Wolf Tracking

a1stores asked:

This years ID Fraud Prevention campaign focuses on corporate identity theft within the business community. Recent figures from ‘CIFAS’ the uk’s Fraud Prevention Service, showed a 40% increase in the number of ID Fraud victims in the first quarter of 2009. Despite continued warnings businesses still do not understand the dangers of identity theft and how best they can protect themselves against identity fraud. The primary line of defence is to ensure that all sensitive material is destroyed, using either a strip cut or a crosscut shredder. If you don’t have an efficient shredder check out the latest Fellowes range at www.fellowes.a1stores.co.uk. More information on Identity fraud can be found at www.stop-idfraud.co.uk

Allison Tomek asked:




As consumers begin to increase their spending as the holiday season gets into full force, a new research report released by Javelin Strategy and Research has found that all major bank debit cards are adequately equipped to protect them from identity theft and fraud related crimes.

According to the research group’s 2009 Banking Identity Safety Scorecard – which scores how well financial institutions prevent, detect and resolve identity fraud situations – all major banks made “dramatic strides” in improving their overall prevention of identity fraud.

However, the report also concluded that most banks had shown little improve their techniques in which they detected fraudulent activity.

Among the 25 large U.S. institutions that took part in the survey, Bank of America was the best at handling identity theft cases. It was followed by Regions Bank and Wells Fargo.

Mary Monahan, managing partner and research director for Javelin, detailed that the 2009 report had found that 100% of the leading banks surveyed had implemented extended zero-liability fraud guarantees for debit card purchases that either require a PIN input or do not need the card to be present in order to make the sale.

“In a recession facing more identity fraud and an entire reshuffling of top banking providers, substantial improvements occurred in how banks work with customers to prevent identity crimes” added James Van Dyke, Javelin’s president and founder. “Consumers don’t just want to be protected by others; they want involvement in protecting their money and identity. Inventive criminals continually update their methods, and banks must do the same.”

Many identity theft experts are warning consumers to be wary when making purchases this holiday season, particularly on high-traffic shopping days such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Verizon Communications recently warned of an emerging trend being used by identity thieves for online thefts called “sidejacking” in which they break into wireless internet connection in public hotspots to steal confidential information off of connected computers.

PublicResourceOrg asked:

United States Postal Inspection Service deliveringjustice Identity Crisis: Protect Your Identity A High Noon Bullet Identity fraud is the fastest-growing crime in America. With millions of victims and losses in the billions of dollars, it continues to be one of consumers’ biggest fears. This free DVD tells the story of a couple whose credit is ruined and of the criminals who defrauded them. The DVD by High Noon Film, presented by the US Postal Inspection Service, also provides tips on how to protect yourself against identity fraud — and what to do if you become a victim. Identity Theft. Has someone taking over your good name? Protect your identity with these easy steps: * Deposit outgoing mail at the Post Office, or give it directly to your letter carrier. * Shred or tear up unwanted documents that contain personal information before discarding them. * Review your consumer credit reports annually. * Never give personal information over the phone or the Internet unless you initiated the contact. ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen To Your Good Name

Abhishek Agarwal asked:




Imagine this scene: You’re opening your bills, only to find one of your credit card account balances with an over-due five-digit charge. You know you didn’t make that purchase, so you refuse to pay for it. A few months later, you decide to buy a new car, so you submit a loan application to the car dealer. You get a phone call that afternoon with the bad news, “I’m sorry, Ms. Jones, but we are not able to extend credit to you at this time.” When you ask why, they tell you that your credit report indicated you’re in debt way over your ability to pay. Bummer! You’ve become a victim of identity theft.

Now imagine this: You finally order that credit report, like you’ve been meaning to do for years. When you get it, you learn that you own a house you don’t know about and you have credit card balances at three different stores you’ve never even heard of. Someone has stolen your identity to make their life richer! How did the identity theft happen? And what can you do about it?

There are many ways an identity thief can get your personal information to build a mountain of debt that creditors expect you to pay. Maybe they got hold of your name, address, and social security number by going through your garbage one night. Or perhaps you gave them the information when “their representative” contacted you to verify some details on your account. Or maybe they’re a computer hacker that figured out how to get your credit card numbers when you made a purchase at the local boutique. They may even have gotten your information by pretending to be you (or someone in your family) when they contacted your bank or service company. The worst-case scenario is when someone uses your social security number and then goes out and commits criminal acts. Ever seen the inside of a police station or jail? You could! There are a multitude of ways to become a victim of identity theft!

Identity theft and fraudulent use of personal financial records is a growing problem all over the world. In 2004, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission conducted a study that indicated over 9 million people are victims of identity theft every year. A 2003 study conducted in the United Kingdom suggested that 20% of all consumers had been subject to identity theft. Clearly, in the English-speaking world, identity theft is an ever-greater threat to your personal and financial well-being.

How Can I Prevent Having my Identity Stolen?

Here are some tips on things you can do (or not do) to guard your personal financial information, prevent identity theft, and protect your good credit rating.

- Always take your receipts with you after you’ve made a purchase. Leaving the receipt at the ATM or gas station is an open invitation for identity thieves.

- Maintain good files and records of your financial transactions. Know what you’ve purchased, when, and from whom. Store your old account statements in a safe place. And be sure to shred any papers with personal information before you throw it away.

- The FBI recently reported that a third of identity theft victims admitted the thief was a co-worker or friend. Be careful not to leave personal information out in the open on your desk or in your home office. And don’t ask anyone else to hold your personal papers for you. In this case, most of the identity theft suspects were well aware of their victim’s habits and lifestyle.

- Carefully guard your User IDs and passwords for online accounts. When you create them, don’t go for the easy-to-remember. People who know you may be able to guess simple, straightforward user IDs and passwords. And don’t write your passwords down or keep them where someone can get to them. If you store them electronically, make sure the files are protected.

- Get and keep regular copies of your credit reports and account statements. Use one or all of the three major agencies (Experian, TransUnion, or Equifax) to get your credit report. Don’t depend on less reputable reporting agencies.

- Opt out of mailing lists whenever you can, and ask telemarketers to “take your name off their list.” By law, they can’t call you again for a year. If you have any doubts, check with your bank and credit accounts to find out what they do with your personal information and what you need to do to better protect it.

- Don’t have printed or write your social security number on your checks. Might as well send it up a flag. Some states still use social security numbers for drivers licenses, but they are changing. Check with your DMV to see if you can have your drivers license changed to remove your social security number.

- Don’t keep a written list of your bank or other account numbers where they might be seen by someone else. Keep lists of this type of information under lock and key.

- Do not respond to and delete any e-mails that ask for an account number or other personal information. Stop internet and snail-mail credit card offers. Install firewall and anti-spyware on your computer for additional protection. If your computer has the feature, register your fingerprint as an additional safety feature.

- Purchase new checks from the bank, not a discount service. And rather than having your full name printed on the checks, use your initial.

- Do not carry PINs in your wallet or purse, and never give them out over the phone.

What If I’m Already a Victim?

If you think someone else is using your identity or personal financial information inappropriately, contact the nearest office of the U.S. Department of Justice. Contact your creditors to alert them to the fraud. Also inform your bank of the activity and secure their agreement to help protect your information. You may want to revisit the names of people authorized to access your personal financial information and limit it to essential parties only. Find out as much as you can about the accounts, purchases, and applications the identity thief has made using your name. Then contact those companies directly and immediately to make sure they close the accounts and notify law enforcement when they become aware of any additional transactions.

Immediately notify the credit reporting agency and creditors if you see suspicious activity or if you find errors like a closed account that shows as open or a paid-off balance that appears to be outstanding. You may have to provide documentation to support corrections, and you may have to make the same contact several times to assure the correction is made. But be persistent. Your credit report is a direct reflection of your financial dealings. Creditors and credit report agencies are obligated to report correct information.

Sean Bennett asked:




What Should I Do To Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Identity Theft?

To reduce or minimize the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft or fraud, there are some basic steps you can take. For starters, just remember the word “SCAM“:

 

“S”  Be STINGY about giving out your personal information to others unless you have a reason to trust them, regardless of where you are:

 

Start by adopting a “need to know” approach to your personal data. Your credit card company may need to know your mother’s maiden name, so that it can verify your identity when you call to inquire about your account. A person who calls you and says he’s from your bank, however, doesn’t need to know that information if it’s already on file with your bank; the only purpose of such a call is to acquire that information for that person’s personal benefit.

 

If you’re travelling, have your mail held at your local post office, or ask someone you know well and trust ­ another family member, a friend, or a neighbour ­ to collect and hold your mail while you’re away.

 

If you have to telephone someone while you’re travelling, and need to pass on personal financial information to the person you’re calling, don’t do it at an open telephone booth where passers-by can listen in on what you’re saying; use a telephone booth where you can close the door, or wait until you’re at a less public location to call.

 

“C” CHECK your financial information regularly:

If you have bank or credit card accounts, you should be receiving monthly statements that list transactions for the most recent month or reporting period.

 

If you’re not receiving monthly statements for the accounts you know you have, call the financial institution or credit card company immediately and ask about it.

 

If you’re told that your statements are being mailed to another address that you haven’t authorized, tell the financial institution or credit card representative immediately that you did not authorize the change of address and that someone may be improperly using your accounts. In that situation, you should also ask for copies of all statements and debit or charge transactions that have occurred since the last statement you received. Obtaining those copies will help you to work with the financial institution or credit card Company in determining whether some or all of those debit or charge transactions were fraudulent.

 

If someone has gotten your financial data and made unauthorized debits or charges against your financial accounts, checking your monthly statements carefully may be the quickest way for you to find out. Too many of us give those statements, or the enclosed checks or credit transactions, only a quick glance, and don’t review them closely to make sure there are no unauthorized withdrawals or charges.

 

If someone has managed to get access to your mail or other personal data, and opened any credit cards in your name or taken any funds from your bank account, contact your financial institution or credit card company immediately to report those transactions and to request further action.

 

“A”  ASK periodically for a copy of your credit report.

Your credit report should list all bank and financial accounts under your name, and will provide other indications of whether someone has wrongfully opened or used any accounts in your name.

 

“M”  MAINTAIN careful records of your banking and financial accounts.

Even though financial institutions are required to maintain copies of your checks, debit transactions, and similar transactions for five years, you should retain your monthly statements and checks for at least one year, if not more. If you need to dispute a particular check or transaction ­ especially if they purport to bear your signatures ­ your original records will be more immediately accessible and useful to the institutions that you have contacted.

 

Even if you take all of these steps, however, it’s still possible that you can become a victim of identity theft. Records containing your personal data — credit-card receipts or car-rental agreements, for example — may be found by or shared with someone who decides to use your data for fraudulent purposes.

 

 

 

What Should I Do If I’ve Become A Victim Of Identity Theft?

If you think you’ve become a victim of identity theft or fraud, act immediately to minimize the damage to your personal funds and financial accounts, as well as your reputation.

 

Contact all creditors with whom your name or identifying data have been fraudulently used. For example, you may need to contact your long-distance telephone company if your long-distance calling card has been stolen or you find fraudulent charges on your bill.

 

Contact all financial institutions where you have accounts that an identity thief has taken over or that have been created in your name but without your knowledge. You may need to cancel those accounts, place stop-payment orders on any outstanding checks that may not have cleared, and change your Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card, account, and Personal Identification Number (PIN).

 

Where Can I Find Out More About Identity Theft And Fraud?

A number of government and private organizations have information about various aspects of identity theft and fraud: how it can occur, what you can do about it, and how to guard your privacy. To help you learn more about the problem and its solutions, we’ve attached a list of Web sites that you might find interesting and informative on identity theft and related topics.

Charles F Lamm asked:




After Hurricane Wilma struck Ft. Lauderdale in 2005, the entire county went offline. No power, no computer. No computer, no Internet. You couldn’t buy gas because the electric pumps were out. You could only buy what groceries were still on the shelf if you had cash. Credit and debit cards were rendered useless.Things always go wrong at the worst possible time.

At the worst possible moment, hackers struck my PayPal account, overdrew my connected bank account and credit card, and left me penniless when I was most vulnerable.

As more and more crooks and cons become Internet savvy, identity theft is now the fastest growing crime in the U.S.

Identity theft falls into 4 categories:

-financial (stealing goods and services)

-criminal (fake identity when arrested)

-cloning (pretending to be someone else)

-business (using another’s business to obtain credit)

We mostly think of identity theft when a stranger uses our credit to obtain goods and services, but the others can be even more devastating. Try applying for a job after someone gave your identity when they were convicted and jailed for a felony.

Identity Theft Prevention:

1.don’t be free and easy with your Social Security number

2.don’t print your SSN on checks

3.don’t carry blank checks or credit cards you don’t need – you may not miss them when they have been stolen

4.be especially careful about giving your SSN over the phone or online

5.don’t throw away official government letters or credit card statements without shredding

6.secure your mail with a locking mailbox if necessary

7.sign new credit cards as soon as you receive them

8.do not leave credit card receipts behind at restaurants, gas stations, or stores

9.choose tough-to-figure-out logins, passwords, and PIN numbers

10.use different passwords for different accounts

11.change your PIN numbers and passwords every 90 days

12. do not carry your PIN numbers in your wallet or purse

13. change the passwords often for services like PayPal which are linked to your bank account and credit cards

14. put your phone numbers on the national Do-Not-Call Registry (1-888-382-1222 )

15. don’t give your phone number to those who don’t need it (stores – pay attention)

16. do a Google search for your own name and SSN to see what you can find out about yourself

17. choose online vendors carefully – Google before purchasing with a credit card – look for a secure site button

18. keep an eye out for shoulder surfers in public transactions

19. be wary of skimmers wherever your credit card is out of your sight (restaurants)

20. be careful with file sharing software – it can give hackers access to your computer

21. limit the amount of personal info you divulge on social networking sites

22. keep a close eye on laptops and thumb drives that contain personal information

23. review your monthly bank and credit card statements carefully, or check more often online

24. review your credit report at least once a year for suspicious activity or inquiries

25. keep a master record in a safe place with account numbers and phone numbers should your credit cards be stolen

Identity Theft Recovery:

If your personal data has been subject to identify theft, act immediately.

1.if your cards or ID were physically stolen, file a police report

2.call the big 3 credit bureaus, place a fraud alert on your credit cards, and obtain a free credit report

3.close any bank accounts and credit cards you believe have been used by identity thieves

4.dispute any charges or checks or withdrawals you have not authorized

5.contact DMV for a new drivers’ license and number if yours has been compromised

6.ask for a letter from each account resolving the dispute and verifying that the identity theft accounts have been closed

After the Hurricane Wilma hack, it took weeks to get PayPal to reverse all the charges and chase down the fraud. The paperwork at the bank seemed endless. Citibank canceled the old credit card and sent the new one out in record time.

U.S. Government statistics estimate it takes about 600 hours and $1,200 to counter identity theft and restore your good name and credit.

Prevention beats cure every time.

AllstateNJ asked:

Easy-to-folow tips on how to safeguard your smartphone from identity thieves.

boneywhalum asked:

PLEASE POST YOUR COMMENTS AND RATE THE VIDEOS

J Finnis asked:




Horror stories abound of people having their identities stolen and suddenly find themselves with huge debts they knew nothing about.

It is true that ever more complex financial systems, and in particular the proliferation of online transactions, increase the potential for identity fraud. But by taking a few simple common-sense precautions you can minimize the chances of becoming a victim.

Identity fraudsters are clever folk who need only the smallest chunk of info to begin their evil schemes. Avoid giving them the chance by carefully disposing of ALL documents containing your personal details by shredding or burning them.
Be alert to phishing, this is where fraudsters set up a Website that mimics those of banks and other financial institutions. They then send out mass e-mails claiming to come from those institutions asking recipients to log-in to the site to confirm/update some information, ‘kindly’ providing a link to the (fake) homepage. They then harvest the login details of those foolish enough to comply.
If you do financial business online, don’t respond to such e-mails. Always enter the institution’s Web page by entering its url directly, or from your bookmarks or a search engine – NEVER from a link in an e-mail. Before logging-in, verify you’re on the right site by glancing at your browser’s url bar.
Online shopping online can be fast and convenient, but it can also be a minefield for unwary. Anyone, anywhere, can set up a Website to accept payments. And once they have your money they can be near-impossible to trace. It’s safest to do business with established, well-known companies such as Amazon. If you choose to buy from a smaller, lesser-known company reassurance can be gained if it uses a 3rd-party payment processor such as PayPal.
NEVER enter personal details such as credit card details onto a Website unless it is using a secure server (indicated by its url starting https:// rather than http:// and also by a padlock symbol in the bottom right corner in Internet Explorer)
We seem to live in the age of bombardment by unsolicited sales pitches. Mostly these are harmless, if very annoying, but occasionally can be a front by fraudsters after your personal info. To be on the safe side, simply refuse to converse with unsolicited callers, even if they claim to be from your bank, insurer etc. And NEVER EVER give any personal info by telephone if you didn’t initiate the call.
Most financial institutions now guarantee to make good any customer’s funds lost though Internet fraud. Does yours? It’s worth checking the policy of each company you do business with, and if you’re with one without a guarantee consider whether you might be safer elsewhere.
It may be one of the most tedious jobs in the world, but regular and thorough checking of bank and other statements can provide an early warning unauthorized activity being conducted in your name allowing you to resolve the matter before it gets much worse. Discipline is the key. If you are reasonably organized in keeping receipts, check stubs etc it shouldn’t take more than an hour a month.

Blu Devil asked:


A couple of years ago while attempting to find a job through my state’s (North Carolina) employment security commission, I was told that I was employed at a company that I had never heard of. Recently I discovered the same thing again. Somehow it seems as if someone has been using my social security number to collect wages at this company. However, when I called the social security administration I was told that there was no way that someone else could be using my social. What i dont understand is how, when my social is entered into the employment security commission database, this particular company comes up along with other jobs that I have actually worked. Does this classify as identity theft? If so, what do I do? I think someone has been using my social to collect wages.