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/

How you can Help Prevent Identity Theft

How can I prevent Identity theft from happening to me? Never leave your receipt or slip in the ATM or gas pump. Pay attention to your habits, lock up or organize and file your bills, and bank statements. Shred them using a cross shredder before throwing them away.

In a recent article in MSN Money their research showed that 32% of people said they had been a victim of identity fraud by a friend or family, and 13% were victimized by a co-worker. Beware! These people know your patterns and habits.

Some steps you can take to avoid becoming a victim of Identity theft are:

Get a copy of your credit report from all three credit bureaus. (FREE as of 9/1/05!)

Experian, PO Box 2002, Allen TX 75013 www.experian.com 888-397-3742
Equifax, PO Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30348 www.equifax.com 800-685-1111
Trans Union, PO Box 4000, Chester, PA 19016 www.transunion.com 866-887-2673

Opt out of mailing lists by contacting the credit bureaus above.
Opt out by reading the privacy notice that comes with your credit card and following the instructions.
Call the national Do Not Call Registry at 1-888-382-1222 or visit www.donotcall.gov be sure to call from the number you want to register
Do not carry your Social Security Card in your wallet
Do not print your Social security number on your checks
Do not get your social security number printed on your drivers license
Do not carry your Medicade card with you, Medicade #s are your Social security number
Delete any emails from Nigeria, or lottery or prize notifications before opening
Stop credit card offers 888-5-OPT-OUT
Remove your name from national mailing lists by visiting www.the-dma.org or write to:
Mail Preference Service
PO Box 643
Carmel, NY 10512

Install firewall and virus protection software on your computer
Password protect your computer and private personal files
Format your hard drive or physically destroy when disposing of your old computer
When you order new checks, get your first initial printed on them instead of your first name
Use a cross shredder to shred your bills and bank statements or any junk mail
Bring your mail to the post office or secure mail box rather than leaving it in a rural box.
Use only one designated credit card for online purchases
Be sure all online purchases are made through a secure server notice the lock icon and how the URL address changes from http to https. The S means SECURE.
Do not carry your PIN # in your wallet
Do not use your date of birth as a password or PIN.
Do not give out personal or financial information over the phone.
Grind up or shred back up CDs you are throwing away.
Check your online banking account at least 3 times a week and change your password often.

If you feel you have been a victim of identity fraud, contact the Department of Justice, consumer protection division. They offer mediation with identity theft; they also have a hot line for consumers that is available 8-5 Monday Friday. They maintain a database of written complaints that goes back to 1998. They offer seminars to school, seniors or your group.

Be aware that 40 million crooks obtained credit card numbers this past year, Be Suspicious. Also be aware that most identify theft is not reported, especially when it involves family members, so the statistics are off. These statistics show that consumers lost $5 billion last year when in actuality it is closer to $50 billion. There have been an estimated 9.9 million victims in America.

Michelle Dunn has over 17 years experience in credit and debt collection.
She has written 5 books in her Collecting Money Series. For more information on Michelles services or to order any of her books please email her at michelle@michelledunn.com or visit www.michelledunn.com& www.credit-and-collections.com



Secure your Privacy from Spyware and other Adware programs. Mitch JohnsonKnown by several different names, from spyware to malware or internet parasites, surveillance applications are installed on your system to monitor your internet activities and reveal your surfing patterns and purchasing habits. Spyware also extracts email addresses, hijacks browsers and records credit card numbers, bank accounts and password information.

The information gathered by a spyware application is sent back to the intruder who typically uses it to bombard you with pop up and email advertisements. More serious consequences occur when credit and bank information is obtained by spyware and used for identity theft or credit card fraud. Spyware also compromises the fast and efficient functioning of your computer as it builds up and uses the systems resources. Computer crashes occur with extreme infections which can lead to malfunctions in your registry keys and memory.

To avoid spyware and adware and protect your privacy users must be cautious when surfing the internet. Beware of freeware and shareware programs as they usually install spyware as well, without the users knowledge. Install and regularly use a good spyware scan and removal tool. An effective anti-spyware program will detect and remove all possible infected files.

The scanner should perform a deep system scan in order to catch files infected that usually go unnoticed.
Most spyware scanners have a removal feature as well but for those that do not a list of detected spyware files is still complied at the end of the scan. This list given by any spyware tool tells the details of that particular spyware as well as its location on your computer. If there is not removal feature on your program you can try manually deleting them.

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