Identity theft - A true story! - Don't be a victim.

About 10 or so years ago I received a call from the Inland Revenue office. They said that they would like to visit me to talk to me about my working status and my National Insurance contributions.

Naturally I was quite nervous about their visit as I did not know what it was all about. They said that they were not at liberty to discuss the details with me over the telephone.

When they arrived we sat down and talked. They explained to me that they had received two National Insurance contributions from two different individuals sharing the same name. I was confused and still did not fully appreciate what they meant.

After further explanation I realised that my identity had been stolen. In simple terms there were two of me in the UK system.

As our discussion progressed I was told that I had to provide proof of my identity, imagine that, having to prove that you are who you say you are. It was quite a daunting experience. After I provided all the necessary and required documentation they told me that they were satisfied and that they will now follow up their investigations with the other gentleman involved.

Some months later the Inland Revenue contacted me to confirm that they had got to the bottom of this mystery and confirmed that the case was closed.

This incident happened a number of years ago when the Internet was not as well used for information as it is now used today.

I have since then discovered a website that you can use to check to make sure that your identity has not been cloned or stolen.
 

Ken Ajoku is the Senior Partner of http://www.kajoku.biz , a company dedicated to GROWING businesses by as much as 300%.

Click the following link NOW to hear the actual story and to check for FREE that your identity has not been cloned.

http://www.kajoku.biz/Help_Protect_Yourself_From_Identity_Fraud.php

Identity Theft Safety First

To avoid becoming the next victim of identity theft you must place safety first. Identity theft is one of the leading crimes today that is claiming the control of millions of people and costing us a fortune to recover from the crime. You heard me right; it is costing us a fortune, since we make of the loss of identity theft by paying higher costs for foods, gas, products, and so forth. When a person loses their identity, they become a long-living victim, since the victim pays for the crime that the thief acted upon.

It is unfortunate that we are in a world were the victim often pays more than the criminal for a crime, thus putting safety first is the only way we can protect our self from the criminals and the enforcers that force the victims to pay.

Crime in itself is constant, thus identity crime, is when a person takes hold of another person's information and utilizes it to make purchases, open accounts, escape crimes, commit additional crimes, and so forth. When a person gains hold of your identity it is an ongoing process to gain control of your life. Unfortunately, few states offer identity theft victims the ability to FREEZE the credit reports, and when I say unfortunately...I mean that not all states have this law available. Freezing the credit reports is the best way to protect your identity further, since if you are allowed to Freeze the accounts, only you will have access to those reports. Some states place a Fraud Alert on the credit reports, which provides no protection to you, and it makes you look bad.

If you are victim of identity theft, learn the steps to take to prevent ongoing activity. The first step is to contact the authorities and provide them all information available to you about the crime. Next, you will need to go online and report the crime to the government. The Federal Trade Commission has a site online that enables you to file a complaint, which the information is handed over to the FBI and government officials, who have put up an identity theft team force to find the perpetrators. The act of filing the complaint is essential, since the FBI and government can reach further to find the perpetrator over the local authorities. A victim of identity theft should also request copies of their credit reports and alert the companies that they were robbed of their identity. The person should also close any accounts in their names and immediately contact their credit card providers, letting them know they are a victim of identity theft.

To protect your self from identity theft it is important to learn the steps to protect yourself. Companies' offline and online have a legal obligation to you, to keep information giving to them private from other companies' and individuals, however, there are companies' offline and online they disregard the law and will sell, lease or give your information to other companies or individuals. It makes sense to conduct a background check on any service provider or company to make sure that the source is reputable. If you are making purchases offline at department stores make sure, the company has a good reputation.

Recently, a store opened in our area that offered equipment and services to the community, however, the person was not a reputable source, and thus anyone giving their information to this person was at risk. As you can see, anyone can be the perpetrator of identity theft. Although, no one was affected by this person symptoms were available that did hold potential risks.

Nowadays, we cannot trust anyone with our personal information. Putting safety first can prevent thieves from taking control of our lives. Thus, do not give your social security number or other information over the phone lines, unless you know for sure who these people are. Even then, you should use caution, since cellular phones and cordless phone lines can produce leakages, especially if the neighboring area has Scanners or other devices that make it possible to listen in to conversations conducting over the phone.

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

Identity Theft Crimes

The cost of identity theft crimes is ranging in the billions, since everyday someone is robbed of their identity. The FBI, Police Departments around the world, Government and other teams are joining to fight the ongoing crime of identity theft, however, the stronger the fight the more these groups of authorities fall behind.

Down through the centuries criminals have always managed to stay one-step ahead of the authorities. Today, these criminals are taking advantage of technology development and moving even two-steps ahead. Identity theft is one of the leading crimes around the globe and the more authorities battle the crime, the more identity thefts move in to take away someone else's life.

When a person is robbed of their identity is a long, hard fight to restore the life, yet in some cases, the person never receives their identity back. When a person does receive their identity back, it leaves a void in their life. During the battle to recover your identity, you will feel angry, frustrated, hopeless, stressed, and so forth and you will feel like you are left alone in life. You are not alone since thousands of others are also victims of identity theft, thus the only partners you have are those battling with you. The authorities work to fight identity theft, however little movement is made to progress toward apprehension, since most criminals are far too intelligent to get ahead of. Criminals outside of the Internet are likely to be caught sooner than those that steals identities over the World Wide Net. Thus, the World Wide Net is less guarded by authorities than many believe; therefore, the criminals are less apt to be apprehended.

If you are not an identity theft victim yet, make sure you do everything you can to guard your self from becoming the next victim. As a victim myself, I have fought more than seven years with little result and the perpetrator in one instance was never caught.

If you become a victim of identity, theft, be prepared to battle throughout the rest of your lifetime. Be sure to contact the three B's right away and let them know that you believe that your identity was stolen. The Credit Bureaus will put up a Fraud Alert once they are notified, thus you will need to step up when this alert is activated and ask them to FREEZE your accounts. Freezing the accounts will provide you hope whereas fraud alerts will only add to the distress you are already feeling from the crime. Fraud alerts only alert the creditors that someone has possibly tampered with your account, while a Freeze on your account will enforce the creditors to look more into your situation if you apply for credit in the future.

Once you have alerted the credit bureaus that you are possibly a victim of identity theft, make sure you close any accounts that the theft may possibly have access to...bank accounts, credit card accounts, department cards; et cetera should all be closed immediately. If you notice any bills on your credit cards, checking accounts of other accounts notify the provider and dispute the charges immediately. Delaying to take action will only worsen the situation.

It is important to keep guard over your checking accounts, saving accounts, credit cards and other accounts at all times to make sure no activity is in movement that you have not issued. Keep all PIN numbers, ID numbers, Social Security Card and other information in a secure area and do not allow anyone access to those numbers unless you have no doubt in your mind you can trust the source.

After my identity was stolen, I lost self-respect, confidence and felt that my privacy was non-existing. In fact, it affected me so dramatically that my body alone felt completely violated. Identity theft crimes are one of the worst crimes that could be committed against another individual. In fact, as a victim of rape and a victim of identity theft, I preferred to have been raped again rather than lost my identity. I compared the two, since it will give you an insight of what to prepare for if someone steals you identity.

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.