The Free Legal Information Network » Identity Theft

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Hard Questions About Your Identity

admin — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 01:15:59 +0000

By: Faithe Thomas

One of the hardest things we are faced with in our lives is asking hard questions of people. For many people, it simply isn’t in their nature to be suspect of everyone, rather they are trusting and in some cases very naïve. This naivety can result in you being the victim of identity fraud – when it comes to your personal information, banking or financial information or credit information; you have to be unafraid in asking the ‘hard’ questions. Asking those who want your information should not appear to be a hindrance to them or putting them out of their way if they are legitimate. Actually, those who are legitimate are willing to answer all of your questions and will do so pleasantly and easily.

Don’t overlook the little things. Listen to your intuition. If you think something is wrong, it probably is. Ask the question and start with yourself – what is wrong with this picture? Take a step back and look around. Then ask the company or people you are dealing with the hard questions – why is that card reader so large? Why do you need my Social Security Number? Why do you need a photo copy of my driver’s license and credit card? Be vigilant when you are dealing with all things electronic – this is the easiest and fastest way for a thief to steal your identity. Let’s look at some common scenarios of electronic identity fraud.

ATMs
There has been ATM fraud using skimmers. A skimmer is a device that can be difficult to detect that is attached to an ATM that really shouldn’t be there. The skimmer is a card reader that captures the information stored on the magnetic stripe. Chances are there is also a hidden camera that records when you input your PIN number. Thieves can easily reproduce your bank card and steal from you without your knowledge until your bank account is empty. If you notice something odd with an ATM, do not use it. Head into the bank or call the 800 number on the machine to ask for assistance. Watch ATMs that you use frequently, if something looks different, do not use the machine and report it to the bank as soon as possible.

Phishing
Another form of electronic fraud is called phishing and it is done in many different ways. Usually, you will receive an email from your bank, from PayPal, Amazon, EBay, or another merchant, asking you to click a link and update your account information. Do not do it. This is a scam. Report the email immediately to the company that is being scammed for. None of these online merchants or financial institutions will send an email asking for your information to be updated. If they do need your information updated, it will appear when you login on the real site or they will contact you by phone.

Trust Funds and Free Money
We’ve all seen them. Someone from Nigeria has a trust fun that they will give you millions of dollars from if you help them. These have been running around for years both online and offline and there are new ones all the time. These are also phishing scams – they ask you for your bank account information so they can deposit your portion of the funds. Meanwhile, they are drawing from your account until it is empty. Do not fall prey to these emails – simply delete them and move on with your day. No one is going to give you a few million dollars for anything that is legal, even if it does sound enticing and legitimate.

You’ve won the Lottery or a Big Prize
How do you win a lottery or a prize that you never entered? And why do they need your bank information, your credit card number, your SSN? Unless you’ve actually entered a lottery or contest, chances are, this is a scam. If you did enter a lottery or contest, there is no need to give your bank account number or SSN, and no reason that you should pay for anything that you’ve won, not even for shipping. These are all red flags that say this is a scam.

Credit Card Fraud
Probably the biggest fraud out there, always watch your card. Never leave it on the table or with a waiter unattended. Check the receipt to ensure that not all of the numbers are visible on the receipt, if they are, cross out all of them except the last four digits. They have already scanned your card; they do not need a paper version of the number.

If you think you’ve been a victim of identity fraud, contact your local police as well as your financial institution, credit card companies and the credit reporting agencies immediately.

Faithe Thomas is concerned about identity theft and online fraud. She designed a website to help victims and pre-victims: ://www.identity-fraud.info

Article Source: http://www.BestBlogArticles.com

Prevent Identity Theft By Watching Your Credit Cards

admin — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:31:20 +0000

by jarnold

If you have been keeping up on the latest news, it will come as no surprise to you that methods to prevent identity theft are being countered by clever thieves as quickly as the public is notified of them. You need to be aware that you are constantly a possible victim for identity thieves, but that does not mean you need to be an easy target.

The most common place that identity theft occurs is with credit cards. Think about it for a moment – if your purse or wallet was stolen, do you know your account numbers and what number to call for each of those credit cards to report a stolen card? Unfortunately, if you are like most people, you can find out but the information is not readily available to you. This is particularly true if you are out of town and your credit card statements are filed away back home.

The problem is that you cannot wait for a few days or a week to report your card stolen. There have been cases of people doing just that, and the credit card companies had a difficult time even believing them, since it is unthinkable that someone would wait several days to report a stolen credit card.

As a case in point, some friends of mine were vacationing out of the country, and while they were having lunch, the woman’s purse was very quietly and expertly stolen. She realized it within minutes but by then the thief was long gone. Thankfully, her husband who was a seasoned traveler, had a list of the credit card numbers and the phone numbers to call, which he always put in the hotel safe along with their passports whenever he traveled.

They got back to the hotel and immediately started calling the credit card companies to report the credit cards as stolen. This was occurring less than a half hour since the theft occurred. Almost all of the credit card companies had already seen transactions happening on the stolen cards! Less than 30 minutes!

If you are thinking to yourself that doing what this couple did was just too much trouble, think about what would happen if you were a victim of identity theft and did not know where to call, even delayed the call for a few hours or days? As the numerous victims of identity theft can attest to, this situation can take many months and even years to straighten out, as well as countless hours of your personal time.

In addition to being victimized, some people are using this as an excuse to get out of paying a credit card statement. They claim identity theft when no such thing has occurred, thinking the credit card company will just write off the debt. No, it is not quite that easy, and credit card companies have been very alert about this, although much to the detriment of people who really are a victim.

You should also check your credit report often, at least once a year if not more often. If you see accounts on there that you do not recognize, file a dispute immediately, since this is one of the first places you will see evidence of this theft, and reporting it quickly will help prevent identity theft.

Just a few common sense things will ensure that you are not an easy target, and if you take steps today to help prevent identity theft you may find that your efforts have paid off in spades because you did not become a victim.

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For more insights and additional information about you can help to Prevent Identity Theft please visit our web site at http://www.idtheftprotectiontips.com

Source: ArticleTrader.com

Prevent Identity Theft With Six Commonsense Habits

admin — Fri, 30 May 2008 02:15:41 +0000

Posted By : Adrian Fletcher

It might seem like a huge number, but it is estimated that nearly 10 million people will be affected by some form of identity theft this year. The reality is that if you do any form of online or telephone shopping you could be at risk. In fact, in worst case scenarios, a cunning thief only needs you name to commit some forms of crime using your identity. Here are six ways that you can prevent identity theft happening to you.

If you are throwing out any mail or documents, check that they do not have any of your personal details on them. A common form of acquiring identity is to go through someones trash looking for this type of information. This could include any government letters, credit card statements, utility bills or receipts. You should shred these type of documents before throwing them away. If you don’t have a shredder then tear them up into many pieces.

Be prompt about removing mail from the mail box. Again, thieves will look in the mail box and get personal documents this way. If you are going on vacation or will be away from your home you could ask the postal service to hold your mail for that period or redirect it to someone you trust. You could even get a PO Box or locking mail box for increased security but this would take time to get your mail each day.

Social security numbers are a principal way in which thieves will steal your identity. Keep your Social security number in a safe place, like a safe or such like. You don’t need to carry it on you and should be wary about who you give the number out to.

Again, be careful with receipts that your get in your daily dealings. Things like ATM or bank statements or credit card receipts can hold important information that can be used against you. Always take them with you and shred at a later date if you don’t want them.

Don’t give any personal details to cold calling telephone people. They may sound legitimate but this is no guarantee that they are legitimate. Better still, ask them who they are, the company they are calling on behalf of and the reason for the call. Then phone back the company on a verified number and ask about the person and reason for calling. This should prove the legitimacy of the call and you may want to give the information they asked for away then.

Get rid of the junk mail. You don’t want any of your information, even your name and address, on mail that you have no time or need for. Respond to unwanted junk mail by asking to have your name removed from the mailing list. They are obliged to remove your name by law and you should not have tonnes of meaningless junk mail in your mail box.

Whilst most of these suggestions are common sense and easy to do, people tend to drop their guard from time to time. Either they think identity theft won’t happen to them or they get a little disorganized. The best bet is to make these suggestions into daily habits that become automatic behavior. Thus you give yourself the best possible chance of avoiding being a victim of identity theft.

Article Source: http://www.myarticlesdirectory.com

For advice on identity theft protection, visit www.identitytheftsentry.com . Learn about phishing and other common identity theft scams.

Why Identity Theft Insurance Isn’t Really That Helpful

admin — Fri, 30 May 2008 01:59:54 +0000

Posted By : Paul Wilcox

Personal identity theft has become a lot more newsworthy lately. Some experts say that it’s receiving much more attention than it should. It has become so common in the news that there is now an insurance to cover it called personal identity insurance.

What Does It Cover?

The insurance itself generally costs about $25 to $50 per year and covers from $15,000 to $25,000 of costs including lost wages from time to taken off from your job to deal with the fraud problem. Coverage for job loss is usually capped at $500 per week for a maximum of four weeks. This insurance may also cover some legal fees.

Some insurance may also cover special mailing charges to mail fraud affidavits to the correct people. Fees for credit cards and loans that were applied for and rejected due to false information are at least partially covered.

Any long distance charges to banks etc. to discuss the fraud can also be covered.

This may seem like a good deal for the money but keep in mind a few things. Identity theft is very unlikely. The chances of being victimized are only about 0.35%. Chances are it will never happen to you.

The coverage may seem adequate but when actually broken down, parts of it aren’t very useful. For example, the lost wage item sounds good but at $500 a week, it’s not enough to cover what many people would be making. As well it doesn’t consider that many people are unable to take time off from work.

Personal identity theft coverage doesn’t fix your credit or criminal record as home or auto insurance might do. It strictly helps with the expenses so you can fix it on your own. The expenses entailed generally don’t surmount $1,000 so you may find that purchasing a policy is of no benefit.

Article Source: http://www.myarticlesdirectory.com

Looking for more information about how to stop identity theft? Learn more about how you can protect yourself from becoming a victim at the Online Security Toolkit website.

How to Report Identity Theft

admin — Thu, 29 May 2008 23:04:17 +0000

By: Paul Wilcox

Identity theft has now become a major problem. It grows more each year and can nearly destroy people in the process. If this happens to you, you need to know how to report it. It’s important that it’s reported in order to solve it and keep it from happening to someone else.

Steps to Take to Report ID Theft

There are several things that you can do to report ID theft as well as protecting yourself financially as well.

First, talk to your local police. If they can’t help you, they can let you know who can. They may also be able to assist you in contacting people on this list or even people not included here.

Notify the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). You can do this via their toll-free phone number 877-IDTHEFT or via their website form at their site. This should be one of the first calls you make as the FTC can help you through the entire process.

Let your bank and credit card companies know. Close all your accounts and credit cards but remember to let the financial companies know what’s happening. They will appreciate knowing as soon as possible and will be more willing to help protect you.

Notify the Social Security Administration (SSA). If you let them know that your social security number has been jeopardized, they can see if you are eligible for a new number and make sure that reported earnings are correct.

If the theft has any potential ties to terrorism or buying or selling social security numbers, make sure you contact the Office of the Inspector General.

The credit reporting agencies should also be on your list of companies to contact. By letting them know to look for further activity on your reports and that you are a victim of this crime you can improve your chances of recovering from this ordeal with your credit intact.

You can make your position more complicated if you don’t let the right people know. The sooner you can report identity theft, the sooner the authorities have of trying to catch the person or people responsible. This could help future victims.

Article Source: http://www.myarticlesdirectory.com

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