is called the "3-in-1 Credit Report". You can sign-up with Equifax and view your information with all three major credit reporting agencies at one time (this can also be done through the other two credit reporting agencies- TransUnion and Expirion). Currently, this detailed report costs around $30 on the Equifax website (www.equifax.com) and is well worth it. Running your credit report is an important first step in prevention and early detection of ID Theft.

For tips on how to further protect yourself from ID Theft, or if you believe your identity has been stolen, please visit the FTC website (http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/).Jonathan Citrin provides financial goal planning services. Go to http://articles.citringroup.com for hundreds of educational articles about Personal Finance, Retirement Planning,Investment Planning, and College Savings.

Cyber Fraud & Identity Theft Prevention

There are many people out there that have DSL or cable connections that don't have proper firewalls or up to date antivirus programs in place. Too many think it just came with the computer. This can create a breach and your privacy violated. The General Accounting Office now puts identity theft at 750,000 victims a year. Victims spend an average of 175 painstaking hours to undo the damage.

There are things you can do to protect yourself especially regarding your computer. First and foremost, don't store your personal information on your computer. Someone harvesting that kind of information can literally go through thousands of computers in the hour you spend watching your favorite television program. Virus' can infect your system and relay that information in alot less time. Make sure your firewalls and anit-virus software is up to date. If you don't have them - get them. You don't have to be the most tech savy person to do it either. For the average user, you can find security information, news and products presented in plain language at quantum-links.com http://www.quantum-links.com to keep yourself and your computer running current and up to date.
Beware people who come asking for your personal information. This is becoming commonly known as PHISH. Services you already have do not email you asking for you to resubmit your information. PayPal had some of it's customers caught in this net recently and had to issue an email telling them not to respond. Instead of replying with your information, email them back asking for a telephone number by which to contact them directly. It is doubtful that they will respond with one. If they do, you can check out the number in a number of ways to make sure it's for real. One way is to use the reverse listings available on many search engines. My favorite is http://www.refdesk.com>.

Check your credit report at least once a year. Have a fraud alert put on your accounts. This is a flag that asks creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts. This may impede opening instant accounts. But, the security seems well worth the inconveinance. You can also order credit watch services from them that contact you when there is unusual activity. Here are links to the big three: