Jahanzaib Hassan asked:




Identity theft is the growing national epidemic. There are literally hundreds of ways you can loose your all important credit ratings through identity theft, as it happens with a hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. There are more numbers of identity theft cases reported than there are robberies filed. Preventing identity theft is a simple matter of playing it safe. Identity theft protection relies on the old adverb better safe than sorry. Preventing identity theft is the key to identity theft protection. Here are certain guidelines for preventing identity theft and the 3 identity theft protection laws:

Identity theft protection Law # 1:

1. Protect your Social Security number and never say it aloud in a public place.

2. Never give out your SSN, credit or debit card number or other personal information over the phone, by mail, or on the Internet.

3. Never carry any card in your wallet that contains the Social Security number (SSN), unless required.

4. Always, take credit card receipts with you. Never toss them in a public trash container.

5. If the state of your residence uses the SSN as the driver’s license number, it is strongly recommended that you contact your Department of Motor Vehicles and request a different number.

6. Never permit your SSN or driver’s license number credit card number to be written onto your checks.

7. Do not have your SSN or driver’s license number printed on your checks.

8. Ask your financial institutions to add extra identity theft protection to your account.

9. Shield your hand when using a bank ATM machine.

10. Always use a gel pen for issuing checks.

11. Never have new checks mailed to you.

12. Never leave envelopes containing your checks anywhere, when you pay bills.

13. When creating passwords and PINs, do not use any characters that relate to personnel information.

14. Never record anything in your wallet. Memorize all your passwords.

15. Carry minimum number of credit cards, debit cards and avoid carrying your birth certificate, Social Security card or passport in your wallet except when needed.
Identity theft protection Law # 2:

16. Be proactive and shield all your data in a safe place. Maintain a list and photocopies of all your credit cards, debit cards, bank accounts, and investments and telephone numbers of the customer services and fraud departments, in a locking cabinet or safe along with all your personal information and canceled checks.

17. Use credit cards instead of debit cards to shop online and automate as much bill-paying as possible from your checking account.

18. It is important that you install a locked mailbox at your residence for enhanced identity theft protection.

Identity theft protection Law # 3:

19. Review all your financial data as often as possible. Federal law entitles you the right to one free credit report each year from the three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion; use it. If you are a victim of identity theft, your credit report will indicate that.

20. Look at your Social Security Personal Wages and Benefits, Approximate Statement each year to check for deception.

21. Review credit card, bank and phone statements, including cellular phone bills every month.

22. Maintain services of Identity Theft Protection and Recovery Company. Better safe than sorry.

23. Identity theft protection includes protecting your PC from hackers. Load some sort of blocking software on your home systems for preventing hackers to obtain personal confidential and financial data from your hard drive.

24. Update your anti-virus product, everyday.

25. Always protect your files through passwords that contain sensitive personal data.

26. If doing online transactions for shopping, only trust on companies that provide transaction security protection.

27. Never just delete files that contain personnel information, make sure to remove this data by using a strong “wipe” utility program.

28. Never respond to spam email messages.

With the emergence of new technologies, new markets and new jobs; thieves have found a new commodity to steal. Your identity is worth a lot of credit. Victims of identity theft have found it the hard way. Identity theft protection is the only means to be safe from the pain and anguish of having loans accredited to your name. Preventing identity theft requires a proactive approach. Better safe than sorry.

Darren

M. Allen asked:




Identity theft, the act of stealing someone’s personal information to use for illegal purposes is a crime that can damage your credit rating, your personal or business reputation, and most assuredly your sanity. Identity theft is also a crime that can be prevented. There are many things we can do to make it at the very least tougher for thieves to steal our personal information.

Check your credit reports regularly. Many smaller charges may never come to your attention but will land on your credit report. Check your credit report carefully and note any accounts that you are sure don’t belong to you. Also, when denied credit because of information in a credit report you are allowed to ask for a free copy of your credit report from the credit bureau that issued the negative information. Once a year, everyone has the right to request a free copy of their credit report from any or all of the three major credit bureaus.

Be wary of credit monitoring offers. Even when purchasing a copy of your credit report from one of the three major credit bureaus, the cost is usually about $9. Why pay the hundreds of dollars that are charged by credit monitoring companies to do the same thing you should do, check your credit report regularly.

Watch out for imposters. Many scam artists attempt to pose as companies you do business with. They can contact you via email, through the mail, or over the phone claiming to need you to verify your personal information. Your suspicion should be heightened if you are contacted by a company asking you for information they should already have. Before responding to the inquiries, you should contact the company and ask if the request is truly coming from them.

Guard your sensitive information. The security of your social security number should be highly important to you. Your social security number is the master key that unlocks your identity. With it, crooks can access most anything in your name. Many medical and government institution use your social security number as your account number. Most are able to give you an alternate number to use if you express to them that you don’t want your social security number used. You should only provide your credit card or bank account numbers when you are actually buying something. These numbers could be used to drain your finances without your knowing about it. Also, it is always best to memorize your passwords and PIN numbers. It is far too easy for someone to use these if they find them in your wallet or purse.

Secure your personal information. Your offline world is filled with pieces of paper with your personal information. Whether in your car, at school, at work, or at home you should do your best to secure sensitive information behind a lock. It is also best to send outgoing bill payments from a public mailbox or the post office itself instead of from your house mailbox. Sometimes even incoming junk mail can contain accurate personal information. To properly dispose of these it may be useful to have a small paper shredder.

Get off credit marketing lists. Credit bureaus compile marketing lists for pre-approved offers of credit cards. These mailing lists are a jackpot for scammers and identity thieves. They can use these to apply for a credit card in your name and change the mailing address so it is sent to them instead. You can usually get your contact information removed from these marketing lists by calling 1-888-567-8688.

Protect yourself when online as well. The first thing to know is that email is not a secure method of communication. Do not send sensitive information like credit card numbers, social security numbers, or financial account numbers through email. When doing business with a website, look for clues that tell if it is a secure website or not. Even when getting a message that states your information is encrypted while it’s transferred to the website, you still want to look for information regarding how secure your information is kept by the company who will now have it.

Stay up-to-date on information regarding scams and identity theft. The more knowledge you have, the harder it is for the crooks.

Jorge

Sky Joe asked:




Credit Card Identity Theft involves the theft of your credit card or account number to make unauthorized charges to your account. If your credit card information falls into the wrong hands, you may be held liable for outrageous bills that were incurred by the identity thief. Thus, the importance of protecting your credit card information goes without saying.

There are many things that can be done to monitor bank accounts and other personal information to prevent identity theft. One way is to avoid giving out your credit card number in public or over the phone. In fact, if you really have to give out a credit card number, you should give out eight numbers then move the receiver away ( or cover it with your hand) say four more numbers then remove your hand and put your mouth back on the phone speaker and then completing the number. In this way, it will confuse the identity thief who happened to be eavesdropping your call!

In addition, it is advisable to make a list of or photocopy all of your credit cards. For each card, include the account number, expiration date, credit limit and telephone numbers of customer service and fraud departments. Keep this list in a safe place so that you can contact each creditor quickly if your cards are lost or stolen.

Before applying for a credit card, you should check with the bank or store on their procedure for safeguarding credit applications. It must be ensured that they are treated as strictly confidential documents and handled with caution. When you received the credit card by mail, you must immediately sign on the back of the credit card in permanent ink. If possible, use an signature that is difficult to imitate so as to reduce any forgery of signatures should someone try to misuse your credit card.

Another way to prevent credit card identity theft is to carefully examine each monthly credit card statement to ensure that every charge accurately matches your credit card receipts. You must bear in mind not to sign a blank charge slip. If forced to, you can use a low-limit credit card to thwart identity thieves. Furthermore, if you have any unused credit cards, cancel them so that their account numbers will not appear on your credit report. If an identity thief obtains your credit report, he could use the account numbers to obtain credit in your name. To prevent this problem, some credit reporting agencies truncate account numbers on credit reports.

Edith

Tyler Previd asked:




The short and simple answer is yes. Definitely. The longer answer can be as long as you want it to be!

I could tell you horror stories that would make you cringe about people that have gotten their identity stolen by dirty criminals who buy and sell people’s good names on the internet and off. It’s a terrible thing but it happens every day. Imagine having a company that monitors every thing that goes on regarding your name.

For example, if somebody tries to open a new credit card under your name, you’d get a phone call. Once you confirm that it’s not you, the criminal is denied! Wouldn’t that feel good knowing that you won the battle against a criminal who was about to steal your identity? You’d be surprised how often your mail gets hijacked or your information gets searched for on the black market.

There are so many hackers out there that can put programs on your computer that harvest everything that you type on your keyboard. Then, they have user names, passwords and even credit card numbers that you typed yourself! If you didn’t type in any credit card numbers, they can still access them by using your passwords to log into your bank account online and/or any other subscription or pay site that you are a member or customer of.

Still wondering “Should I Buy an Identity Theft Prevention Plan?” I feel good knowing that I can comfortably go about exposing my information. I feel so protected that I wouldn’t even mind showing my social security number to anyone that wanted it! The company that protects my identity also guarantees that I won’t lose any money…even if my identity does somehow get stolen! Up to $1,000,000 to be exact. Best of all, it only costs me $10 a month.

I could go on forever about why you should buy an identity theft prevention plan but you probably see the point by now. Good luck…and keep your good name!

Oscar

Tony Evans asked:




What exactly is identity theft? The most recent statistics indicate that identity theft may be the fastest growing crime in the United States. The estimated cost of this crime is more than $50 billion dollars a year, with the average loss to the victim’s personal information being more than $6,000.

There are many things that you can do to help avoid being a victim of this crime. In this article we will describe things that you can do to help protect yourself as well as what to do if you become the victim of identity theft.

Purchase a shredder and tear up all unneeded financial papers. Shred all of the credit card offers you receive in the mail and do not want. Thieves can and often will rummage through your garbage, and all they have to do to obtain the card is sign your name. Do not use simple passwords when banking or conducting any financial transactions online. The best passwords are long ones, or passwords that contain a combination of numbers and letters. Don’t furnish your Social Security number, credit card number, or any financial information to anyone over the phone. Banks won’t ask for this information over the phone since they already have it. Don’t carry your Social Security card or any seldom-used credit cards in your wallet. If you don’t use them, don’t carry them. When you order personal checks, have as little personal information as possible printed on them. You should never put your phone number or social security number on your personal check.

If you do suspect that you have become the victim of identity theft there are some things that should do immediately. First call the fraud units of the three major credit bureaus and request a fraud alert be placed on your credit file. Next,you should report the suspected crime to your local police department. Make sure that you obtain a copy of police reports because creditors will often require confirmation that there was an alleged crime before they will conduct investigations. Next, request copies of your credit report from the credit bureaus to see if any fraudulent accounts were opened without your knowledge or. Call all creditors with whom your identify or identifying data may have been fraudulently used. Also, contact all financial institutions wherever you have accounts that an identity thief has acquired your account or where an account has been opened in your name without your knowledge. You should also place stop payment orders on any outstanding checks that have not cleared, as well as change your debit card, account, and PIN. Write down the names and phone numbers of people with whom you discussed your case and keep all original reports and supporting documents. You should also contact The Federal Trade Commission, this is the federal clearinghouse for identity theft protection and identity theft prevention. The many complaints about identity theft that the Commission receives assist it, and many other law enforcement agencies, track down, investigate and prosecute identity thieves. You can file a complaint with the FTC by contacting the Consumer Response Center by phone. If you determine that you are the victim of identity theft do not panic, but remember some of the guidelines mentioned in this article.

Jennifer

Satoru Shiratori asked:




Identity theft is growing very quickly and is one of the biggest dangers facing Americans and millions of other people around the world. Identity theft is getting a lot of attention in the media for this reason. The media attention is making people aware of how important identity theft prevention protection is and causing people to consider their choices when it comes to protecting their identities.

Protect Your Car Information and Other Personal Information

Something that a lot of people don’t realize when it comes to identity theft prevention protection is that the information you carry in your car can be used by criminals to steal your identity. Things like your vehicle registration and insurance cards can be easily used by the smart criminals who know how to use the Internet for illegal activities. They can create new accounts and borrow money in your name with this information.

Something simple that you can do with regard to identity theft prevention protection is to have any bank and credit card statements you get sent to you online instead of in the mail. It can be dangerous to have this information in your mailbox because criminals have easy access to these statements especially when you are at work during the day.

Another tip to protect your identity is to keep your social security card in a safe place and never carry it with you. If a criminal gets your purse or wallet and finds your social security card, they can do a lot of damage to your finances. That is the one piece of information they want because they can easily borrow money in your name if they have it.

You should be careful about how much of your personal information you store on your cell phone because cell phones are often lost or stolen. If a thief gets your cell phone and finds personal information, you are at risk for identity theft and that can turn your life upside down. You do not want to have to spend the next year undoing what they have done to your finances and your life.

Another place to watch how much personal information you store is your computer at home or at work. It is incredibly easy for smart criminals who know their way around a computer to access this information by using viruses or other devious methods that break your computers security and let them see all your information. This can mean big problems for you!

A good way to get identity theft prevention protection is to check out the many companies that offer to help you protect your personal information and monitor your credit for suspicious activity. These companies will make sure that no one is using your personal information to open new accounts or get loans and alert you to any potential issues.

The thing to remember about identity theft prevention protection is that you want to make sure criminals have a very hard time getting to any of your personal information in order to avoid identity theft. Any work you have to do to keep identity theft from happening to you is well worth it when you consider the alternative. Keep the tips above in mind and protect your identity today.

Melissa

Gary Bunn asked:




Identity theft and identity theft prevention is a very hot consumer issue for 2008. Max Black is an Identity Theft expert who has an added edge over other industry Guru’s – He’s also a victim of massive Identity Theft that virtually destroyed his life. He’s spent the last year researching new and evolving techniques which identity thieves are currently using to steal your information, and has devised a set of defensive strategies you can use to prevent your identity falling into the wrong hands.

The ‘Max Black’ Report is a unique e-book that provides you with a complete armory of defensive techniques you can begin using instantly for free, unlike subscription based services that will cost you a fee every single month. Black has taken a novel approach to his research by interviewing and involving victims, industry watchdogs and identity thieves themselves in developing the e-book, to bring you the most up to date information available.

The e-book is extensively written and covers each modern ‘threat’ in depth, explaining how the method works, how the thief goes about it and also the impact of the crime. Max Black then offers substantial guidance and advice on how to protect yourself and avoid becoming a victim of each particular technique. None of the defensive techniques involve the reader having to purchase anything more, which is a nice change!

I found the most useful chapters of the ‘Max Black’ Report included:

The ‘Dumpster Diving’ Technique

The ‘Mail Interception’ Method

Phishing Attacks

The ‘PC Backdoor’ Route

The ‘Skimming’ Method,

Profile ‘Stripping’,

The ‘Check Washing’ Method

The 2008 ‘Hotel Threat’

I’ve read several books, both on and offline on the subject of identity theft and although each one has proved useful, I am yet to find content as powerful as the ‘Max Black’ Report. I think the difference between this and any other publication is that Black has actually suffered as a victim of identity theft and this has given him a real insight into the crime and also an understanding of how it feels to be a victim too.

Black has chosen to write the book in an informal, casual style which really makes it easy to understand the points he’s covering. I’ve found that some other publications on the topic are very formally written and this can make it difficult to understand the terminology and explanations. Another pleasing point of the report is that Black assumes the reader does not know anything about Identity Theft, so each chapter is covered in great details ensuring a complete and thorough understanding is achieved.

One point I would make is that the price initially put me off purchasing. It is not an expensive e-book, on the contrary, it seemed too cheap to have any real valuable content. I’m surprised to say that I was extremely pleased with the effective content and defensive strategies included. Secondly the author does not hide the fact the e-book is only around 30 pages long. He qualifies this point by stating the content is concise, informative, and packed full of useful content, unlike other e-books, which are bulked out with filler text to make the publication seem larger. I can honestly say I could not find any filler text used at all.

Leslie

Asif Wasim asked:




The best and only way to avoid being a victim of identity theft is to hold your personal information dearly and carefully. Minimize all chances of your information being stolen and misused by getting a firm grip over your personal data. Never be too confident of the measures that you have undertaken to prevent abuse of your information, always be on a look out and always be strict with your information.

Hunt for information

Identity thieves have mastered various techniques and antics to obtain personal information, most common of which are as follows:

Theft

The most common targets include purses, wallets, or mail

Garbage Sniffing

A grotesque act of going through your through your garbage at your home or location of business, in search of your personal information on discarded items.

Tricks and Pranks

Luring you into providing personal information especially online, through a website portal or by email.

Gathering information from employee files or from legitimate businesses.

Acting as a new creditor just to get a hold of your credit report.

Shoulder surfing. Looking over your shoulder in a public place, or eavesdropping on your phone calls and making note of it as you supply your personal information.

False promises of Prizes

Getting in contact with you by email or telephone and tricking you into believing that you have won something big and hefty maybe a prize or an award.The only condition they lay forward is that you provide them with your personal or financial information so they can send you that prize or award.

Risky Transactions

Many of the common day to day transactions can increase risk for identity theft. This is only to alarm you and not to say that these actions should be completely avoided but as they say precaution is better then cure. The same strategy applies here, you should exercise every precautionary measure to protect your personal and account information. Some transactions which can compromise security on your information are:

Online banking

Online purchases of goods or services

Discarding pre-printed credit card applications without destroying them

Storing personal information in your computer

Using a cellular phone

Using a wireless phone

Using your Social Security number for identification

Safeguarding Your Information

You can safeguard your personal information by being alert and aware of when and how you use that information, or provide it to others.

Your Social Security Number

Rather than writing it on a piece of paper and carrying with you memorize your number.

PIN Numbers

Rather than writing it on a piece of paper and carrying with you memorize your number. Avoid printing your Social Security number on your checks.

Passwords

Build a wall of passwords to protect your personal information and financial accounts. Passwords should contain both alphabetic and numeric characters and should be difficult for any body to guess. Avoid using personal date such as birthdays etc as a password.

Credit Reports

Obtain your credit reports periodically from the major credit bureaus and review them for information which does not belong to you or does not reflect your information.

Secure Your Computer

If you use a high speed Internet connection, it gets even more important for you to secure your computer by the use of a firewall and keeping your system updated to stop hackers from intruding your privacy and getting a hold of your personal information.

Email Inquiries

It’s always hazardous to provide your personal or financial information in response to an email based inquiry, and its simply reckless to send that information by email. If you believe a legitimate business of which you are personally sure of, has requested that information, go to their home page on their website to provide it. Type the URL into the browser yourself, do not follow any links in the email. Follow these guidelines to avoid any mishaps because most of the time you will find that, no matter how real it looked, the email was fake and was meant to SCAM you.

Email Attachments

Beware of suspicious email attachments, even if they appear to be from somebody you know. Use an anti-virus software, and keep it updated. An email attachment can turn out to b a worm or virus, which is designed to open a security hole in your computer so that others can later access your hard drive and obtain your personal information secretly.

Website Inquiries

It’s better not to provide any personal information online but if there is no other way do it through a “secure transaction”. You can tell if a page is secure because the “lock” icon at the bottom of your browser window will appear as a closed padlock. Also, secure URL’s usually start with “https://” as opposed to simply “http://”, with the “s” standing for “secure”. While not all businesses offer secure transactions, by now most of them do.

Telephone Inquiries

Never give out your personal or financial information on telephone, unless you initiated the contact and completely trust the institution or the person on the other end of the telephone.

Credit Card Applications

If you don’t intend to complete it, shred it or tear it into pieces before you throw it away..

Credit Cards

Sign your credit cards immediately after you receive them. If a new or replacement card does not arrive in a timely manner as you had expected, contact the financial institution and report the delay in its arrival.

Lost or Stolen Credit Cards

Never waste time in hoping for a miraculous return of your credit or debit cards on their own. Immediately report it to the concerned authorities. Statistically this should limit your liability to $50 for a credit card or $500 for a debit card. If your report is prompt enough Credit card companies could waive the $50 amount.

Credit Card and Bank Statements

Always keep a close watch on your credit card and bank statements for unusual activity.

U.S. Mail

Retrieve your mail ASAP after it is delivered rather then allowing it to unnecessarily accumulate in your mailbox. Use an offical mailbox for outgoing mail, don’t leave it in your mailbox for an extended period. If you are going to be away, (especially overnight or over a weekend) have the Post Office hold your mail or have it collected by a trusted neighbor or friend.

Retain Your Receipts

Don’t discard bank, credit card, or transaction receipts in public areas but if you have to, make sure that you have shredded it completely.

Personal Information

Before throwing a piece of paper that contains your personal information away make sure to tear or shred it up completely

Monitor Your Billing Address

If your monthly statement for a bank, credit card, or other account does not arrive on time as expected, immediately confirm your billing address with the issuing company. If you learn that the billing address has been changed or tempered with without your permission, immediately report that the change was unauthorized and that an unauthorized person may be utilizing your account without your consent.

Can you completely prevent identity theft?

Sadly it’s not entirely possible, especially if someone is determined to commit this crime. But the risk can be minimized by prompt and timely action against any attempts directed towards gaining your identity or information and by diligently protecting your personal information with extreme caution.

William

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

Tyler Previd asked:




We all know that at any moment a criminal can steal our identities and pretty much put us through hell for the next year or more of our lives. That’s why I myself have been protected by an identity theft protection company. I have put together my top 2 identity theft prevention tips in this article so that you can take a few steps to being closer to safety.

My first tip for you is to make sure that you either check your mail everyday and tear up any offers for ‘pre-approved’ credit cards because that is one of the top ways that thieves steal your identity, by hijacking your mail. It would be even better if you could remove yourself from all the mailing lists of these companies altogether. (The company that I use does it for me!)

My second identity prevention tip is to order yourself a copy of your credit report at least once a year. You can see if there are any accounts that were opened in your name that you might not be aware of and you can spot other suspicious activity as well. Also, it’s good to check your credit often ANYWAY because sometimes companies make mistakes and it’s good to spot these thing early.

There are so many ways nowadays for criminals to steal your personal information whether it be by purchasing or trading it online, buying it from the black market or “phishing” the information for themselves by using hacking techniques. Whichever method they use, you do not want to fall victim to this horrible crime. It can be devastating and severely damage you financially as well as get you in trouble with the law for something YOU didn’t do!

Trust me, it’s not pretty. I hope these 2 identity prevention tips were helpful to you and I wish you all the luck in keeping your good name!

Juanita