Wolf Tracking » Thieves

Identity Theft Prevention | What Do Thieves Steal?

Wolf — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:58:01 +0000

scamalertusa.blogspot.com Explains what information thieves are after when they steal your identity. ==================================== As a general rule – ANYTHING involving Western Union/money gram = Scam. All spam emails are scams. my Advice: Don’t deal with anyone from a foreign country or Accept or cash checks from strangers and never use wire/bank transfer services.. you risk losing your $$ and your mind. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! NEVER give out your personal information to strangers online! Always be on guard.
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Technorati Tags: Identity, Prevention, Steal, Theft, Thieves

It’s a steal: What car thieves love and

Wolf — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 05:23:02 +0000

Condoms

must be oft stolen

It’s a steal: What car thieves love and
If you own a Mini Cooper, Toyota Prius or Nissan Murano, breathe easy. A new car-theft insurance survey has found owners of these vehicles are among the least likely to lose a bundle if they’re targeted by car thieves.
Read more on Orlando Sentinel

The Identity Theft Prevention Guide — How to Protect Your ID and Preserve Your Credit

Inside The Identity Theft Prevention Guide you will learn:

–How Serious Is Identity Theft?
Find out just how much damage an identity thief can cause. Knowing what they do can help you stay alert.

–Are You at Risk?
Are you making these 14 common mistakes that make it easy for a thief to get your information?

–How Can You Tell if YOUR Identity’s Been Stolen?
The 5 RED FLAGS that alert you to a possible identity theft.

–What To Do if You’re a Victim of

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Technorati Tags: , it's, Love, Steal, Thieves

Identity Thieves Steal Your Mail Before They Steal Your Identity

Wolf — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 21:37:01 +0000

Identity Thieves Steal Your Mail Before They Steal Your Identity

One of the most common ways an identity thief steals your identity is by first stealing your mail. That is why everyone should have a mail box that locks. Most new homes are now built with mail boxes that lock and if you have one of the old kind that you just pull open, you should upgrade to a locking model. If an ID thief is successful in stealing your mail, you may never even know what he has stolen. Until it is too late, that is.

Do you get those pre-approved credit card applications in the mail at least once a week? Those are exactly what an ID thief is after. Identity thieves will take your credit card application and change the address to their address or PO box and then send it in. They are hoping to get a brand new credit card sent to them in your name, without you even knowing it.

That is the reason why those pre-approved credit card application everyone gets in the mail are so bad and should be banned. They have personal information already on them and you don’t even have to fill them out! It is terribly annoying to get them so often and I have to make sure I shred them and not just throw them away.

You should pay particular attention to all junk mail that has any of your personal information on it. You need to make it as hard as possible for identity theft to happen by making sure you shred that kind of mail. An ID thief is always on the lookout for something that he can use to pretend to be you and send in. Department store credit applications are a similar type of mail that you need to make sure you shred.

It is a much different world we live in today than just 10 years ago. We all now seem to have multiple accounts online and so many passwords a normal person has to write them all down just to keep track. We have multiple credit cards as well and many have more than one bank account. We pay our bills online and it can all be overwhelming.

It is for this reason that it is more important than ever to keep track of all your accounts and passwords and protect them from prying eyes and thieves. The “prfession” of being an identity thief is now more prevalent than ever because there are so many new ways an ID thief can get access to your information. The only way to fight back is to be aware of everything you do and make sure you try your best to keep your private information hidden.

Idenity theft is a very scary problem that we all must avoid. Please visit my site to find out all you need to know to fight back against the ID thieves.

Technorati Tags: Before, Identity, Mail, Steal, they, Thieves

ID Thieves Want Your Pre Approved Credit Card Applications

Wolf — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:49:04 +0000

ID Thieves Want Your Pre Approved Credit Card Applications

If you are anything like me, you get at least one pre approved credit card application in the mail every week. It seems like there is no end to the onslaught of mail from these banks and credit card companies. How they get our information and why so many of them have it is another story but it is downright scary.

It is annoying to get these applicatons so often but what is worse is that they are great for ID theives if they can get their hands on them. I make sure I shred all of the pre approved bank and credit card applications I get and not just throw them away so that I don’t become another victim of idenity theft. It is a pain to go to this trouble but in the long run it is worth it.

These applications are perfect for identity thieves and are exactly what they are looking for when they steal your mail or go through your garbage. Identity thieves will take your credit card application and change the address to their address or PO box and then send it in. They are hoping to get a brand new credit card sent to them without you even knowing it.

That is why it is so important for you to shred all your finacial statements and junk mail. Shred them so that they can’t be put back together. It really should be against the law for these companies to be sending out pre filled applications that anyone can get a hold of. An ID thief is always on the lookout for something like this that he can use to pretend to be you and send in. Department store credit applications are a similar type of mail that you need to make sure you shred.

If an identity theif steals your mail, you never even know what he has stolen. He could have gotten a bunch of worthless advertisements and a personal letter or two or he might have gotten a handful of these pre filled applications. That is why these credit card applications are so bad and should be banned.

If your mail is stolen and the ID thief pretends to be you and sends in your application, you will not even know about it until it is too late. There is no defense against something that you don’t even know is happening or has happened. So beware and shred all junk mail that has any of your personal information on it. You need to make it as hard as possible for idenity theft to happen.

Are you worried about what an ID thief can do to you? Please visit my site Idenity Theft to learn more about how to prevent identity theft before it happens.

Technorati Tags: Applications, Approved, Card, Credit, Thieves, want

do identity thieves stop as soon as they know you protection such as…?

Wolf — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:20:01 +0000

Question by Me: do identity thieves stop as soon as they know you protection such as…?
fraud alert and credit protection? or do they keep try

Best answer:

Answer by Dave S
no

Give your answer to this question below!

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Protects your computer by automatically detecting and removing spyware, viruses, Trojan horses, and Internet worms
Exchange files via email and instant messaging without worrying about receiving threats on your computer or spreading them to others
Advanced phishing protection identifies and blocks fraudulent Web sites designed to steal personal information
Stays out of your way. Runs quietly in the background without requiring you to respond to confusing security alerts
Stay hidden when connected with a smart firewall that automatically configures protection settings

Stay protected from the latest online threats. Norton Internet Security¿ 2008 Premier Edition runs quietly in the background to detect and block today¿s complex threats. Norton Internet Security components¿including antispyware, antivirus, firewall, and intrusion prevention¿work together to help protect your computer against harm. And antiphishing and Web authentication components help ensure your identity is protected when you buy, bank, or browse online. Enhance your computer¿s perfo

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Technorati Tags: as..., Identity, know, Protection, soon, stop, such, they, Thieves

Identity thieves target Puerto Rico residents

Wolf — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 22:48:01 +0000

self-portrait with identity

Yesterday, I was treated to a very spicy run-in with identity fraud. This, actually, has happened before. Apparently, I am the goddamn place to be.

Today I ran an errand to one of those glossy Manhattan office buildings with security desks that require you to stare at a dome camera while they print an in-house photo ID.

Ha.

Identity thieves target Puerto Rico residents
Scheme aims to hide illegal immigrants in the U.S. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Born in a U.S. territory where he has lived all his life, Jose Marrero Rivera didn’t know his name and social security number were racking up thousands of dollars in unpaid charges in Chicago and Miami.
Read more on The Durango Herald

Technorati Tags: Identity, Puerto, residents, Rico, Target, Thieves

Identity Thieves: Protect Your Self!

Wolf — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:41:01 +0000

by quapan

Identity Thieves: Protect Your Self!

Identity theft or identity fraud has become a rampant growing crime throughout the world. It is perpetrated to acquire the most vital information of about a victims personal financial matters for financial gain and/or to hide the real identity of the perpetrator.

Identity thieves make use of your name, address, account info, Social Security Number and date of birth so they can portray to be you. By doing so, they are able to do a number of frauds all in your name!

However, there are certain ways by which you can make it difficult for identity thieves to get your personal information thus saving you from identity theft or identity fraud.

* Never give your personal information over the phone or via mail unless you are the initiator or are sure about the business or person you are dealing with. Generally, identity thieves pose as banks or internet service providers to obtain your Social Security Number, your name (or mothers maiden name), bank account information and similar identifiable information. So, make sure that you are assured about the legitimacy of the person or organization before you deal.

* Never carry your Social Security Number along with you anywhere; instead, keep it in a safe place.

* It is important that you keep your personal information safe if you live with roommates, have employed domestic help or a service is being done in your home.

* Make use of post office boxes or a local post office to deposit outgoing mail instead of putting them into your unsecured mailbox. Also do not forget to remove mail from your mailbox regularly. In case, you are away from your home for some time, it is suggested that you contact the Postal Service and request a vacation hold.

* Tear or destroy all your charge receipts, credit card applications, insurance forms, bank and credit card statements.

* Never carry any more debit or credit cards than you actually need.

* Apply passwords on your credit card and bank accounts. Do not to use easily available information such as the maiden name of your mother, date of birth or other contact numbers.

* Inquire about the security process set up at your workplace or at other businesses, your physicians offices or other institutions that ask for identifying information about you. Ensure that it is handled safely and also ask about the disposal methods used by them for those records.

* Keep watch over your bill cycles. Contact the creditors in case you do not receive these bills on time, as a missing bill can also be a means for a thief to steal your identity.

* Do not respond to promotional offers, as Identity thieves can make some phony offers to get your personal information.

* Close all the credit accounts that are not in use.

To summarize, these are some of the methods which can make it hard for perpetrators to steal your personal information and can protect you from identity theft or identity fraud.

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Technorati Tags: Identity, protect, Self, Thieves

Online Identity Theft – Our Online Identity and Other Underlying Issues

Wolf — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 11:44:05 +0000

Tina L Douglas asked:

Online identity theft cannot be predicted. One cannot say that they are safe from it because they only transact over secure servers and their passwords are very hard to guess. Some even claim that since they shop in one of the biggest online establishments, they are less likely to become victims of identity theft. Are all these statements true? Save for the first one, the rest are all false.

Online identity theft can occur everywhere online. Identity thieves are also computer hackers who are able to get into secure servers and tap links to redirect customers to fake websites where they will be asked to enter their personal information. These computer hackers even direct their criminal activities to huge online establishments as they are more profitable and can yield better financial gain. These are actually facts that are clearly underestimated and misunderstood by a lot of people that is why one needs to take stringent precautions to guard themselves and their identities against identity theft.

Everyone should be aware of online identity theft since more and more people are becoming computer savvy. With this fact also comes the reality that people are exposing their identities everyday to identity thieves whenever they go online and they do not take the necessary preventive steps.

Internet Identity theft targets our digital identities which are always in danger of phishing, pharming and theft from spam and spyware. Let us discuss these, one by one.

1. Phishing. As the name suggests, phishing is simply luring the individual to provide you with his or her personal details. You “fish” out this information through the use of phishing emails. This email typically poses as a legitimate digital document from one of the companies that people have known to trust like financial agencies or businesses. The email typically contains information that requires us to update our account information or verify our account to prevent it from being closed or cancelled. This email will require its reader to click on a link which then redirects the page to a fake website where the user will enter his or her personal information like full name, address, birthday, credit card or bank account number, passwords, etc.

2. Pharming. This is something that is different from phishing. In pharming, the hackers focus their attention on cracking the internet service provider’s DNS server and taps in the domain name of a commercial site. This then redirects everyone who tries to get into the legitimate website into a bogus site where users will enter their personal details like usernames and passwords but they will not be allowed to get inside the site. The personal information typed therein are then used in the legitimate site and utilized to create huge purchases, drain out bank accounts, open new accounts and commit other identity theft crimes.

3. Theft from Spam and Spyware. Spam emails can be found everywhere online and in them, some spywares are embedded. These spywares are programs that gather information like usernames and passwords which are saved in a log file and sent as soon as the users go online. Spywares serve as key loggers which are often malicious and diabolical in nature.

Technorati Tags: Financial Gain, Fish, Spyware, Thieves, Victims Of Identity Theft

Credit Monitoring Does Not Protect Your Identity

Wolf — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 06:29:48 +0000

Lawrence R. Katona asked:

We’ve all clicked on the banners, heard the radio ads and seen the commercials for companies that say by “monitoring” your credit, they’ll protect your identity. Don’t buy it. Not for one second.

9/10 of these companies do nothing that you can’t do yourself for free. They also do nothing to stop identity theft’s new face. See, 80 percent of identity fraud today is synthetic ID fraud or “ID cloning”. The ID thieves take only your SSN and through a variety of clever methods, create a brand new person. Here’s the problem: Since the only identifier that matches you is the SSN, this type of fraud usually won’t show up on your credit report.

And if the fraud is not financial? It won’t show up at all…nice, huh?

As a matter of fact, LifeLock, Inc. has agreed to pay $11 million to the Federal Trade Commission and $1 million to a group of 35 state attorneys general for claiming its service would protect consumers against all forms of identity theft, when, in fact, LifeLock offered only limited protection against only some forms of id theft. Almost every “Identity Theft” company out there offered the same services, just under different guises. Lifelock also settled with credit giant Experian and can no longer offer to place fraud alerts for consumers.

Most of these companies offer 20,000 to ONE MILLION DOLLARS insurance for customers who become victims of identity theft, but aside from the fact that this is nothing but marketing at its best (or worst) and that these reimbursements are also covered in the majority of Homeowner’s insurance policies, it is also very unlikely a victim would ever even need it! A victim’s financial losses are typically covered by the bank, merchant, or credit card company that gave credit to the wrong person, as Federal law states that you are not responsible for debts incurred through fraud.

As far as the guarantees go, once you peruse the fine print, you’ll see that there are enough exceptions and disclaimers and to keep a team of lawyers busy for weeks. These so-called “guarantees” guarantee YOU nothing. But the biggest flaw is that, according to the latest FTC stats, only around 20% of identity crimes reported in 2008 were related to credit report relevant matters!

“They” won’t tell you that credit card fraud is only a small percentage of identity theft, the easiest to resolve and the least of your worries.

“They” won’t tell you that they can’t protect you against 80% or more of today’s Identity Theft.

There are, literally, hundreds of ways your identity can be utilized that will never turn up on your credit: immigration fraud, tax fraud, employment fraud, false driver’s licenses, medical fraud, utilities fraud…how is monitoring your credit going to find these?

Truth? It won’t.

Credit monitoring will not find, stop, or fix any of the above crimes. It’s hard enough for them to just find financial fraud: Experian actually admitted to the New York Times that their credit-monitoring products could not detect fraud cases in which a credit applicant used his/her own name, address and phone number with someone else’s (i.e. YOU) Social Security number. To re-iterate, this “ID Cloning” is upwards of 80% of Identity Fraud!

The unfortunate truth is that you cannot protect your identity alone. Your information is sitting in thousands of databases across the US- Driver’s License, Motor Vehicle, Social Security, Criminal, Civil, Legal Medical, Marketing, Licensing, Financial, Consumer- and your information is only as secure as the database it’s in. There is no way that you and I as individuals can keep up with this information, much less check it for accuracy or fraud.

Data breaches increased 47% between 2007 and 2008, reaching 656 breaches in 2008 alone. MILLIONS of identities have been compromised in these breaches! It seems like every week there’s a new story about a security breach and given consumer access to competent identity theft detection, that means you could already be a victim of Identity Theft and just don’t know it…yet.

Thankfully, there are now a few companies out there that monitor your full identity by monitoring more than just your credit. When it comes to finding a good company to protect your identity from theft and fraud, look for companies that will:

1. Find it.
2. Stop it.
3. Fix it.

Please do not fall for gimmicks, guarantees and a product that leaves you vulnerable to the largest and most dangerous percentage of Identity Theft. Don’t be taken in by slick marketing tactics and “fine print” exceptions and “guarantees” that protect them, not you.

Credit monitoring is a scam. Don’t fall for it!

Technorati Tags: Financial Losses, Lifelock, Matter Of Fact, State Attorneys, Thieves

Social Networking Fraud – Your Friends and Identity Theft

Wolf — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:30:25 +0000

Tina L Douglas asked:

Social networking sites are very popular, not only among the youth or teens, but among people spanning all ages. We can attribute this popularity to the many features of these social networking sites that allows its users to connect with friends with every activity that they do with their page. For instance, playing games are much more fun when you do it with friends like playing online poker with your friends or raising crops together.

As a matter of fact, one of the best things about these social networking sites is that you actually know who you are dealing with or who you are talking to. Before an individual is “connected” to your name or allowed as your contact, you would have to first verify their request for “friendship.” This security measure allows each user to screen the person who can view their profile and gain access to other pertinent information. However, these social networking sites have also been a favorite playground for phishers or identity theft criminals.

Some hackers and identity thieves have used social networking sites to gain access to other people’s sensitive information. People often post their pictures on these social networking sites, as well as their birthday, full name, address, the school that they are currently attending, even their company affiliation. This information, when they fell in the wrong hands, can cause serious damages to another individual and repairing them would require a lot of hardwork and effort.

Scammers typically add you up as a friend. They try to converse with you and convince you that you either went to the same college, you were together at the dorm, or you played basketball together as kids. They will also be posting their personal photographs that will enthrall you further into accepting them as a friend. Identity thieves use different schemes nowadays to fish your valuable information.

Oftentimes, when people are away on a vacation, they update their social networking status via mobile phones. This gives identity thieves a signal that there is a big possibility that no one is at home during these times and identity theft criminals can then, go inside the victim’s house rummage it for any other personal data and rob it afterwards.

The social networking site will not be held liable for any losses that you incur while using their site. They may have the technological skills and knowledge, but as long no one is reporting these crimes, then that would mean that joining social networking sites would always make you prone to identity theft.

You should therefore take the necessary precautions when you join social networking sites. While they can be extremely fun, they can be very dangerous and risky. You can start by installing anti-virus and anti-spyware programs in your computer that will significantly block malicious software that will potentially harm your computer and the files on it.

Identity theft is a very serious crime. You have to be prepared for it.

Technorati Tags: Hackers, Hardwork, Identity Theft, Online Poker, Thieves