Tina L Douglas asked:




We have a saying that prevention is better than cure. Applying this to the crime identity theft, a crime where a person steals another person’s identity for illegal purposes, we should first know the three essential things in order to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft.

Do not give personal information to others whom you do not know and you do not trust.
There are several fake agencies and companies that one day will call you on your house to offer incredible and engaging stuffs. Afterwards, the agent will ask you to give personal information including your credit card and bank numbers. Will you give it? Better not.

Research and confirm first the company’s credibility and of course do not forget to check if there’s really an agent named the-one-who-called-me. Taking a long process before giving your personal data will definitely save you from advantage takers who love to steal identities. You’re identity is worth securing but if you are not there to secure some parts of your identity, better ask someone you trust to look for it. If ever you will be out of the country, ask someone you knew well to take care of your mails which contain important information.

Regularly, check your financial information. Since it is yours, you should know the things that should be and should not be there.

Receiving or not receiving the statements that you should or should not receive must be reported immediately for proper actions. Asking your financial institutions will clarify your queries which could lessen the possibility of being a victim of identity theft.

Just like what we have mentioned above, asking your financial institutions will really be helpful.
The first thing that you should ask is the copy of your credit report. Your credit report should include all of your bank and financial accounts. This will help you to monitor whether your account is opened and used by others.

But what if you were not able to prevent from being a victim of identity theft?

Once you realized that your identity was stolen from you, report it immediately to the agencies or companies which cover the part of your stolen identity. In that way, the damage can still be minimized. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is one of those agencies or commissions where you can go. Based from the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, it is the responsibility of the FTC to listen and process the complaints from the victims of identity theft. But of course, you should present documents that will support your complaints in order to verify it.

The following agencies can also help you to fix the damage that has been done to you by the stealer.

a) Postal Inspection Service- if you suspected that your mail was used to steal your identity or the identity thief has changed your address to the post office, better go to this agency

b) Social Security Administration- visit this agency if you think that somebody changed your Social Security number

c) Internal Revenue Service- this agency will help you to resolve your problems with tax violations which you think you did not violate.

Tina L Douglas asked:




Can identity theft be prevented?

You can subscribe to an identity theft protection program and take all the necessary steps to protect your identity but you cannot be 100% sure that you will never be a victim of identity theft. For one reason, your personal information is everywhere. Most government agencies keep their database online as well as private companies. If they are not careful, their system can be easily hacked, thus leaving your personal information exposed to identity thieves *** hackers. You cannot say that you will never be a victim but staying on the defensive side can significantly reduce the chances of you being the next prey.

How do identity thieves use the internet to steal the identity of their victims?

Identity theft has become flagrant with the dawn of the internet. Why so? Because people conduct a lot of their transactions online like paying their bills, checking their account balances and do their personal shopping. Before any of these transactions take place, an exchange of personal information is necessitated by one party including your address, full name, social security number, credit card number and birthdays. All these, when intercepted by hackers and identity thieves can seriously damage one’s identity, especially if transactions are not done through secure servers.

How do you identify phishing scams?

Phishing scams are typically in the form of emails from various financial institutions that are well-known and therefore trusted. There are two purposes of the email: (1) the email informs you that their company is undergoing systems maintenance or upgrade and they need to verify your personal account information; and (2) the email will inform you that you just won the lottery but before they can process the check, they need your personal information. There are also others that require you to click on a link on the email and once you do, your browser will be automatically redirected to a website that is just as legitimate looking as the original. However, these websites are fake and would only ask for your personal information again.

How can identity theft affect my kids?

Kids are now fast becoming victims of identity theft. This is because it is harder to detect the crimes committed when the identity that is stolen is just a kid. The kid will not be checking on his or her credit report because they cannot use their social security number yet. They cannot drive because they are not of legal age. They cannot file for tax refunds because they’re not working so surely, their identity is the easiest to steal. There are very minimal chances of being caught and the student or kid will only be informed of the crime when they are old enough to file for a student loan. At that time, every inch of damage would have been done.

See? Identity theft is as real as it seems. It’s not a legend or an urban legend. It is something that should be aware of.

Enid Edginton asked:




You should report identity theft the minute that you discover it. This is because you typically only have about sixty days to dispute any charges on your card or in your account before you are liable for the stolen amounts.

Thankfully there are more resources than ever before to help victims. It is still a hassle to deal with the credit bureaus, creditors and collection agencies to deal with correcting the errors on your report but it is a lot better than it was in the past.

If you do find yourself to be the victim of identity theft then your first step should be to visit the website of the Federal Trade Commission at [http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft]. You can also call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) to get free information in the form of brochures about how to deal immediately with your identity theft.

Two other great resources for individuals who have experienced identity theft are the Identity Theft Resource center (www.idtheftcenter.or or 1-858-693-7935) and the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (www.privacyrights.org).

When it comes to dealing with the financial institutions they come in two flavors – either they are kind and responsive to victims or they will treat you like a criminal until you can prove that it was someone else who rang up the charges on your account.

If you are a victim of identity theft here is what you immediately need to do to prevent the situation from getting out of your control (according to the FTC.

Keep notes of every conversation you have with the police, the credit card companies, merchants and anyone else. Remember to include dates, times and first and last names in these recorded so you can refer to them if you need to in later correspondence or a future legal procedure. Back up all telephone conversations these in writing with letters sent certified mail (return receipt requested.) The same goes for all formal letters, such as letters of dispute and Fraud Affidavits.

Add a fraud alert to your credit file and make sure the alert is on for seven years rather than for a shorter period. All three bureaus have joined together to create a fraud alert system. If you call one credit bureau then the others will be notified of the fraud.

The numbers to call to report your fraud are

Equifax — 1-800-525-6285

Experian – 1-888-397-3742

TransUnion – 1-800-680-7289

The credit bureaus are also required to send you a free credit report after you have reported a fraud alert. Also they are required to supply you with the contact information of any creditors that you don’t recognize on your credit report.

You might also have the option of putting a “freeze” on your credit reports. This prevents anyone from accessing your credit reports for any reason. This is a good idea if the fraudulent transactions have somehow caused negative comments on your reports that have yet to be removed.

Someone is using one of your existing credit or bank accounts to run up charges the bank or lender typically closes the account and issues a new one along with some kind of form or affidavit to report the fraud. If new accounts have been opened the financial institution also asks you to fill out a fraud affidavit. Many accept the uniform fraud affidavit that is widely available on the FTC website at [http://www.ftc.org].

Contact the police or local sheriff. It is a federal crime to assume someone else’s identity in both Canada and the United States. Supply as much documentation of the fraud that you can to support your claims. The idea is to get the law enforcement agency to list the affected accounts on the report as a police report can help enormously in getting problems resolved with merchants who may still try to make you liable for the fraudulent amounts.

Finally contact the bank and checking verification companies. If the crooks set up phony bank accounts in your name or stole check you need to close those accounts and stop payment on any outstanding checks. Then open new checking and savings accounts so you can start fresh.

conetrix1977 asked:

On November 9, 2007 the OCC, Board, FDIC, OTS, NCUA and FTC (the Agencies) jointly issued the final rules and guidelines implementing section 114 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACT Act) and final rules implementing section 315 of the FACT Act. The rules implementing section 114 require financial institutions or creditors to develop and implement a written Identity Theft Prevention Program (the Program) to detect, prevent and mitigate identity theft in connection with covered accounts. conetrix is offering an online tool which follows the Red Flag rules and guidelines and creates an Identity Theft Prevention Program for you. Simply log-in, complete a series of questions and download your customized Program document in Microsoft Word format.

Toddy Martin asked:




You look inside your purse and you suddenly realize that your wallet is gone. With the wallet were your credit cards and other identification cards inside. Are you ready and secured in instances like this? Are you sure that you just left the wallet at home or if someone stole it from you? This may sound scary, but you should act on it at once or make yourself open to identity theft. Here is a fact: a thief only needs a credit card number and the expiration date as well as the code at the back of a card to be able to use your name. You will never know how and how much these con artists will pilfer at your expense. Report this loss immediately to the financial institutions with which you have existing accounts and alert them. Do this and spare yourself from serious financial losses later on.

You can actually shield credit cards from potential identity theft by practicing proper handling of your cards. You might want to consider having a photocopy of all your cards, front and back, for your records. Moreover, limit the number of your active cards and bring only a couple of cards which you will likely use when out of the house.

Identity fraud incidents are most likely to happen online or via the internet. Here are some steps to secure your card information:

o Be aware that crooks are capable of sending “phishing” emails. These are bogus emails that seemingly look legit. Do not enter information into any suspicious links. When in doubt go directly to your bank or credit card company website and check whether they sent out a notification email asking to change anything about your account.
o Make sure that the website you are about to log into is secured. A secured page is one that uses an address that has “https:” instead of the usual “http:”
o It is advisable to avoid online stores that keep a record of your card information. Stores that do this are an eye-candy for fraudsters. They might hack into the store’s system and pass on all pertinent information to a third party.
o It is always best to access accounts from a private computer at home. Although it is relatively safe to do this, always make sure that you clear the cookies, cache and history of your browser for added security.

Keeping these things in mind will probably make you a smarter credit card holder and avoid identity theft in the future.

Gary Gresham asked:




Believe it or not identity theft has moved to the dead. It is compounding more and more family’s grief because con artists are digging up identities of the deceased.

The identity of someone who has died is becoming an irresistible target to thieves and the death helps buy them time before they are likely to get caught.

The scam artists search the obituaries where they find valuable information that gives them a jump start at identity theft. Lengthy obituary and death notices gives crooks more valuable information that they use to do more damage.

Identity theft crimes involving the deceased are a dark, shady side of the booming identity theft crime. Although the deceased don’t have to be concerned with keeping their credit rating good, the emotional burden of the crimes cause undue stress on the family.

The spouse of a deceased person can especially have serious problems if the accounts affected are joint accounts.

Sometimes these scammers are not just out to take the money and run. They want someone else’s identity for the long term to escape immigration or legal problems. They assume the identity of a deceased person and could live for years under that name before anyone finds out.

Here are a few things that you can do to help minimize the possibility of identity theft of a deceased family member.

Tone down the news obituary in the paper by not giving too much information.

Notify all 3 credit reporting agencies of the deceased and have them put a “deceased” flag alert on the account.

Equifax 888-766-0008

Trans Union 800-680-7289

Experian 888-397-3742

Contact the Social Security Administration direct and let them know about the death and have them flag the person’s social security number as “inactive”.

If you discover signs of identity theft or any type of fraud from a deceased relative, notify the police immediately and file a report. This police report will be helpful in dealing with financial institutions and clearing up things later.

Then call any one of the major credit reporting agencies and they can give you more guidance about where to go from there.

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is an emotional experience laden with stress and grief. Taking a few precautions from the beginning of their death will hopefully lead to preventing identity theft of your loved one and keeping their identity their own.

Copyright

Technorati Tags: Emotional Burden, Financial Institutions, Social Security Number, Trans Union, Undue Stress

]]> http://www.wolftracking.com/idenity-theft/identity-theft-even-after-you-die/feed 0 http://www.wolftracking.com/identity-fraud/identity-verification-software-helps-fight-fraud-exposure http://www.wolftracking.com/identity-fraud/identity-verification-software-helps-fight-fraud-exposure#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:49:09 +0000 Wolf http://www.wolftracking.com/identity-fraud/identity-verification-software-helps-fight-fraud-exposure

Michelle Thiel asked:




One of the best ways to fight fraud is to take a proactive approach. Yet some business professionals believe that fraud detection software is the only type of software tool available (or necessary) to fight fraud. Certainly, detection through monitoring can play an important role in your anti-fraud program, but it puts you in a reactive mode. Instead, you should take efforts to better know the people and companies with whom you choose to do business. In other words, do what you can to help prevent fraud from occurring in the first place. Better anti-fraud programs will combine ongoing due diligence with monitoring, and the place to start is with identity verification tools.

There are a variety of reasons that you should know your customers. First, it is just a good business practice. You can help prevent being associated with deceptive individuals, and that can save you money. Such a relationship can lead to direct losses from the particular business deal, but it can also tarnish your company’s name, sending your good customers scurrying to the competition. Second, knowing your customers allows you to focus on those products or services that best meet your customers’ needs. By doing those activities well, you can build (or enhance) a competitive advantage. In addition, some companies face regulatory requirements to identify their customers. For example, certain financial institutions are subject to regulations calling for Customer Identification Programs (CIP), and certain financial institutions are subject to the new Identity Theft “Red Flags” Rules. Many banks collect documents such as a birth certificate, passport, driver’s license, or some other government-issued ID to help establish a customer’s identity. The risk is that personnel may not be able to spot counterfeit documents or fraudulently obtained physical documents. Ensuring your employees are well trained is critical, but what happens when an unfamiliar identification document is presented to your employee? Clearly, the risk of fraud is higher, and some fraud begins with an employee unknowingly accepting counterfeit documentation.

One of the most popular ways to augment identity verification processes is to compare data provided by the potential customer against public records to see if there are any discrepancies. This “non-documentary method” could be very time consuming if not for software solutions that can help you streamline the process. In fact, using identity verification software, this task can frequently be completed within seconds.

Identity Verification Software
Identity verification software is designed to help you quickly and effectively verify the identity of your prospective retail and commercial account holders. This is your proactive step to preventing fraud: recognize the deceptive individuals before the fraud occurs! ID verification software can also help you investigate possible fraud scenarios by helping you confirm whether your customer is the true owner of a Social Security number (SSN) and by detecting potential synthetic IDs. In addition to the potential for identity verification solutions to confirm a true identity, it also may be configurable to perform a custom hotlist check for individuals that might seek to disguise their identity by using an alias or different address.

Being proactive and performing appropriate due diligence can help reduce your risk of being a victim of those that look to perpetrate identity fraud.

Faithe Thomas asked:




A credit report is information about each person that is used by financial institutions to determine whether or not to give you credit. It contains vital personal information about a person as well as employment information and credit use information. It is given to anyone who asks for it when they have your permission, primarily banks and other lending institutions who are considering giving you a loan or a mortgage.

It is vitally important that you check your credit record at least once a year from each of the three credit reporting agencies. Each agency may have different information about you and your credit history, so it’s important to check all three. They all offer one free report a year and this is an important step to maintaining good credit and for avoiding identity fraud.

In your report you will find information about your life – as a person, such as your mailing address, Social Security Number, phone number, birth date, etc. You will also find information on your employment history and your borrowing/credit history. Of course, the most important part of the credit report is the information about your history with credit and how you use it. Identity fraud can seriously tarnish your credit report in a hurry, most fraudulent people who’ve stolen an identity don’t bother to pay the creditors back. Your report will show you a history of your credit applications and histories, having too many applications is a negative on your credit report as is having too many unpaid, late or delinquent payments on your bills.

The three major credit reporting agencies are Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Lenders obtain your credit report from one of these agencies, all of which have similar, albeit not exactly the same, information about you and your credit history.

It’s important to monitor your credit report and your monthly bills and watch for ‘red flags’ that may symbolize that you have become a victim of identity theft. Some of the red flags to watch out for on your credit report are:

Several loan applications made in quick succession at a variety of agencies. (Especially if you have no recollection of doing so.) Many hits on your credit report for loan and credit applications over a long period of time. Some identity thieves are very tricky and go slowly with credit applications so as to not raise any alarm bells. Any application made out of state.

It is important that you thoroughly read your report and make note of anything on there that you do not recall. You can always request a change to your credit report and if you suspect that you are the victim of identity theft, head to the police station immediately with your credit reports in hand.

It is a sad and unfortunate truth that anyone, even you, can fall victim to identity fraud. For the thieves, we usually make it quite easy – throwing away bills with information on it about us in our trash, throwing away application forms for credit and not being vigilant with our online financial dealings.

It is important that you protect yourself from becoming a victim of identity fraud – monitor your credit report and immediately report any suspicious activity on your report to the credit reporting agencies and your local police.

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.

Luis Marques asked:


IDENTITY THEFT PROTECTION

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Identity theft has been defined as ‘the process of using someone else’s personal information for ones own personal gain’. Researchers have been studying identity theft closely since 2004 and release a yearly ‘findings’ report. Their 2009 study reveals that:

· Identity theft is on the rise, affecting almost 10 million victims in 2008 (a 22% increase from 2007)

· Victims are spending less money out of pocket to correct the damage from ID theft. The mean cost per victim is $500, and most victims pay nothing due to zero-liability fraud protection programs offered by their financial institutions.

· 71% of fraud happens within a week of stealing a victim’s personal data.

· Low-tech methods for stealing personal information are still the most popular for identity thieves. Stolen wallets and physical documents accounted for 43% of all identity theft, while online methods accounted for only 11%.

Anyone can become a victim of Identity Theft. It can take just seconds to occur and could take months or years to correct. So, what does all this data translate to for you and me? It means that we need to invest in an Identity Theft Protection program. Pre-Paid Legal’s Identity Theft ShieldSM is an affordable solution. Your Identity Theft Protection membership will first provide an up-to-date Experian credit report. This report will be reviewed and analyzed to see if any suspicious has already occurred. From that point on your credit is monitored. You will be alerted if new activity is added to your credit report. If the activity is not initiated by you, it can point to identity theft.

Your coverage begins as soon as your application is completed. The application process takes just a few minutes to complete, and the Identity Theft Protection program really doesn’t cost that much. Especially considering what you are protecting. Everyone needs protection from identity theft. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you live or what your profession is, everyone is at risk for identity theft. Even your minor children are at risk for this devastating and financially debilitation crime. So PrePaid Legal.com even has program for minor children called SAFEGUARD For Minors.

To take your first step in protecting your future credit and to start the identity theft protection, visit the website www.prepaidlegal.com/info/luismarques. Then click on the Identity Theft Shield link. There you will find all the information you will need to determine which program is best suited for your Identity Theft Protection needs.

For more information on Identity Theft Protection, please visit www.prepaidlegal.com/info/luismarques