Providing You With Effective Technologies And Ways To Fight Privacy Theft

Identity theft is fast rising up on the list of crimes being committed in the US. Last year’s identity theft statistics state that almost 9.5 million Americans became victims of privacy theft, collectively suffering a loss of almost five billion dollars. Anybody can become a victim of privacy theft and in a day and age where information is already easily available, it is extremely important that you take all kinds of precautions to prevent identity theft.

Identity theft prevention is extremely important if you do not want to be defrauded and you should take special care never to disclose your bank account numbers, credit card numbers and social security number to anybody apart from authorized people. Giving such information over the phone to different callers is a complete no no and it is advised that you unsubscribe from unsolicited promotional calls. Giving away pin numbers is a big mistake and so is letting people stand behind while you operate your ATM or credit card.

The internet and your computer is the place where most people succumb to identity theft nowadays. In order to prevent identity theft, use good quality anti virus and anti spy ware software on your computer. Do not respond to any mails that ask for personal information, even if the mail comes from your own bank or company. This could be a phishing attempt and no reputable company is asking for personal information through emails nowadays. Always sign out properly whenever you sign in at a site. Make sure that you shop only at trusted online stores. Do not keep your personal information like your bank account details and passwords on your computer’s hard disk drive. As far as passwords are concerned, please spend some time devising a secure password since it might end up saving you a lot of time, money and hassles later on. Remember that passwords derived out of date of births, names and social security numbers are no passwords at all.

Most people do not discover that their identity has been stolen till it is too late. In fact, on an average, people got to know that their identities were stolen only after an year or so. Since identity thieves generally use your personal information to get money through your bank account or credit card one way or the other, it is extremely important that you check your bank and credit statements thoroughly and inform your credit card company or bank ASAP in case you see any discrepancies. Checking your credit report regularly is a good way of checking for identity theft since your credit history reveals all your transactions.

Report identity theft the moment you have any doubts that someone has access to your personal information or is misusing it. Inform your banks, credit card companies, all three credit bureaus and register a complaint with both the FTC and the local police. Do not delay reporting a loss of credit cards, ATM cards, debit cards and social security cards also, since even a slight delay can lead to severe losses in these cases.

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Secure your Computer for Safe Internet Usage

From email to online banking and investing to shopping, today people are using their computers for many things that used to be done only offline. As we do these things on a more regular basis, unfortunately we open ourselves up to a new breed of criminals and their new weapons like spyware, viruses and email scams. While some may be looking to phish your personal information and identity for resale, others simply just want to use your computer as a platform from which to attack other unknowing targets. As our use of computers and the related potential for risk increased, it is import that we make sure we have taken steps to protect ourselves. Just like the advice of not walking alone at night, there are things we should and shouldn’t do on the internet. Below are a few easy, cost-effective things you can do to make your computer more secure.

- Viruses can cause your computer to fail unexpectedly so always make backups of important information and store in a safe place separate from your computer.

-Computer software is being continuously updated and criminals are continuously finding new ways to attack. Update and patch your operating system, web browser and software frequently. Because Microsoft’s operation systems like XP and Vista are on most home and business PCs, they are the biggest targets of fraudsters. Make sure you have the latest software by going to Microsoft’s website and running the update wizard. This will help you find the latest patches for your Windows computer. Also look for updates to any other Microsoft software you have at the same location.

-Install a personal firewall. A firewall is software that protects your computer by not letting some programs do things that could be dangerous. Without a good firewall, viruses, worms, Trojans, malware and adware can all easily access your computer from the Internet. There are a range of great firewall programs and hardware available at any budget. If you aren’t comfortable selecting or installing this type of software check with your local computer store for assistance.

-Review your browser and email settings for optimum security. Why should you do this? Active-X and JavaScript are often used by hackers to plant malicious programs into your computers. While cookies are relatively harmless in terms of security concerns, they do still track your movements on the Internet to build a profile of you. Consider setting your browser security setting for the “internet zone” to High, and your “trusted sites zone” to Medium Low.

-Install antivirus software and set for automatic updates so that you receive the most current versions. As with firewalls, there are great alternatives available on the internet and in stores. -Once you install software, though, it is very important that you keep it up to date. Make sure you allow the software to automatically update itself to ensure you stay protected.

-Do not open unknown email attachments unless you are sure they are safe. Unfortunately some viruses can spread emails that look like they came from a source you know. If you are not expecting an email, even if is from someone you know it is best to confirm before opening.

-Just like unknown email attachments, do not run programs from unknown origins. Also, do not send these types of programs to friends and coworkers because they contain funny or amusing stories or jokes. They may contain a Trojans horse waiting to infect a computer.

-Consider turning off your computer and disconnecting it from the internet when not using the computer. A hacker can not attack your computer when you are disconnected from the network or the computer is off.

The ability to shop from home, email friends and family are great benefits of the internet. Unfortunately, along with everything new comes the opportunity for criminals to use it for bad purposes. By taking just a few simple precautions you can rest assured that you will get the benefits without becoming a victim.

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Safeguarding Your Personal Information From Identity Thieves

An identity thief doesn't just steal your credit card and personal information to start buying crazily in your name. He gets new cards, opens new loans, and leaves a long trail of unpaid bills in your name. He even uses your identity to commit acts of terrorism or other crimes. What are you to do?

Identity theft occurs more frequently than you would like to believe - and is committed frequently by someone you know. This is what happened to Linda Foley, a magazine writer, who learned that her own employer had swiped her identity to open cell phone and credit card accounts. Now Foley, along with her husband, fight back as the Co-Executive Directors of the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) in San Diego, California.

Can This Happen to You?

After Bridget J. Thomas learned that her identity was stolen by a bank employee at a branch 300 miles from the one she used, she was shocked. And that was just the beginning of her nightmare! When the thief was caught, she was working at a different bank in a different state. After her arrest, collection agencies continued to hound Ms Thomas.

Setting the Record Straight Might Not Be All That Easy - or Quick!

Setting the record straight is the tip of a nightmarish iceberg that can take months - even years to accomplish – often with undue pain and suffering for the victim. In serious cases victims spend an average of 600 hours and $1,400 in out-of-pocket expenses to repair their credit. Until they can prove their innocence, they are more likely to be:

• charged higher rates for insurance and fees for credit cards,

• rejected for student loans or home mortgages,

• arrested for crimes they did not commit,

• unable to get or keep a job.

A Call From A Collection Agency Or A turndown For A Loan Is Often the Only Tip-off That Your Identity Was Stolen.

A thief needs only one thing to open the doors to his windfall - your Social Security number. Unfortunately it is routinely used by government agencies, health care providers, utility companies, merchants, employers, and financial institutions. Often, your Social Security number is publicly available. That's how General John M. Shalikashvili, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, became a victim. His Social Security number and those of many other military officers were published in the "Congressional Record" and were later posted on the internet. Thieves used their identities to open 273 new credit cards accounts and run up a bill of over $200,000.00 in charges.

Develop a Form of Defense

To stop identity thieves in their steps, there are several things you can do. You can begin by freezing access to your credit file. By doing so, you cause your file to become off-limits to anyone who does not know the secret PIN (Personal Information Number) of your choosing. This sets the wheels in motion to protect you from the bad guys - anyone who attempts to apply for credit in your name. It causes their application to be rejected; although your credit cards won't be affected. And if you want to apply for new credit or let a bank, store, or agency run a background check on you, you can get a credit thaw. For example, if you decided to shop for a big-ticket item, like a car, you might thaw your history for auto dealers.

Other Things You Can Do - Starting NOW!

• Periodically check your credit report for suspicious activities. Americans are now entitled to a free annual credit report from each of the three bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

• If you elect to shop online, use a credit card rather than a debit card. With a credit card, you have the extra protection of maximum liability of $50.00 for unauthorized purchased.

• Learn more about "phishing" email scams, and other schemes, frauds, and cons to separate you from your identity and your money.

In the Event You Do Become A Victim

Here are some steps to take:

• Act fast and prepare yourself for an uphill battle uncooperative and unsupportive credit card and law enforcement agencies. For guidance and support, I suggest that you turn to organizations and agencies like ITRC, the Federal Trade Commission, and others.

• Call the fraud dept. of one of the three credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, and request that a fraud alert be placed on your credit reports. (The other two credit bureaus will automatically be notified.) The alert lasts for 90 days and requires creditors to call you before opening new accounts in your name; however, a word of caution is in order here. There are no legal requirements to honor alerts and merchants who are eager to make a sale may ignore them.

• Close your credit card accounts and change the passwords on all your financial and banking accounts.

• File a police report. Although credit bureaus won’t extend a fraud alert without it, be aware that local police departments may be reluctant to provide a report. Many may lack the resources to properly investigate the crime.

• Mail copies of the police report to all three credit bureaus with a cover letter demanding your complete credit file.

• Call every credit where you know a bogus account has been created and have them close your file immediately. Demand copies of all fraudulent applications for credit and billing statements. Creditors don’t want to divulge that information, but they will if you enclose a copy of a police report and forward your request it in writing via certified mail.

Conclusion: Face it, identity theft is a growing problem affecting everyone in some way or another. With the increase popularity of internet usage, it has become easier for cybercriminals to steal our identity. In 2002 alone, the victim total due to identity theft climbed to 10 million, a new high. The cost to the economy was up an astonishing 41 percent to $52.6 billion, according to The Identity Theft Survey Report, available from the Federal Trade Commission at the website (www.consumer.gov/idtheft/). Each year these totals are climbing with no apparent sign of slowing down.

What are your chances of becoming a victim of some form of identity theft? According to the Federal Trade Commission is one in ten.

“So what am I to do?” you ask. My recommendation is that first you educate yourself with information and resources at your disposal. Next, purchase identity theft insurance.

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The Truth About Identity Theft

The Federal Trade Commission reports that identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America. The term "identity theft" was not even coined until a few years ago. These days we seem to hear it every time we turn on the television or open a magazine. But what is the real truth about identity theft?

The United States Department of Justice offers this definition: "Identity theft and identity fraud are terms used to refer to all types of crime in which someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception, typically for economic gain."

So how real is this threat? Several of the world's largest banks and data collection agencies have suffered fraud affecting millions of people. The IRS has stated that their networks of personal and financial records are not well protected.

It appears that we are all at risk for identity theft, and there may not be anything we can do about it. In fact, many people who are at risk don't even realize it.

So what are some ways to stop identity theft? How do you know if you are putting yourself at risk of becoming a victim?

Take, for example, your driver's license or health insurance card. In many instances, the account or license number is the same as your Social Security number. Calling a pharmacy, doctor's office, or car insurance company will often lead to you being asked for your Social Security number as a means of identification.

Your personal checks often include your name, address, bank account number, and signature. They're often supplemented at the store's request with your phone number and driver's license number or Social Security number. An unscrupulous store clerk may easily gain access to all this information.

No matter what type of data you are providing, whether it's to your doctor's office, your pharmacy, your bank, stores you make purchases from, schools, or even the IRS, this information has a chance of being compromised. The internet has made spreading and selling the information not only easier, but more anonymous for the criminals. The volume of information in today's society makes identity theft an ever-present danger.

Recently, companies have begun adapting to the changing environment and recognizing the very real threat that identity theft poses. Those with large databases of personal and financial information are being required to better protect that data. The United States government has joined by prosecuting identity theft criminals. Credit card companies, banks, and insurance companies have begun to offer identity theft insurance.

Here are several places to search on the internet if you would like to learn more about identity theft and identity fraud, and what government programs have been implemented to help curb this financial threat.

Department of Justice: www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html

Federal Trade Commission:
www.ftc.org

Identity Theft Resource Center:
www.idtheftcenter.org

Consult with your bank, your credit card companies, and your insurance company to see what steps they are taking to help prevent identity theft. Find out what coverage they can offer to protect you in case it happens to you. Make sure that you do business with companies which are supporting government legislation to curb identity theft and identity fraud.

The truth is that identity theft is out there. It's not just a scare tactic used by insurance companies to sell needless coverage to unsuspecting clients. The threat is very real, but with research and information, you can help lower your risk of becoming one of its victims.

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What Everyone Should Know About Reducing the Risk of Identity Theft

Identity theft commonly begins with the loss or theft of a wallet or purse. But there are many or high-tech and low-tech ways criminals can get their hands on your personal and financial information in order to commit identity theft.

When someone uses your name or personal information, such as your credit card number, driver's license number, Social Security number, telephone number, or other account numbers, without your permission, you become a victim of identity theft.

Thieves steal your personal information and use it to open credit accounts, bank accounts, telephone service accounts, and make major purchases in your name. These criminals use your sensitive information to take over existing accounts, or open new accounts. Their criminal activities can result in damage to your credit rating and denials to credit and job offers.

Protecting Your Identity While there are no guarantees that your identity will never be stolen or compromised, there are several steps you can take to minimize the risks. Here are a few of them:

• Before you discard your personal information that you no longer need, such as credit card receipts, billing statements, and pre-approved credit card offers, shred them using, at best, a diagonal-cut shredder.

• Create unique passwords and personal identification numbers (PINS) and avoid using easily available information such as mother's maiden name, date of birth, or last four digits of your Social Security number.

• Do not give your Social Security number to people or companies that you do not know.

• Guard your mail from theft. Promptly remove your incoming mail from your mailbox and place outgoing mail in locked collection boxes at your local Post Office.

• As an extra measure of security, install a lock on your mailbox, even if mail theft is not an identified problem in your neighborhood.

• Before disclosing personal information, even to people you know where you shop or do business, insist on knowing the reason(s) your personal information is required and how it will be used.

Low-Tech Rip-offs: Thieves can do much damage with what they remove from your mailbox.

Criminals are increasingly creative in the methods they use to get their hands or eyes on your personal information, and ultimately, your money. Here are some of the low-tech techniques they employ:

• Dumpster Diving, one of the easiest ways for them to appropriate your personal information.

• Mail Theft from unsecured residential mailboxes. According to statistics, mail theft most often takes place at unprotected and easily accessible mailboxes in public places.

• Shoulder surfing takes place when a thief watches or listens literally over your shoulder as you enter your PIN into an ATM machine. They may even follow you home or your place of work to gather additional information about you.

High-Tech Techniques: Data transferred across the Internet can be intercepted during its journey.

• Phishing and Pharming: While phishing is a scam in which consumers are tricked into entering their personal information via a bogus email and website form, pharming occurs where hackers steal personal information from numerous people simultaneously through something known as "domain spoofing". They take over a DNS server and redirect user information to a new website that they use to gather, collect, "pharm" illegal information.

• Skimming: Thieves quickly and temporarily steal a credit card and run it through a skimmer, a credit card reader that has been reprogrammed to steal information off the card.

Fight Back: Reduce the Risks

Make education about the scams, schemes, and frauds criminal use to steal your identity your priority in view of the rising occurrence of this multi-million-dollar-problem. With education comes prevention. Here are some prevention tips to help reduce the risks:

• Safeguard your personal information. Never take simple things for granted.

• Carry with your only the information you need. Always keep your personal information and documents in a safe and secured place of your choosing.

• Order and review a copy of your credit report at least once a year.

• Shred documents containing your sensitive information before discarding them.

For extensive information about ways to protect your identity, visit "Protecting Your Identity" at http://www.ProtectingYourIdentity.blogspot.com/.

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