Wolf Tracking

kevinmurphy asked:

“Sounds more like a bank robbery.” More comedy clips at texturbation.com

Jeff McRitchie asked:




Identity theft. We’ve all heard of it, but do we really understand how serious and prevalent it actually is? Believe it or not, identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in the US, according to the National Crime Prevention Council. As a matter of fact, almost $50 billion dollars was stolen via identity theft in 2006 alone. Its not just money that is lost when identity theft is perpetrated, however, it’s time as well. The mean resolution time is at an all time high. It takes approximately 40 hours per victim to resolve the crime itself, but over 600 hours getting his or her finances straight, according the Identity Theft Resource Center.

This crime seems very far away and anonymous, but, although the majority of identity theft perpetrators are strangers, over 30% are acquainted with the victim. Here are the numbers; 13% of perpetrators are employees of victims, 11% are the victim’s relatives, 10% are friends or roommates, 5% are co-workers, 4% are former spouses or significant others, and 2% are caregivers of the elderly or disabled. These figures really bring home the seriousness and inevitability of this insidious crime.

The statistics tell the story, and the story is a frightening one – but what can you do to protect yourself from this growing crime? The following are 20 of the best methods to combat identity theft:

1. Get a shredder: There are many models and types available at great values. They should be used to destroy all-important papers, but most particularly, pre- approved credit applications received in the mail. Credit card receipts should also be shredded every month.

2. Watch for “Dumpster Divers:” Shredding can also help in this area, but always be careful to think about what you’re discarding, and how it might be used to steal your identity.

3. Avoid “Shoulder Surfers:” Be wary of anyone getting too close at the ATM machine or when using phone cards. They could take your pin number and access your accounts.

4. Don’t Have Checks Delivered to Your Home: Always have checks sent directly to your bank and pick them up from there.

5. Don’t Send Checks from Home: Send them through the post office, or drop them in a US mailbox for maximum security.

6. Cancel Unused Credit Cards: Destroy and discard any credit cards you haven’t used in 6 months or more.

7. Don’t “Pass” on Passwords: Add passwords to all accounts and never use your mother’s maiden name. Make up a new word to use that doesn’t relate to you personally in any way.

8. A P.O. is the Way to Go: A post office box or locked mailbox is the most secure way to receive sensitive mail.

9. Do Business With Companies that Shred Too: Make sure all the doctors’ offices, financial institution and other vendors that you do business with also destroy your confidential information.

10. Only Carry What You Need: Don’t keep extra credit cards or social security numbers in your wallet. Memorize what you need to know and keep actual cards or documents to a minimum.

11. Don’t Give Out Personal Information Over the Phone: When someone you don’t know calls you, never give out any personal information.

12. Keep Your Social Security Number Under Wraps: Don’t include your social security number on checks or credit card receipts. It’s not necessary and it can be a very risky practice.

13. Don’t Give Up Your “Digits:” Putting your telephone number on your checks is never a good idea and can be used to gather your personal information.

14. A Picture’s Worth A Thousand Dollars, (or more): Try to order credit cards and business cards with your own picture on them for extra security.

15. Don’t Put Your Credit Card Number Online: Unless you are making transactions on a secure, encrypted site, don’t put your credit card number online.

16. Leave Your Address At Home: Any time you make a credit card purchase, do not put your address, phone number or driver’s license number on your statement.

17. Monitor Your Monthly Statements: Carefully review your monthly bank and credit card statements for any transactions you don’t recognize.

18. Review Your Credit Report: Order this information at least twice a year from the credit bureau and look for anything that seems incorrect or fraudulent.

19. Fix it Fast: Immediately correct any mistakes on your credit report via written response, with a request for return receipt.

20. Get on the Do Not Call List: Make sure your name is taken off any promotional lists and call the 3 credit reporting agency phone numbers to opt out of pre-approved credit card offers.

Lisa Smith asked:




Sooner or later everyone with an email account will receive a phishing attempt from some internet scammer. What is phishing? How can you protect yourself? These are some of the questions this identity theft article will provide, along with some free resources and practical advice on how to protect your online identity.

The Anti-Phishing Working Group estimates that 75 million to 150 million phishing emails are sent every day on the internet. Phishing (pronounced fishing), is online identity theft that uses spoof emails, fraudulent websites and crimeware to trick unsuspecting internet users into providing financial data, credit card numbers, social security numbers, account logins and passwords, etc.

A spoofed email looks like it is from a legitimate company, usually banks, credit card companies, paypal, ebay, etc. These fraudulent emails look like they are from the “real” company, and generally try to get you to log into your account through the links in the email. The spoof email may state that there is a problem with your account and if you do not log in and update your information your account may be suspended, restricted, closed, etc. Generally these emails try to convey a sense of urgency; if you don’t correct this problem your account will be suspended.

Trojans are increasingly being used as a phishing technique according to Sophos, a security firm. The Brizilian police recently arrested a phishing gang of 18 people who stole $37M from online banking accounts. This phishing gang would send out emails that included Trojans. Once a Trojan infects your computer, all internet activity can be monitored and transferred to the phisher. This is a serious threat as you probably won’t know that you are infected with a Trojan.

According to David Jevans, Chairman of APWG, “Attacks can, and are, coming in a variety of other flavors. Instant Messaging, exploited websites, P2P networks, and search engines are all being used to download and run key logging malcode and/or be directed to websites which may contain malcode or be fraudulent. Attackers are also not just interested in username and password access to bank accounts. Social security numbers, credit cards and other identity information are also being stolen.”

Protecting yourself against phishing scams.

• Do not give out personal or financial information through an email request.

• Always log on to your sensitive accounts by opening a new browser and typing the actual URL directly into the address bar. For example, if you receive a suspected phishing email from ebay, open a new browser and type http://www.ebay.com in the browser bar.

• Do not click on any link in a suspected phishing email.

• Only use a secure website to submit sensitive data. A secure sites’ address will begin with “https://” instead of “http://”

• Check the activity of your online accounts regularly.

• Make sure your browser is up to date and all security patches are installed.

• Report phishing and spoof email to: reportphishing@antiphishing.com , spam@uce.gov, and forward the email to the company that is being spoofed.

• Keep your pc protected with updated anti-virus software, anti-spyware software, and a firewall.

• You may also want to install anti-phishing software.

o Earthlink ScamBlocker is a free browser toolbar that alerts you to known phishing sites. It’s free and can be downloaded at http://www.earthlink.net/earthlinktoolbar.

o Webroot has a beta version of PhishNet which you can download at http://www.webroot.com/products/phishnet/

o PC Tools Spyware Doctor offers protection against known phishing sites, spyware and blocks popups.

With the consequences being identity theft, it is imperative that you learn to protect your pc and your identity by exercising caution and installing the proper tools. Hopefully, this identity theft article has given you the information you need to avoid being the next phishing victim. Remember, legitimate companies don’t ask for personal or financial information in an email – so don’t give it to them!

stungundotcom asked:

In 2008, the number of identity theft cases jumped 22 percent to 9.9 million, according to a study released Monday by Javelin Strategy & Research. The good news is that the cost per incident — including losses and legal fees — fell 31 percent to $496. One reason for the spike in cases is likely the worsening economy. Just last month, 598000 jobs were slashed across the country and unemployment jumped to 7.6 percent. www.idtheftsecurty.com

RdDrfjames asked:

To purchase go to www.threedegreesoffcenter.net or search on ebay! Synopses: After winning 50 million dollars in the lottery, Matt thought that he’d found the perfect woman one evening when he meet Karen…she was smart, gorgeous and wanted him for his body…only trouble was that’s all she wanted from him. Upon waking the next morning Matt discovers that his mind has somehow been transferred into Karen’s body and there person in his body is definitely NOT Karen!

CreditSecretsBible asked:

www.creditrepairpublishing.com IDENTITY THEFT PREVENTION How to prevent ID Theft with nothing but your telephone. Listen. You don’t need identity theft insurance. It’s a joke. Have you ever read the guarantees on those things? Has more holes in it than swiss cheese. All they’re doing is charging you to do what you can do yourself. We’re not talking about you doing your own root canal here. Were talking about making a some phone calls… and then setting a reminder on outlook express to make 1 phone call every 90 days. It’s a joke. You don’t need to pay $150 a year (or more) for Identity Theft Insurance. Well, maybe you do, if you want to support someone in an MLM or Network Marketing Company (maybe). Hey, I’ve bought crazy juices, vitamins even a dumb water filter just to get my friends to quit bugging me about their MLM opportunities before. I admit it! There you go. But when it comes to ID THEFT PREVENTION, that’s different. You can do it better yourself. Just watch BOTH videos parts 1 and 2. Together they are worth a couple hundred bucks. No kidding! Listen. You’re going to learn how to get your credit reports not once a year but twice a year – FOR FREE! Not only that. No one is going to be able to get approved for ANY credit ANYWHERE without the creditor first calling you at the telephone number on your credit report! How you like them apples? and… were just getting started. You’re also going to learn how to protect yourself from all the people (like in hospitals in dental offices) who have your Social Security Number (SSN) and your Date of Birth (DOB) not too mention your address and phone number and drivers licenses number…. Listen… this is worth your time. be sure to watch part 1 and part 2. The Identity you save could be your own! And while you;re at it please RATE THIS VIDEO and share it with others. They’ll appreciate it and you might even get some GOOD KARMA points to boot! Thank for your support. It is appreciated.

mypublicinfo asked:

If you are worried about identity theft, we have some unsettling news for you: your identity has already been stolen. It was stolen within minutes, without your knowledge, and is on sale now to the highest bidder. Your identity has been systematically dismantled and will be reused, again and again, by the new breed of fraudsters, hackers, and identity thieves.

Temp asked:




Medical identity theft, by definition, is what results when a thief steals someone else’s social security number or health insurance information in order to obtain medical benefits of their own, particularly in the form of hospital visits and prescription drugs. The two facets of medical identity theft involve financial breaches of security and healthcare fraud. Long-term detrimental effects can easily result from this increasingly prevalent type of identity theft.

Medical identity theft is not as easy to detect or reverse as are the more common forms of identity fraud. This type of identity theft has left victims with tainted health records, medical histories, and diagnoses. Victims may receive bills for medications, tests and even surgeries that they never received. In order to ensure your own adequate identity theft protection, always be on the look out for medical service bills, records and notations that are not and were never applicable to your own history. If at any time you receive a bill for a service you never received, or you’re asked questions regarding an unknown medical condition, you’ve probably been victimized. Some victims of medical identity theft have even received faulty blood transfusions due to their records indicating the wrong blood type. So not only can this crime ruin your credit, it can also be potentially life-threatening.

Thieves often fail to pay their shares of insurance deductibles and co-pays, leaving their victims to receive credit reports detailing unrecognizable medical debts. Having a working knowledge of identity theft prevention techniques will help you protect yourself from this damaging crime. It is estimated that 1 in 6 Americans don’t have insurance, making it very tempting for some people to engage in medical identity theft, especially when emergency situations arise. If, heaven forbid, someone uses your personal data in an emergency care facility, they are very likely to get away with it as these facilities cannot refuse care and are less likely to catch the error in the first place.

To date, there are no government statistics as to the number of medical identity fraud cases occurring annually in the United States, but insurance providers and hospitals agree that this type of theft is presenting itself more and more. Approximately 250,000 Americans have been victims of medical identity theft thus far, according to the World Privacy Forum. If you think your medical records and insurance data are safe, never underestimate a thief’s ability to get their hands on your information. Because insurance companies share patient information, just because you clear up a tarnished medical history does not mean you’re always protected should you decide to switch to another provider.

Should a medical identity thief ever use your good name to seek treatment, you could be refused insurance coverage later–depending on the treatment they sought. It’s no secret that insurance agencies can and will refuse coverage to people with histories of certain drug use or pre-existing conditions. Here are a few medical identity theft protection tips for you and your loved ones to keep in mind:

• Any notices from your insurance carrier should be opened immediately. If you’re ever informed of or billed for treatment you didn’t receive, dispute it right away. Always shred these documents before throwing them in the trash.

• Be diligent about checking your credit report–this is important for any type of identity theft prevention. Strange medical bills need to be disputed with credit reporting agencies, as well as your insurance company.

• If you receive mail from a doctor’s office or hospital where you haven’t been a patient, don’t just assume it’s junk. Open these immediately, as they could be data theft notices or bills for services to which you weren’t privy. Let credit agencies know so they can put fraud alerts on your file. Also let your insurance company know right away.

• Suspect that you’re a victim of Medicare/Medicaid fraud? Call 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477), contact the Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-368-1019 or go to their website at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/.

• Think you might have been the victim of medical identity theft? File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission ( http://www.ftc.gov/idtheft ) by visiting their website or calling their Identity Theft Hotline toll-free at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338).