Brenda Mohney asked:




Our current economy it tough enough without having to worry about identity theft prevention. But desperate times equals desperate measures and our economy is breeding many desperate people who are turning to white collar crimes.

Identity theft is one of those crimes. Statistics show that ID theft is on the rise. With people losing their homes, cars, and jobs, well people are just plain at their wits end and getting desperate. Most individuals wouldn’t ever consider going into a bank waving a hand gun, but they may be more easily persuaded to ‘borrow’ someone’s identity and commit identity theft. As tough and stressful as these times are, it is critical that we guard our identities even more so.

Most of us have a ton of other pressing issues in our lives to worry about. Pulling our hair out to figure out how to protect ourselves from identity theft is just not another thing we need to drive ourselves crazy over. With that thought in mind, I thought it would be helpful to create a list of identity theft prevention tips that can be quickly referred to and used on a daily basis.

At Home and Work:
Never give credit card or personal information out over the phone. Do not give any passwords out over the phone or through email, whether it is for a personal or work related issues. Shred all documents and pre-approved offers before throwing them out in the trash. Always be aware of your surroundings and people close by when using sensitive data in public. Speak quietly on the phone in public if giving out credit card information is unavoidable. Do not have your license number printed on your checks. Don’t carry your social security card with you. Opt out of pre-approved offers by calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT. Refrain from putting sensitive information in the mailbox. Mail letters containing sensitive information at the post office. Know what accounts are open in your name by obtaining a free credit report that everyone is entitled to each year. Beware of job scams, don’t give out personal data unless certain the person you are talking to is from a legitimate company.
Computer and Internet:
Only deal with reputable online merchants. If making an online purchase be sure the web site is secure. Check and make sure the URL says https instead of just http. Always be certain to have the latest software upgrades and operating system updates and patches. Always use anti virus protection, anti spyware protection and a firewall. Be sure to update to the latest version and test for vulnerabilities. Be sure to read all the manuals that come with networking hardware and software and set all the security features that are available. Use complex passwords for the network SSID and password. Regularly scan the network to identify vulnerabilities. Avoid phishing by never clicking a link in an e-mail message. Instead, manually type the URL address into the web browser and log in normally. Never open e-mail attachments, even if it is from a friend. Don’t use p2p file sharing programs. They run rampant with virus and spyware infected programs. Never use copied disks and CDs. Be sure to scan anything downloaded off the internet with an anti virus program. As you have probably noticed by now, there are a lot of little things you can do to practice ID theft prevention. Most of them are common sense but are easy to overlook on a daily basis.

The identity theft prevention tips listed above should become second nature after a while. Don’t let a few minor inconveniences result in becoming a victim of identity theft. Put these identity theft prevention tips into practice today. Print them out and post them on the refrigerator if necessary.

There are already enough things to worry about in these tough economic times, you certainly don’t need to worry about identity theft restoration on top of everything else.

Sara

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Darryl

Laura Evans asked:




While there are no measures that will completely stop someone from stealing your identity, there some basic identity theft prevention steps that you can take to make stealing your identity more difficult.

Types of identity theft

There are two kinds of identity theft: account takeover and application fraud. Account takeover identity theft occurs when someone gains access to your credit cards and starts charging products and services to them. Application fraud identity theft occurs when someone is able to get your social security number and enough other information about you to open up new accounts under your name.

While account takeover is nasty, application fraud is even more difficult to fix because victims may not be aware that credit fraud is occurring. This makes it essential to review your credit report every year. You can receive a free credit report from each of the major credit reporting companies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) once every 12 months. Get them and check to see if everything about your credit looks normal. In addition, you can get a free credit report within 60 days of a company denying you credit or insurance so that you can make sure no one has been fraudulently using your credit.

Identity theft protection for credit cards

One way to reduce the risk of unauthorized use of your credit cards is to simply reduce the number of credit cards that you use. Take all of your credit card receipts home and shred them so that an individual cannot get your credit card number by rooting through the trash. Keep a list of your credit card numbers, expiration dates and the phone numbers of issuers in a safe place – not in your wallet or purse – so that you can easily get them if your cards are lost or stolen.

It’s usually a good idea to avoid handing your credit card to servers or retail employees and letting them walk off with it. While the great majority of these people are honest, a few high-profile cases of identity theft have been committed by unscrupulous employees who wrote down or photocopied credit card numbers. Keep your card and the employee in sight at all times. Most restaurants can bring a credit-card reader to your table. If they can’t, follow the employee to the card reader or ask to pay at the bar, which almost always has its own card reader.

Consider installing a locked mailbox at your home. While this may not prevent a very determined person from stealing your new credit card or other important information, it will slow down a more casual criminal.

When you’re shopping, and particularly if you’re shopping online, always try to use a credit card rather than a debit card. You’re legally protected if someone uses your credit card to make fraudulent purchases, but you might not be protected if someone steals your debit card number and wipes out your bank account. It’s also much easier to cancel or reverse charges on a credit card if the site that you buy from never ships you what you ordered.

Identity theft protection for passwords and PINs

Be careful when you use password or PIN numbers while in a public place. Thieves can use cell phones to take pictures of your credit card and memorize your PIN. Check the door openers on ATM machines and card readers at supermarkets before using them. Some sophisticated identity thieves will replace these devices with fakes that capture your personal information.

When you’re choosing a password or PIN number, do not pick easy numbers, such as your birthday or your phone number. Some identity theft is committed by people you know, such as friends and roommates, who are likely to start trying to guess your password with these obvious choices.

Change your passwords at least twice a year. If you have trouble remembering your passwords or PINs, keep them in that secure place with your credit card information. Never leave passwords near your desk, and never carry PINs in your wallet or purse, as this makes it easy for a thief to use your credit and ATM cards. Never, ever write PINs on the back of your cards – this is the first place thieves will look for them.

Identity theft protection with your computer

Most of the same tools that protect your computer from viruses offer identity theft protection as well. Be sure to use an antivirus program and a firewall, and secure your wireless network with WEP codes and MAC Address Filtering to prevent unauthorized use. Be sure to run virus scans at least once a week.

Don’t keep a copy of account numbers and passwords on your computer in a database or word processing document, no matter how secure the computer. Computers have a high resale value on the black market, making them a popular target for thieves. If yours is stolen, what began as a physical loss will escalate into identity theft if someone opens that file. Print the information out, store it in a secure place, and delete the original files.

Never open e-mail or instant messenger attachments from people you don’t know. Some of these can contain keyloggers and other spyware that records your personal information and sends it back to thieves.

Don’t respond to any e-mail asking you for personal information or account numbers. This is known as phishing, and the phony e-mails and Web sites can look just like a site that you trust. Remember that financial services companies never ask for your information by e-mail. If you get a request for this information, even if it’s from eBay or PayPal, look up the customer service number on the Web (not in the e-mail) and call the company directly.

If you sell your computer, delete all your personal files and use a registry cleaner, if needed, to scour out all of your personal information. If you have CDs for your computer’s operating system, the best solution is to completely erase the hard drive and reinstall the OS. If you don’t have the disk, a computer support company can reinstall your OS for a fee.

Eric

Seamus McGinley asked:




Your personal information is in the hands of every person or business you deal with. you banker, accountant, attorney, financial planner, mechanic. Take a look how these poeple operate their business. Are file cabinets fire rated and locked? Are there many people coming and going? All it takes is one employee willing to break the law to turn your life into a living hell. Make sure that you have confidence in the people that you deal with. Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the US and UK. Here are a few tips that you should start today.

-Have your personal checks delivered to your bank, not your home address. This prevents mail theft. If you’ve ever received a box of checks in the mail, its certainly not hard to figure out what is inside and a thief can spot that box a mile away.

-When you get an unsolicited phone call, do not give out your name, confirm an address, or even if someone lives at the residence in question. If a legitimate person is calling you that already has your number, then they will ask for you by name. Even if your phone number is unlisted, new phone numbers are provided to the public by any regulated phone carrier. The people that call your home from those lists have no idea who they are calling. Don’t give them any information.

-Don’t give people you don’t know your address or even tell them specifics on where you live. I hear people in friendly conversation. I hear people giving out information that is way too specific. You never know who is listening and what they already know. If the person knows your mothers maiden name, your home number, and the last four digits of your social security number, the home address might be the last key for some kind of fraud.

-You are entitled to a free credit report every year from each of the three credit reporting agencies. Take advantage or consider an identity protection plan that offers credit monitoring. Any credit inquiry made in your name is on your credit report.

-Credit card accounts that are open and not used are great targets for identity thieves. The right identification protection plan will guard against theft and the closing of these accounts will help protect you.

Leslie

Kurt Howard asked:




Identity theft can be one of the most stressful experiences you can ever have and falling victim to ID theft is becoming more and more common today. Although there are certain situations that are out of your control which can lead to identity theft, there are numerous steps you can take that will lower your risk of becoming an identity theft victim.

One of the easiest steps you can take to prevent identity theft is to obtain a copy of your free credit report every year. Due to the changes to the Fair Credit Reporting Act each major national consumer reporting bureau is required to provide you a free credit report once a year.

When you request your free credit report choose to have your credit report printout contain only the last four digits of your social security number. This will help prevent anyone from obtaining your whole social security number should they get a hold of your report.

Another step to preventing identity theft is to keep all of your personal documents safely stored in your home. All personal documents should be stored within a locked container such as a safe or file cabinet. This is especially important if you employ anyone at your home such as a babysitter or maid.

Password protecting your credit card and bank accounts with a password that is not easily linked to you is also important for preventing identity theft. One password that you should refrain from using is your mother’s maiden name. Other poor choices are your telephone number, anniversary or birthday. Many credit card and bank account will use your mother’s maiden name as a default password, however you should ask to choose a different password that is more secure.

One of the most common causes of identity theft is from your trash. Make sure to use a shredder when you are disposing of old paperwork, confidential documents or mail. Paper shredders have become very inexpensive and are one of the best devices for preventing identity theft. They are the easiest way that you can help prevent someone from digging through your trash and finding personal information.

Finally, when mailing anything that contains personal information take the mail directly to the post office or a postal mail box or to the post office. This is extremely important if your outgoing mail box is not in a locked or secure.

Following these simple steps can greatly decrease your odds of becoming an identity theft victim. Identity theft become a very large problem and should not be taken lightly. Start protecting yourself today.

Dora

Jon Arnold asked:




Do you use identity theft prevention measures? If not, you may want to start. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes of this century and more than 10 million people find themselves a victim of it annually. The vast majority of this is simply not being cautious with who they share their personal information with.

If you discover that you have become a victim, you can probably anticipate paying at least $500 in cold hard cash to get the problems corrected. This is real money, and does not even count the 80+ hours of your personal time that you will also need to invest in writing letters, sending faxes, making phone calls, and trying to convince very skeptical debtors that it was not you that racked up all those charges. As these thieves continue to get smarter, you must also keep up on what is going on for the best identity theft prevention measures that you can use.

Everyone has heard that one of the best ways to not become a victim is to shred all mail that comes into your home. This is a great first step. Make sure that you use a shredder that cross-cuts the paper, since this will completely alleviate the ability to put the document back together. One often overlooked item to shred is magazines. Many magazines have preprinted order forms inside that have your name and account number on them, so tear off the address label and the order form before you throw them out.

The government has become aware of the prevalence and severity of this crime and has implemented some legislation aimed at identity theft prevention. The first thing is allowing you to get a free credit report once a year from each of the credit bureaus so that you can see activity on your account and identify activity that should not be there.

The credit reporting companies have also gotten into the act to help you prevent this crime. One way is to send them an “opt-out” which means that you no longer want any banks or financial institutions to mail you offers, even if you qualify. This is a great idea, especially because you may be tempted to sign up for what may appear to be great offers and then find yourself with financial problems due to over-extending yourself.

The credit bureaus also allow you to request a “credit freeze” on your account which will completely freeze your report. What this means is that nobody can run a credit report on you without your express permission. To get permission, it is a somewhat difficult process, and most identity thieves will not bother with this since there are so many targets that are much easier.

If you still feel vulnerable, you might consider buying identity theft protection. Two popular ways are either hiring a company that monitors you credit report and notifies you of any changes or there are companies available that will help you prevent it to begin with. Either type of company can be found online and charge a monthly fee for the service.

The crime of identity theft continues to grow every year, so the ball is in your court to take preventive measures. Be cautious of who you share your personal information with, both online and offline, and implementing these tactics can very well save you the huge time and expense involved with fixing the problem if you become a victim.

Bernard

Beth Pardue asked:




The most important step that you can take for identity theft prevention is to order a new copy of your credit reports at least once a year to prevent being caught by surprise charges and accounts.

You can request a free credit report [http://www.credit-report-credit-score.com] from one of the many reputable credit companies available online or you can pay for a copy by requesting it directly through one of the major credit bureaus. The sooner identity theft is caught, the sooner the damage that has been done to your credit can be repaired.

Other things you can do for identity theft prevention include the following tips: Don’t carry unneeded credit cards, your Social Security card, your birth certificate or other personal documents in your purse or wallet. Keep track of all your ATM, credit card, debit card and other receipts. Either store these documents in a safe place or destroy them before putting them in the trash.

Additionally, if you have credit card accounts that you do not use, cancel them. Also, it is a good idea to keep a list of all of your credit card account numbers and the companies’ telephone numbers so you can cancel them quickly and easily in case they are stolen or lost. Just be sure you choose a safe place to leave the hard copy.

Lastly, protect your Social Security number as much as possible. This number is one piece of information that is always needed to open bank accounts and apply for credit cards. Do not give it out to any person or company unless you are familiar with them and you have initiated the communication.

Note: This article may be freely reproduced as long as the authors bio paragraph at the bottom of this article is included, the article is published “as is” (unedited) and all URL’s are made active hyperlinks with no syntax changes.

Jorge

Lucas Heijn asked:


Identity theft is the act of stealing ones identity including the name, address telephone number, credit cards and mother maiden name.

In most cases, it is not only the identity stolen. Identity thieves also steal properties secured over the accounts of the owner. This is serious case and is recognized as a fraud.

You can be a victim of this crime as there are no particular requirements for identity theft. Even small companies including college students are also victimized by this crime. However, you need to take the proper action once you are victimized.

It is important for you to know who stole your personal information in your computer. You need to identify the thief who opened your new account without your permission.

It is very important for you to know the thief of your account as quickly as possible to avoid more problems to come.

The law has been changed allowing anyone to review all their account or credit report annually without requiring payment for such. This law was established in 2005. You can have a free credit report when your previous credit is denied within 60 days.

With this monthly review, you will have the chance of identifying whether there has been a huge unauthorized use of your accounts. You will be able to identify them more quickly and implement an early intervention as well. There are many services that offer monitoring of your accounts and business that are affordable.

What happened if your identity has already been stolen? You will need to report this matter. However, you will also need to take different systematic steps before you can report this particular crime.

Police look after the criminal side of the matter. You will still need to do much paperwork. You will need to complete forms and send them to all the companies and agencies that are responsible.

Where are you going to report the crime? Do you have the knowledge that you need to fill out some forms for this kind of report? Where are you going to send them?

You may report it to the police. However, you will not receive that advance action to the crime. There are special agencies that entertain crime like this. It will be discussed on the later part of the article.

You have to undergo many stages in order for you to clear your name. It can be the most difficult part, as you will be clearing a mess that you did not make. It will take time for you to clear name and battle with bureaucratic red tape.

There are many numbers of federal and state agencies that have jurisdiction, depending upon the type of crime committed. Federal Trade Commission has different agencies that can treat cases like identity theft issues, but you will still need to contact these agencies.

It will take time to clear out all the errors made in your name that is why you need to start with the process as soon as you figure out that a crime has been committed with your identity.

Start reporting the crime to the different agencies, companies, credit bureaus and investigators to process the clearing of your name and correcting the errors.

You will need to keep all the relevant files of all the contact and record all the relevant conversations and written correspondence. For you to have an easy to understand history of the relevant data, you may need to make a chart of all of these including the date, agency, contact person, company and summary of all the information discussed.

Keep originals and the send out copies. You must keep your originals safe. They will be relevant in the investigation of the crime. You can also send copies through certified mail, return receipt requested. In this way, you will have a record of the date the letters were received.

It may take time to clear your name but you will get there in the end. You will start a new life full of confidence that you will never encounter crimes like this anymore.

Remember that patience and determination is the key to the resolution of this crime.

For more information on Identity Theft Click Here



Robert

Jake Feuerbacher asked:


Once again, there have been more instances of Identity Theft, as a result of unsecured networks, greedy employees and contractors, and lost or stolen laptops. More people have had their personal information compromised, and now currently live in the possibility that someone out there is using their identity for illegal activities, such as immigration, money fraud, or even medical fraud. Some of the people affected don’t even know that their information has fallen into the wrong hands. Others may have received a letter from some institution alerting them to the fact that their identities may have been compromised.

How aware of these events are you? Are you watching the news, or reading the newspaper or learning about it on a website on the Internet? Do you pay attention to Identity Theft, even though it may have not happened to you yet? Or are you just know paying attention to the overwhelming breaches because you just had a bad experience due to someone actually getting your personal information? If it has happened to you, then of course your awareness is already raised, but if it hasn’t yet, you may want to pay attention to what’s going on in the world.

There are services out there that can monitor the use of your personal information. The first and perfect example is to talk to one of the 3 main credit reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. They’ve also partnered together and created a website, www.annualcreditreport.com, where you can request a free credit report once a year. You may see a lot of companies offering services to monitor your credit, or keep a watchful eye on your personal information. Before you sign up for this, make sure you do your research on which company is to be trusted. The last thing you want to happen is to have your identity stolen while trying to keep an eye on it.

Another step you can take is to set up an alert based on a company you use, such as your bank, or investment company or University, and every time that company is mentioned, you will receive an email notifying you. Google allows for this to be possible by their alert system found here: http://www.google.com/alerts. For example, you can set up an alert for your bank “BANK NAME” and anytime that they appear in the news, you will receive a notification with a link about the news article, and from there you can read the article to see if a breach has occurred. As you set these up, you will learn more and more what terms you are looking for, and what terms you may not want to use.

Again, you must be vigilant when keeping an eye on your Identity. Do everything you can to make sure no one else takes advantage of it.



Frances

Vijayanand asked:


If you’re like most people, you work hard to build your assets and maintain good credit in the eyes of lenders. Through no fault of your own, however, your hard work can be undermined through Identity theft. Having your identity stolen can wreak havoc on your life. If your social security number is compromised, thieves can rack up thousands of dollars on credit cards you don’t even know you have. Your credit rating can be ruined to the point where it’s impossible for you to get any kind of loan. In the worst cases, thieves can get driver’s licenses in your name and impersonate you in criminal pursuits. A warrant could be issued for you for crimes someone else committed in your name.

There are dozens of ways that criminals can access your personal and financial information. For example, they can steal your wallet or purse, rifle through your mail for credit applications, hack into your online accounts or bribe employees at companies who have access to your financial records and identity theft protection Protecting yourself from ID theft requires constant vigilance. There are steps you can take to minimize or prevent ID theft, some of the areas of opportunity for thieves (such as shredding credit card applications and using computer firewalls), but there are some vulnerabilities you simply can’t prevent ID Theft. For those things, early detection is the only way to minimize the damage.

The three main credit reporting agencies, TransUnion, Experian and Equifax, all provide one free credit report per year to consumers. Reviewing these credit reports is one way to identify fraudulent activity. Unfortunately, checking your credit report once a year is not enough to prevent damage from ID Theft. Your credit rating can fall quickly once your identity has been compromised. You need to know what’s on your credit on a regular basis to thwart identity thieves from the start.

ID TheftSmart from Comodo offers credit protection Identity theft Prevention? Anchor text and restoration services. Besides providing access to your credit score and credit report, ID TheftSmart monitors your credit constantly and alerts you to issues before they have a chance to damage your credit rating. Additionally, they provide email warnings of potentially fraudulent activity so you can stop it in its tracks. You do not have to fear for your credit rating or your good name when you enroll in the ID TheftSmart program.

If you do become the victim of ID theft, ID TheftSmart makes it easy to rectify the problem. A team of licensed investigators immediately puts fraud alerts on your credit to prevent further damage. They then comb through your personal and financial records to identify any suspicious activity and work with the proper authorities to restore your proper credit rating and good reputation. Recovering from identity theft on your own can take hundreds of hours of your personal time. If you are a member of ID TheftSmart, however, most of the work is done for you. Neither your time nor your credit has to suffer from someone else’s bad deeds when you protect yourself with ID TheftSmart.



Marilyn