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Avoid Becoming One Of The Many Identity Theft Victims

June 27th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Many of the identity theft victims that are created every day are, for the most part, innocent people that really never saw it coming. Unfortunately this cannot be said of all identity theft victims as there are some people out there that have just not learned yet and set themselves up to be the poster children for unprepared identity theft victims all over the world. Those identity theft victims that never saw it coming are tough cases but there are tips and advice that everyone can follow that may help more people prevent themselves from becoming identity theft victims.

Be Careful Shopping

Most identity theft victims are found by thieves on the internet so you need to be very careful when shopping on the internet. Only use vendors that you are familiar with or that offer secure transactions. You can help yourself further by using an internet payment service like Paypal which are usually on the look out for thieves and can help you to protect your money.

Watch Out For Spammers

More often than not spam email is a set up for identity theft so to avoid being one of the identity theft victims the simple rule is to never click on a spam email. When you get spam just erase it and never open it. Many internet providers go that extra mile for their clients and help to filter out spam but spammers are getting clever and even though it is proven that more than 99% of people don’t want anything to do with spam the emails still get sent so just erase them and don’t bother with them.

Don’t Click An Email Link

One of the newest scams being run by internet thieves is to send people emails that try and disguise themselves as emails from trusted vendors claiming to be confirming personal information. Legitimate vendors will never send you an email asking to confirm your personal information and they will never include a link to click in an email that will take you to a login page. If an email looks suspicious forward it to the vendor immediately and ask them if the email is legitimate or not. It is always better to be safe than sorry especially when it comes to avoiding becoming identity theft victims. So be vigilant and report any suspicious emails you get because the more your vendors know the more they can join you in the fight against these criminals that are trying to steal your identity.

History Of Identity Theft May Be Traced To The First Cave

June 22nd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Back when people were first asked their name, identity theft was commonly used to obtain goods and services without having to pay for them. By pretending to be someone else, the history of identity theft was born. The electronic age has taken the theft of identity to new levels, but almost since the beginning of time there were people claiming to be someone else to either hide from their past or prevent a new history from being formed.

Prior to use of identification cards, it was not unusual for thieves to claim to be someone else. It was not always to get something for nothing, and sometimes they would travel under a false name in order to go about their way unnoticed, but the history of identity theft is rife with tales of death and destruction. One of the most common ways known to steal an identity during the early history of identity theft, was to simply make a person disappear, usually through murder, and then simply assume their identity.

While the internet has eliminated a lot of the violence associated with identity theft, it is no less devastating on the victims. Another major era in the history of identity theft included dumpster diving and rifling through mailboxes for personal information in the incoming and outgoing mail.

Computers Make Identity Theft Safer For Thieves

Instead of possibly being bitten by wild animals digging through trash cans, identity thieves moved to the telephone to get information directly from the intended targets. They could convince people they were calling from the bank needed to verify information and people would willingly turn over their personal information. With the use of the internet, they can simply send as email and do away with the telephone as the newest piece of the history of identity theft.

By developing websites that appear identical to real ones many people are used to seeing when they visit their bank or online retailer they often attempt to scare people into updating their information, including credit card numbers, social security numbers and other identifying information. Even people familiar with the history of identity theft are often victims, as they believe their knowledge will protect them from being a victim.

Essentially, it is common sense that will keep people from becoming a part of the history of identity theft and by only providing information in person, they can be sure only those with a legitimate need to know are getting their private information.

An Identity Theft Service Will Protect You And Act On Your Behalf

June 17th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

The uncomfortable truth that each and every one of us most confronts today is that no matter how careful one is, there is no guarantee that one’s identity will not be stolen. The magnitude of the problem of identity theft that we face today can best be judged when one considers that every two to three seconds; some unfortunate person in the United States is being robbed off his or her identity. The year 2007 saw, it is believed, as many as seventy-nine million credit card as well as Social Security Number thefts, and what is more worrying about these figures is that there is consistent increase in the numbers of identity thefts taking place in the US each year.

One Way Out

The only real way out of an identity theft situation is to make use of identity theft service companies that have begun to mushroom in countries in the west thanks to the increasing numbers of identity thefts being reported that is due to the amount of notoriety gained by such form of robbery and also because of the huge publicity this new type of crime is being given. However, before you consider using an identity theft service, you need to understand what exactly do such service companies do and what the benefits to you, the customer are going to be.

Basically, an identity theft service is there to proactively help victims of identity theft and an identity theft service will also act on behalf of the victim in requesting fraud alerts being placed on their accounts. Thus, after such a fraud alert has been placed, it helps the creditor in becoming aware of needing to identify you for who you are, and to also investigate whether pending transactions are valid or not.

Another benefit of using an identity theft service is that such companies can request that the victim’s name be removed from junk mail lists as well as pre-approved credit card lists and in addition, the identity theft service will also order credit reports from the three leading credit reporting bureaus on behalf of the victim. Thus, when your identity has been stolen, the identity theft service provides professionally qualified people to assist you in taking care of any complications that may arise as a result of the identity theft.

Nevertheless, there are many who wonder just why bother hiring an identity theft service when these actions can be performed personally by the victim himself, and then the answer is that by hiring an identity theft service, you are basically only saving yourself from being inconvenienced into taking follow-up action, and also getting a little more protection since nothing is overlooked when dealing with the victim’s situation, and thus the victim is given more protection than they could do on their own.

The bottom line is that these services are there with just one mission and that is to protect victims of identity theft after they have been robbed, and thus if you have been robbed off your identity, you would do well to choose them to act on your behalf and get you justice.

Identity Theft Risk Assessment Is The Best Means Of Identifying Risk Areas That Can Lead To Identity Theft

June 12th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Unfortunately, in these modern times, the chances of your becoming the next victim of identity theft are pretty high and in case your identity does gets stolen, you would face an uphill task getting justice done and in fact, most people that are robbed of their identity often don’t even report that the theft has even taken place. In fact, the best that they can expect is having the lost credit cards cancelled and fresh ones issued while the financial loss will have to be borne by you and the credit card company will prefer keeping the matter confidential in order to protect their own reputation as well that of the victim.

A Means To Ascertain How Secure Your Personal Information Is

Thus, it is most important for you that you use an identity theft risk assessment just so that you can protect you against possible identity theft, and in this regard, you can take simple steps such as covering your hands at the time of entering PIN numbers as well changing your password as often as possible and not using obvious passwords and never writing your password where there is a chance of it being discovered so that you can be sure of minimizing the chances of your identity being stolen.

You also need to use identity theft risk assessment in order to determine the level of security regarding your personal information, and thus you may need to provide simple answers to a number of questions that lead you through the entire identity theft risk assessment process. So, you may need to answer whether you are taking the trouble of shredding all pre-approved credit offers, financial documents as well as account statements before getting rid of them. In case your answer is no, then you are in serious danger of becoming an identity theft victim.

Other questions that you will need to answer in the affirmative and which are contained in identity theft risk assessment exercises include answering whether you carry your Social Security Card on your person or not, and also whether you lock as well as secure your mailbox. In addition, the identity theft risk assessment exercise will require you’re answering whether you’re Social Security Number or driver license are printed on your checks.

Other questions that you should answer in the affirmative include making sure that all your passwords are complicated enough to not easily be deciphered by thieves, and that you have ensured storing in a safe place copies of your credit cards. In addition, you need to also answer positively to the identity theft risk assessment question regarding knowing what exactly is to be done should your wallet get stolen.

If you are careful in how you keep your personal information secure from prying eyes and ensure that such information cannot be accessed unlawfully, you should not really be in need of taking an identity theft risk assessment test because you will already be following the recommended course of action that will help you to minimize the risk of identity theft.

An Identity Theft Resource Center Aids Victims

June 7th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

An identity theft resource center is a wonderful place for those who have been affected by this vicious crime. A victim of identity theft does not need a hospital because they were robbed with force, and they do not usually need a surgeon to fix a bullet hole due to an armed robbery. An identity theft resource center provides the aid that is important to people who have lost their identity along with their money. An identity theft resource center is dedicated to figuring out the methods used by these thieves and preventing potential thieves from affecting the lives of people because of identity theft.

An identity theft resource center provides information and support to those who are victims of this increasingly common crime. The victim of identity theft has someone using their good name to transact business and obtain credit. These thieves also try to steal and use the driver’s license and social security numbers of the victims. They also have someone using their bank account numbers and passwords. A identity thief uses all of the information for their own benefit. The police cannot just track this person down and return their purse. It is important to figure out and stop any potential damage that might be done.

An Identity Theft Resource Center Helps On The Road To Recovery

The victim of identity theft must contact many different agencies and organizations to retrieve their identity and stop the malicious deeds of these thieves. An identity theft resource center helps each victim take the appropriate steps to stopping further damage once this crime has been committed. The identity thief might hack into a bank account and transfer some money out to another account. This money can be retrieved by working with the bank. The people at an identity theft resource center will be able to provide information on all the steps that should be taken immediately. After the immediate steps are taken, the people at the identity theft resource center can advise on further, necessary steps.

Victims of identity theft might be affected for a long time because of this crime. If someone picks a pocket, the crime is usually over and done with in a short period of time. Identity theft is more difficult to overcome in the long run. The people at an identity theft resource center will have advice that can lessen the problems and shorten the time for resolution. The people at an identity theft resource center should be able to advise for every eventuality.

Auto Dealers Are Major Targets for Identity Theft Scams

June 2nd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Did you know that auto dealers are major targets for identity theft scams? Because automotive dealers regularly make high-dollar transactions, they need to properly protect themselves from identity theft. It’s estimated that American businesses lose more that $56 million per year due to this crime, and this number is steadily increasing. Auto dealers need to concentrate on a two-pronged approach to protect their company from identity theft. They first need to understand how this is happening and then they must take the necessary steps to stop it.

How Does It Happen?

Before automotive dealers act upon the need for identity theft protection, it’s important to understand the weak points in their business. Obviously, the main issue is to accurately identify the person to whom a vehicle is being sold. A quick look at the driver’s license or a call to a credit company isn’t enough to verify the true identity of the person standing before you in the showroom. Criminals know that this is the weakness in an auto dealership and it’s the main reason why identity theft protection is so vital. This situation makes the dealership a victim in two ways.

The first way is by selling an expensive vehicle to someone who is misrepresenting himself. Some salespeople are so intent on closing the deal that if a red flag emerges, they may wave it away. Additionally, sometimes a credit check will remind the seller to verify the identity of the buyer. Unfortunately, many salespeople think a couple forms of identification are all they need. Criminals take advantage of these facts and make sure they calmly offer several types of bogus identification. Automotive dealers also need protection from identity theft after the false buyer is long gone. It’s at this time that the other victim, the person whose identity was stolen in the first place, will come storming into the dealership demanding that the sales agreement be terminated. Not only will the auto dealer be out of a vehicle, they may also need to protect themselves from an identity theft lawsuit filed by the victim.

How To Be Protected

Automotive dealers need to be protected from identity theft at the point of purchase. Smart ID is a highly recommended software program that can authenticate the person before you, not just verify the reality of the identity presented. This security tool sets up a personalized set of questions based on the individual’s unique background. This questionnaire will only be able to be answered by the true person. Smart ID may make the process of background checking slightly longer, but it’s an investment of time that your dealership can’t afford to pass up.

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Mississippi couple arrested for identity theft and forgery (News Banner)
Surveillance videos from two local stores led to the arrest of a Mississippi married couple June 27 by Slidell police on 74 charges that included theft, forgery, identity theft and monetary instrument abuse.

Man sentenced for aggravated identity theft (Dayton Daily News)
DAYTON — A U.S. District judge sentenced an Indiana man convicted in an attempted bank fraud scheme to two years in prison, the mandatory term for aggravated identity theft.

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