How To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft With Your Purse

Identity theft is the fastest growing criminal activity in the 20th Century, replacing illegal drug sales.

How BIG is this Problem?

Banks, credit card companies and businesses that house servers storing passwords or other sensitive information all report ?break-ins?through Trojan viruses or other online hacking methods ? resulting in the loss of millions of pieces of information. Instances of lost information are employees selling it and other lax security measures resulting in thieves having access to your identity.

Thieves Want

- Your Name
- Date of Birth
- Home Address
- Phone Numbers
- Social Security Number
- Driver?s License Number
- Credit Card Numbers
- CW2 Security Code (the number on the back of your credit card)
- Your Credit Report
- ATM Cards
- Telephone Calling Cards
- Mortgage Details

Where Are They Getting Your Information?

- Banks
- Credit-Reference Agencies
- Retailers
- Credit Card Networks
- Data-Brokerage Companies
- Payment Processing Companies
- Phone Companies
- Schools
- Your Employer
- Doctors, Clinics and Health Departments
- Government Agencies

There are other effective methods:

- Dumpster Diving
- Mail Theft
- Retail Theft
- ?Phishing?/pretexting/pretending
- Purse/Wallet Theft

What are Thieves Using Your Information For?

- Making charges to your existing credit cards
- Opening new credit cards in your name
- Having phone or utilities turned on
- Withdrawing money from your existing bank accounts
- Employment purposes
- Driver?s Licenses
- Tax Fraud
- Social Service benefits
- Student loans
- Business or Personal loans
- Health care
- Mortgage loans/leases
- Auto loans
- Using your ID when caught committing a crime

How Can You Protect Yourself?

- Keep a photocopy of your credit cards, bank account numbers and investment account numbers in a safe
place
- Keep your credit card receipts
- Put a ?fraud alert? on all your credit reports
- If you apply for credit and the card doesn?t arrive on time, call the card issuer
- Choose difficult PIN numbers or passwords. (Don?t use birth dates, your mother?s maiden name, etc.)
- Never give personal information to anyone who sends you an email, a letter or calls you asking for it
- Shred personal information
- Don?t use the ATM machine if someone is watching you
- Pay attention to what?s going on around you ? cell phones often have cameras in them. If someone is standing by you with a cell phone while you're entering a PIN number, block their view
- Review your bills each month. If there?s something you don?t remember, call the creditor.
- Check your credit report at least once a year
- Store your cancelled checks safely.
- Don?t leave your purse in plain sight when driving
- Keep your valuables locked in the trunk or glove box when driving
- Make all personal information on your computer password protected
- Don?t carry information about your PIN numbers, passwords and account numbers in your purse or wallet

Warning Signs that Your Identity Has Been Stolen:

- A loan application is denied, or you?re refused extended credit requests
- You are contacted by a debt-collection agency
- Your purse or wallet has been stolen, or your house broken into
- Unfamiliar activity on your credit report

What to do if it Happens to You:

- If your purse or wallet is stolen, call the police
- Contact your bank, credit card and other credit extending companies and report the theft
- Close accounts
- Contact the credit-reporting companies
- Have fraudulent activity removed immediately and monitor your credit report every 90 days for the next year
- Put everything in writing
- File a report with the Federal Trade Commission
- Change passwords on your existing accounts and create new ones for new accounts

Identity theft is real. There are no guarantees you can keep your information safe, by taking proactive steps to protect yourself, you can minimize your chances of having an ?identity crisis?. Host, Sintilia Miecevole offers resources for purses with designs influenced by the latest trends at http://www.trendipurses.com. Be sure to visit http://www.trendipurses.com to find information from designer handbags, fashion, trends and accessories to vintage, replica, wholesale and much more.

Identity Theft Exploding: Heres How you can Avoid Becoming a Victim - Plus, Tips if you do Become a Victim

Americans are more concerned about identity theft than unemployment or corporate fraud, according to a survey of 2,000 people conducted by Star Systems.

Nine out of ten Americans demand new federal legislation, while two-thirds say the financial services industry needs to do a better job of verifying the identity of customers who open bank accounts (66 percent) and credit card accounts (72 percent).

Some 5.6 percent of respondents reported being victims of identity theft, which translates to 12 million people. When debit and credit card fraud and identity theft were combined, close to 15.9 percent of consumers say they have been the victim of one of these crimes. (Source: Star Systems, 2003)

For most of us, using your debit or credit card to make a purchase has become an every day aspect of life. Many of us do it every day and feel safe in doing so.

But it is far from safe. People with your debit or credit card information may make purchases with your card information over the telephone, via the Internet, or at a local retail store.

As we moved to a cashless system of transactions by debit or credit card, a relatively simple crime niche has grown identity theft and fraud.

Some law enforcement authorities are not pursuing the crime in a coordinated and cooperative fashion. Thus, a situation has grown that affords the people who perpetrate such acts of theft and fraud, act with a degree of confidents that they will not get caught.

What can you do to reduce your chances of becoming a victim of identity theft or fraud?

Here is a list of actions that you can take to avoid becoming a victim of identity crimes.

1. Never throw receipts or statements away that have personal information on them. The trash is the greatest repository of information for the identity thief. Even better, shred everything that has identifying information on it (transaction receipts, etc.).

2. Pay to have an unlisted telephone number in your local telephone directory.

3. Take as much identification off of your personal checks and drivers license as possible. Thus, no home addresses, phone numbers, or social security numbers on personal checks. Last only your last name and first initial rather than your full name. You want a retail clerk to check your ID when you are cashing a check.

Most states now provide a photo ID on all new automobile drivers licenses issued. If you do not have one, conceder getting your licenses renewed now to get a photo ID for identification purposes. Do not put your social security number on your drivers license.

4. Check your bank accounts for suspicious activity everyday, this can be done online via the Internet.

5. Have your middle initial removed from all public documentation if possible. Middle initials help identity thieves narrow down their searches for victims.

6. If someone calls you asking for your personal information on the telephone do not provide any personal information to anyone over the phone.

7. Dont leave your mail out overnight. If you will be away from home for any period of time: have your home mail delivery stopped. If possible, secure a locked mail box at your local post office or a retail store mail box service for your home mail delivery.

If you go on vacation, have your mail and newspaper delivery stopped and arrange to have your yard maintained. Include the post office, newspaper service, and your friends or neighbors to insure that your home looks as if it is occupied while you are gone.

For a checklist for your home security while you are away see ProtectionConnect.com/homesecurity www.ProtectionConnect.com/sitemap. www checklist.html or html#home.

8. Write Check ID on the back of your debit or credit cards next to your signature. In that way, when a retail store checks your signature on your card, they will verify that the card is being used by the proper individual.

9. Be aware of people standing too close to you and shoulder surfing you while you conduct your ATM transactions.

If you do become a victim of an identity crime do the following:

1. Demand to file a police report no matter how unwilling the law enforcement office may be. Make sure to get a copy or at least the report number.

2. In the case of card fraud, make sure to cancel your card and report it as stolen to your credit card company as soon as you find out.

Immediately, fill out affidavits with the appropriate financial institution denying that you were the one who made the relevant purchases. In most cases, the banks will respond with up to a 30-day process that requires the businesses that accepted the fraudulent transactions to repay the banks.

3. Report the fraud to the three major credit bureaus:

~ TransUnion Post Office Box 2000 Chester, PA 19022

~ Equifax, Equifax Equifax Credit Information Services, Inc Post Office Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374 1.888.766.0008

~ Experian Consumer Information Post Office Box 1909 Orange, CA 92865

4. The U.S. Secret Service handles fraud cases that cross state borders. If you know that your case applies, contact their local office to make them aware of your case. If it is part of a broader fraud case, you may be contacted by an agent.

5. You can also fill out a complaint form with the Federal Trade Commission, although this is strictly used to track national identity theft statistics.

Steven Presar is a recognized small business technology coach, Internet publisher, author, speaker, and trainer. He provides personal, home, and computer security solutions at
www.ProtectionConnect.com. He provides business software reviews at www.OnlineSoftwareGuide.com. In addition, he publishes articles for starting and running a small business at www.abcResults.com. Be sure to sign-up for the SOHO newsletter.