Arzoola asked:

By using Private Call from Arzoola, you can paste a private link instead of your phone number anywhere on the web. By using the link you are shielding yourself from phone spammers, telemarketers and criminals from being able to gain your personal information

on_the_move4ever asked:


I am trying to protect my identity, and personal information. Recently a person online without my permission or knowledge posted quite a bit of information about me, that they apparently found online. It was very troubling that people can find information out about you so easily. I want to protect myself. Every single Government agency, every financial institution, every healthcare provider has to have your social security number now. It didn’t used to be that way. I don’t know of any way I can protect myself from identity theft – how can I? thanks

BBBRaleigh asked:

An identity thief may not need to set foot in your house to steal your personal information. BBB offers tips to help you keep your computer – and the personal information it stores – safe.

Dr. Mark Clayson asked:




Unfortunately only a small percentage of people find privacy policies (or “terms and conditions”) easy to understand. Such a situation is not uncommon especially with commercial transactions, as the legal implications of slipshod data is potentially vast. However, when dealing online with a person or company that you do not know or trust, being unaware of your rights and responsibilities could mean that your personal data has the potential to be misused or shared.

Luckily, things appear to be about to change. Companies are increasingly aware of the implications of data theft and are more clued up about consumer distrust and dissatisfaction. Just as with any other form of marketing, attracting customers is made easier by engendering trust and honesty. It seems, therefore, that companies and businesses are becoming more user-friendly when sharing privacy statements with customers.

Privacy statements and policies online are often overlooked and poorly understood. Yet, they are there for the consumer to understand what their data is being collected for and what will happen to this valuable information once it is given.

Rob Leathern, a Jupiter Research Analyst, commented that “Neither consumers nor businesses effectively address online privacy issues.” He goes on “in this increasingly complex world, even legitimate businesses will suffer when consumers’ perceptions of the control and safety of their personal information online are damaged.” In this way he is advocating and encouraging companies to bow to the wishes of consumers and make the whole interaction between them more user friendly, including security issues surrounding personal data. Businesses should clearly and explicitly share the processes and methods used for the gathering and use of personal and private data.

Jason Shafer asked:




All though there are many safeguards you can take to protect yourself from identify theft, it is not fully preventable. In today’s society with all of our personal information in the hands of strangers, it can easily be used to commit fraud.

Identity theft is a very serious problem and by monitoring your credit regularly you can catch identity theft right away. The sooner you realize someone is trying to use your personal information, the sooner it can be stopped, which reduces the amount of potential damage done.

Becoming a victim of identity theft is a huge burden. Not only does it consume a lot of personal time to rectify the matter but it can have negative effects on ones good name and credit history. As a result of having your credit and name tarnished, you can be refused loans, lose out on job opportunities, and even arrested for a crime you did not commit.

Everyone is entitled by law to a free copy of their credit report which can be obtained by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228. Your credit report contains a ton of personal information about you. It contains your past and current addresses and employers. It contains the most recent places that have pulled your credit and if anyone has applied for new credit in your name. It includes open and closed accounts with pay histories. If something on your credit report seems out of the ordinary or there is anything you are unsure of you, can address it immediately before it worsens. By catching identity theft early it can eliminate a lot of headaches.

There are also companies that will monitor your credit for you. Anytime something changes on it you are immediately sent an email. This way you will know immediately if someone is attempting to use your identity. And if someone is using your identity they will undo all the damage and prevent any further damage. To learn more visit www.solusid.com.

Chet Holcomb asked:




Credit card identity theft can be a very costly problem. In today’s world of increasing credit card usage, it is no longer a rare instance where a criminal may be able to make use of your credit card for his own gain. He does not need to have your “plastic” in order to commit such a crime. All he needs will be your number and your personal information. Such a crime has been known as identity theft.

Credit card identity theft can happen in a variety of ways. Almost everyone using a credit card can be an unwilling victim. With all business and financial transactions done through computers and online means, it has made information very valuable as well as very vulnerable to theft. Your personal information has become a very valuable asset.

Anyone who can get hole of it can use it to their advantage at your very expense. Identity theft is basically the act of using your personal information without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes. On credit card identity theft, it could mean that such criminals can use your account for their own purchases.

How can such crime happen to someone like you? If you use your credit card on your regular purchases, there are a lot of chances that criminal can get hole of your credit and personal records. If you handout your credit card to servers at restaurants, you might be making yourself vulnerable to identity theft. If you sign your credit cards, criminals may be able to make use of your signature to commit a variety of crimes under your name.

Your personal information should be on your own safeguard because a lot of crimes can be committed using your own records. It can be as easy as calling your own credit card issuer to change your billing address once they get hole of your credit card information. The impostor can then run charges on your account without you even knowing it because your bills are being sent to a different address.

With your stolen credit information in the wrong hands, impostors may also be able to open new credit card accounts in your own name. When using these credit cards and foot the bill in your name, such delinquencies will be reported on your credit report.

This will make it harder for you to upgrade or make effective use of your own credit account because of your worsening credit record without you even knowing it. It can even go as far as using your name to the police during an arrest. If they do not appear in court to answer the charges, a warrant of arrest can be issued on your name and sent to your address.

Identity theft can be a very disturbing and costly problem. It is all the more important of trying to safeguard your credit information from getting into the wrong hands. You must try not to give your personal information to anybody without checking out on them. Make sure that you trust your personal records only to people and institutions that you can trust. Take the necessary precautions on making sure that you still have control of your credit accounts.

Always be aware of your credit reports and see to it that you are aware of anything out of the ordinary that may come up on your credit records such as purchases that you haven’t made yourself. Try to report any discrepancies immediately to the authorities. You can even have your account temporarily blocked in order to prevent further losses.

Do not forget to report it to the fraud agencies in your area so that everything can be done to apprehend and arrest the offenders as early as possible. Remember, the way you give out your personal information can have its corresponding consequences. Always be careful and be on the alert before you ever regret what you might have done.

Dorina asked:


My question continue here…..
List several scams to steal your personal information. How could this same practice apply to a credit or debit card?
Please can u help me, because it is for my school!

Chris Robertson asked:




We’ve all been warned about identity theft, which is what happens when criminals get hold of your personal information and use it to pretend that they’re you. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in 2005 (the latest year for which statistics are available), over 8 million American adults realized that they were victims of identity theft.

The costs are stunning. Aside from the loss of revenue experienced by businesses, the victims also suffer financial loss. According to the FTC report, “Ten percent of all victims reported out-of-pocket expenses of $1,200 or more. For the New Accounts & Other Frauds category, the top 10 percent of the victims incurred expenses of at least $3,000, and the top 5 percent incurred expenses of at least $5,000.” In addition, the survey found that the top 5 percent of victims spend at least 130 hours trying to get their identities back. If over 8 million adults were affected in a single year, the cumulative total of identity theft victims is staggering.

The FTC survey, however, was limited in scope to those who reported misuse of an existing credit card, misuse of a non-credit card account (like a checking account), or misuse of personal information to open a new account or another type of fraud. In other words, these statistics are only the tip of the iceberg.

Many Types of Identity Theft

Although we hear a lot about the crime, most people don’t realize that there are several different kinds of identity theft. They include:

1. Character identity theft. Often the hardest type of ID theft to recover from, character theft occurs when someone impersonates you and then violates the law. You’ll probably never see this when you check your credit reports, but if someone commits a crime in your name, you may be unable to find work when a potential employer checks criminal databases – or you may wind up in jail.

2. Theft of your Social Security number. When someone steals your Social Security number, it’s as though they have taken over part of your life. They could, for example, use it to get a job. If that happens, you may lose unemployment benefits (because the state thinks that you’re working), or be charged with tax fraud (for not paying taxes on all of “your” income).

3. Medical identity theft. With the ever-increasing cost of health care in the United States, medical identity theft is becoming commonplace. When someone else uses your name to obtain health benefits or prescriptions, you can lose your health coverage because of the false information in your medical record. This can haunt you for years, since medical databases are notoriously slow to update.

4. Driver’s license theft. Similar to character theft, driver’s license theft occurs when someone steals your driver’s license number and then racks up driving offenses. When a bench warrant is issued, you could be picked up and thrown into jail. In the meantime, your insurance rates could skyrocket, or your license could be suspended.

5. Credit identity theft. This is the type of ID theft that most people hear about. In credit fraud, the thief uses your information to obtain credit cards, services, housing, and other products, and then doesn’t pay the bills. Your credit – and your life – is ruined.

There are several other types of fraud that are becoming more prevalent. These include business theft, child theft, college theft, and eBay theft.

What can you do to protect yourself? The first step is to be proactive and learn more about the various forms of identity theft. There are informative online sources that will provide you with all of the information you need – whether online or through a free e-book. The next step is to take advantage of services that help provide you with identity theft protection that will not only help prevent fraud, but that will work to recover your identity should you become a victim. It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.