Identity Theft | ID Theft
How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
Archive for February, 2011
Preventing Identity Theft
1 Feb 2011The realization that identity theft was a real problem was brought to my attention when the son of a close friend went to purchase a car. When he applied for the car loan he was told that he had a credit problem and his loan request was denied. This was a complete surprise to him. As far as he knew his credit record was outstanding. He discovered he was a victim of identity theft!
Identity Theft Protection Plan
By George Dodge
dentity theft is an insidious crime which, like a lethal cancer, can strike anyone, anywhere and anytime. Often regarded as a situation that can only happen to someone else and never to them, identity theft invariably takes its victims by surprise. Unfortunately, far too many people wait until it’s too late to institute an identity theft protection plan.
Despite the ever-increasing publicity surrounding the massive numbers of reported identity theft, most people still do not consider it a viable threat to themselves. Not, that is, until they or someone they know falls prey to an identity thief. Then it becomes painfully apparent that identity theft is a serious crime with far-reaching and devastating consequences for its victims.
Identity thieves operate with extreme speed and efficiency. Usually, by the time you realize your identity is compromised by these unscrupulous characters, major and difficult to correct damage has already been done. Establishing a secure, commonsense identity theft protection plan is a simple and effective way to reduce the chance that you will become a victim.
In order to protect your identity from the personal devastation of being an identity theft victim and to save yourself a lot of grief and frustration, you should adhere to the following tips:
- Be aware that dumpster diving – thieves rummaging through your trash for paper containing your personal information – is one of the easiest ways for a skilled thief to assume your identity. So, you should always shred all documents containing any of your personal financial information before you discard them.
- Always protect your Social Security number. Never carry the card in your wallet or store it in the glove box of your car. Keep it in a safe place like a strongbox, safe or safe deposit box. Never write your Social Insurance number on the back of cheques. The only people who have the legal right to record your Social Security number are financial institutions (when setting up bank accounts or applying for loans), your employer (in order to process your personal tax deductions) and, of course, the tax department itself. There is no reason for any other institution to insist on having this information and you should never disclose it unless you are sure of its security.
- Never release any personal information over the phone, through the mail or on the Internet unless you are positive of whom you are dealing with.
- Always exercise caution in cyberspace. Never click on links contained
Identity Theft Recovery
1 Feb 2011The realization that identity theft was a real problem was brought to my attention when the son of a close friend went to purchase a car. When he applied for the car loan he was told that he had a credit problem and his loan request was denied. This was a complete surprise to him. As far as he knew his credit record was outstanding. He discovered he was a victim of identity theft!
Credit Card Identify Theft
Not too long ago, a friend of mine mentioned that one of his coworkers recently recovered his stolen identity. I asked how long the process took. “Only two years” he replied.
Compared to my business partner’s six year nightmare “only” maybe appropriate but like most victims of identity theft, he probably thought “when”. As in, “when will I get my life back?”
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a consumer nonprofit organization, reported that victims spend on average 175 hours trying to recover their identity, often over a period of years. Factor in out of pocket expenses, (usually over $1,500 according to the FTC) and recovery gets painfully magnified.
What are the steps to identity restoration? It starts with obtaining a police report. That report doesn’t mean other law enforcement agencies have been contacted. Yet you must do a complete search of local and federal law enforcement databases too find out if anything else, including criminal activity exists on your identity.
You’re also going to need the police report to contact the many and I mean many different agencies and organizations, including the Social Security Administration, The Federal Trade Commission, all of your financial institutions, the 3 major credit bureaus, the Passport Office,The Department of Motor Vehicles, the Post Office, as well as the Medical Information Bureau . All of these places must be sent a fraud notification alert. Concerning your financial institutions, get them to cancel your credit cards and close your bank accounts. Find out from your bank about any suspicious activity, such as accounts tampered with or opened fraudulently. Reopen new bank accounts with password verification.
Know your rights. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1992, you must be told not only what’s in your file but if that information is being used against you. The Federal Trade Commission recently expanded the rights available to victims of identity theft, including your right to get negative information due to fraud blocked from your records.
This brings us to the credit bureaus. Make sure your credit report reflects the identity theft and gets flagged with a fraud alert. Many victims have received assurances that the matter would be resolved, however months and sometimes years later, the credit bureaus have not cleared their records. This without a doubt ranks as THE biggest headache for identity theft victims.
Once a negative gets put on your record, it seems the credit bureaus refuse to remove it, in spite of the countless documentation you provide to them. This can affect you well into the future when… Read the rest
Identity Theft Commercials
In: id-theft
1 Feb 2011The realization that identity theft was a real problem was brought to my attention when the son of a close friend went to purchase a car. When he applied for the car loan he was told that he had a credit problem and his loan request was denied. This was a complete surprise to him. As far as he knew his credit record was outstanding. He discovered he was a victim of identity theft!
CitiBank Identity Theft Commericals
| Citibank Hacker Geek Identity Theft Commercial | Hacker Geek – One of the 3 Original CitiBank Identity Theft Commercials! This Citibank commercial shows a black lady in salon with nerd computer geek voice! Funny! | 4.5 stars |
| Citibank Thelma and Norma Identity Theft Commercial | Thelma and Norma – Thelma and Norma are hog heads in this Citi Identity Theft Solutions commercial. | 4.5 stars |
| Citibank Babe Magnet Identity Theft Commercial | Babe Magnet – One of the best CitiBank Identity Theft commercials out there! Hilarious! Chinese Lady with the voice of a creepy bachelor. | 4.5 stars |
| Citibank Ooh La La Identity Theft Commercial | Ooh La La – In this Citi Identity Theft commercial, a red headed lady with the voice of a rich French guy in Paris. Pretty Funny! | 4.5 stars |
| Citibank sexy Outfit Identity Theft Commercial | Sexy Outfit – The 1st and the best one of these Citibank Identity Theft Commercials!! Shows a fat man drinking in his chair with the valley girl voice! *(2004 Emmy Winner -Best Commercial)* | 4.5 stars |
| Citibank Saddlebags Identity Theft Commercial | Saddlebags – Eric Nguyn wanting to get rid of his saddlebags. How can you put a price on beauty? Another great Citi Identity Theft Solutions commerical | 3.5 stars |
| Citibank Identity Theft Commercial with Darrel | Darrel – A Citi Identity Theft Solutions commercial with Darrel and the girl singing “Unbreak my heart” by Toni Braxton! | |
| Citibank Underpants ON Identity Theft Commercial | Underpants ON – Black guy with the voice of a “Fran” type voice from Queens. One of the favorite CitiBank Identity Theft Commericals on YouTube! | 4.5 stars |
| Citibank Stirrup Pants Identity Theft Commercial | Stirrup Pants – Another really funny Clickbank Identity Theft Commercial! The commercial shows a man mowing lawn with white trash female voice! | 4.5 stars |
| Citibank Mud Flaps Identity Theft Commercial | Mud Flaps – One of the 3 Original Citi Identity Theft Solutions commercials! Old lady cleaning pool with a scary trucker voice! Funny! | 4.5 stars |
| Multimedia Spoof of the CitiBant Identity Theft Commercials | Multimedia – A commercial made bt current multimedia seniors. This video is a spoof of the Citi Card commercials. | 3 stars |
| Citibank ID Theft Victim Commercial | Orlando Contreras, Identity Theft Victim. Citi Identity Theft Solutions commerical showing a young lack man playing video games, but with a young female voice. | 3 stars |
Identity Fraud
In: id-theft
1 Feb 2011The realization that identity theft was a real problem was brought to my attention when the son of a close friend went to purchase a car. When he applied for the car loan he was told that he had a credit problem and his loan request was denied. This was a complete surprise to him. As far as he knew his credit record was outstanding. He discovered he was a victim of identity theft!
Identity Fraud
by Emily Rippe
Credit Advisors Foundation offers some amazing identity fraud statistics and offers tips on ways to avoid becoming a victim. Credit Advisors is a national credit counseling organization offering debt management and credit counseling services as well as financial education to improve personal fiscal practices.
(PRWEB) February 19, 2005 — A bit over four percent of the U.S. population was a victim of identity fraud last year. That means 9.3 million of you experienced the costs, both the monetary and emotional, of this crime. And don’t doubt for a minute, identity fraud is a crime.
Three-fourths of the victims are uncertain of the “who” or “how” of the crime. Unfortunately, the longer it takes to detect identity fraud the higher the cost to the victim. Meanwhile, those victims that have determined the ‘who’ involved, have found identity fraud to be a very personal crime. As difficult as it may be to hear, family and friends are high on the list of identity fraud perpetrators. Sadly, when the thief is a family member or a friend, records show they most often open new credit accounts; thus, detection of the crime takes longer and the costs to the victims are higher, averaging $12,646 per incident.
So what about the “how” of identity fraud? Much attention recently has focused on the online aspect, yet a recent study sponsored by the Better Business Bureau warns us not to neglect “the old fashion ways”. Lost or stolen wallets and theft of paper mail were cited for almost 36 percent within known methods of fraudulently obtaining personal information.
The research also suggested that this is one problem that won’t go away if you ignore it. Of those reporting an incident of identity fraud, most demonstrated prevention behaviors below average prior to the theft. In addition, post theft, these same folks responded by increasing their prevention behaviors, suggesting that minor adjustments in how we deal with the security of our personal information can make an impact.
Some recommendations from a BBB study you have heard before, but here they are again, along with some new ideas as well.
-Retrieve paper mail promptly from your mailbox and when sending mail with sensitive information (including name, address, date of birth, social security number, account numbers of any kind, etc.), make use of a secure outgoing mailbox. Shred documents containing sensitive information before discarding.
-Avoid carrying unnecessary information in your wallet or purse, such as account PIN-numbers, passwords, Social Security number or card.
-Store sensitive information… Read the rest
The realization that identity theft was a real problem was brought to my attention when the son of a close friend went to purchase a car. When he applied for the car loan he was told that he had a credit problem and his loan request was denied. This was a complete surprise to him. As far as he knew his credit record was outstanding. He discovered he was a victim of identity theft!
What is Identity Theft and What should I do if it Happens to Me?
Identity theft, also knows as ID Theft, is the act of someone using your personal information without your permission in order to facilitate their committing fraud or other crimes. The information stolen can be your credit card account number, bank account number, social security number or other personal information that allows a person to appear to businesses, service provider and creditors as if they were you.
If you think, for any reason, that you have been a victim of identity theft or that you may become a victim because some personal information has been taken or given out by you, you will need to contact the three major consumer credit reporting companies and issue a Fraud Alert. This tells creditors that you must be contacted and your identity verified before extending credit or making any changes to your existing accounts.
Be sure to close any accounts at banks, credit card companies, as well as local creditors so that none of your existing accounts can be misused. Open new accounts with new account numbers. If there are already fraudulent charges made or money transferred, ask how to dispute the unauthorized transactions.
You may also need to file an ID Theft police report with your local law enforcement agency. If you know the identity of the thief who took your information, you will need to let them know. If you do not know this, make a report anyway because it will be needed to prove that you have reported the crime and obtain additional help in resolving any credit or banking issues.
Report your identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). They maintain a database of people who have been victims of ID theft and the investigations to resolve the crime. This helps the FTC research ways that identity theft occurs because identity thieves are always creating new, unique methods to go your personal information.
Because it is far less difficult to prevent identity theft in most cases than it is to recover from the potential impacts from crime, it is very important to stop the identity thief before they steal your information wherever possible. Don’t leave personal papers lying around or thrown into the trash because any information can be used by these criminals. Don’t give personal information out over the telephone to anyone that calls you. If you need to provide personal information to someone or some company, be sure to initiate the telephone call… Read the rest
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