Articles and Tips on Protecting Your Identity
We recently had the chance to chat with Cortney Read, Communications Coordinator for Lifelock. Lifelock is the leading company offering identity theft protection. With identity theft and security breaches so prevalent in the news today, it is more important than ever to protect yourself. We asked Cortney how they protect their customer's data and what distinguishes them from the competition.
Q: LifeLock has quickly risen to the top spot in the identity theft protection field. What distinguishes your product from that of competing companies?
A: LifeLock takes a proactive approach to help protect consumers before they become victims ...
In the US alone, there are almost 15,000 criminal organizations that are trying to scam the elderly. Each year that passes, these thieves and con artists will net more than $40 billion dollars from their victims, and that amount continues to rise. Everyone is susceptible to a scam of some kind, but seven out of ten of these criminal acts will be geared toward senior citizens.
Most men will die long before their wives, and these older women will sometimes have to take care of their finances alone. If the husband dealt with the financial work by himself, these women ...
Scams and fraud crimes are most dangerous when they are highly complex and there is little information available to successfully warn and educate potential victims and the public at large. A fairly new and little known scam involves two common crimes, mortgage fraud and identity theft, and it goes by the names of "home stealing" or "house stealing".
This crime is so new that the average home owner may be unaware that they are the targets of a new scam. Warnings need to go out at a faster rate, because according to the FBI, new or not, home stealing crimes ...
In the United States, everyone has the right to contact the major credit agencies like Equifax, and ask them to put up a fraud alert. This alert means that you will have to be contacted whenever an application of credit is attempting to be put in your name. You can ask for a fraud alert but none of the companies have to comply.
A credit freeze, which was first allowed back in January 2003 to victims of identity theft, allows you to have much more control over your credit and its history. Once you place a credit freeze on ...
Cleaning Up After the Crime
Once someone has found that they are a victim of identity theft, they may try to begin the long process of paper work and phone calls that is necessary to clear their good name. When they begin, hope is still present as they assume that everything will be cleared and automated. It will only take a few short days or weeks for the victim to learn that the burden of proof is on them.
When they contact a government agency to report the crime or to get help, they will be referred to another agency. While ...
Stealing the Identities of Children
To an identity thief, there is nothing better than the profile of a child. They have a clean history that is free of debt, fraud and criminal activities. Even better, nobody will think to check their credit history - after all, they shouldn't have one! All the thieves will need is the social security number of a child and they can give themselves a new life. To them, it is like they can start over with a crystal clear government record.
Besides the fact that an identity thief can make good use of an identity that ...
Protecting your identity and credit is absolutely critical, as nearly 25,000 people daily become victims of identity theft. People are losing their personal and financial information at alarming rates all over the country. According to Garter Research, the number of identity theft victims in 2006 has increased by 50% since the FTC reported 9.9 million in 2003.
In addition, the financial damages done to an ID theft victim are enormous. On average, thieves commit $5,700 in fraud per identity theft victim, and victims spend about 40 hours to clear their name, both through phone calls, filling out ...
Guaranteed loan and credit scams typically take your money in the promise of a loan, credit card or another type of credit. Their emails and advertisements guarantee that a loan to you will be awarded, and credit history is not a hurdle.
The scam begins when the loan starts, you have to pay a fee. It’s a fairly substantial fee, but if you are short of cash and someone offers you a chance to get back on top, who wouldn’t take it up?
With these scammers, you won’t see a loan or credit card after you’ve forwarded the upfront fee. They ...
Dating fraud is a crime that has many names. One of the most popular names for it is the “sweetheart scam”. The crime is so named because the criminal, male or female, will begin a relationship with the victim for the sole purpose of getting as much money from them as they can before they are discovered.
Before the internet, scammers would meet the potential “suckers” at a party - maybe they passed each other on the street or they were introduced by a third party. All of this is still possible in recent times because there will always be ...
Social Networking and Identity Theft
There are a lot of things to beware of when interacting with the online world. It is impossible to be sure that the person you are talking to is actually the person that they claim to be. A teenager could think that they are having a nice chat with another teen on the other side of the world, but it could just as easily be a criminal waiting to take advantage of them.
Social networking sites such as MySpace, Friendster, Yuwie, and Facebook are great places to meet old and new friends, exchange information, and plan events ...
Slick and cunning are just a few of the words police have used to describe Esther Reed. The woman was a high school dropout who was able to con her way into some of the top colleges in the United States, including Columbia, California State University at Fullerton and Harvard. Esther stole the identities of different women and was able to become them in a short amount of time.
Devastated by the divorce of her parents and the death of her mother in 1998, Esther, who had been an above average student and attended her school’s debate team, dropped out and ...
Work at home scams are everywhere, unfortunately. For a person wanting to take a step up in earnings, or someone out of work and looking for a job, these vague descriptions of potential ways to make large sums of money are usually nothing more than a scam.
You can find advertisements making ridiculous claims in the newspaper, online, on supermarket bulletin boards, in pamphlets showing up in your mailbox, even listings on eBay. They brandish statements like “Work part time in your own home and make $500 to $5000 in your first month” or “Single Mom at home makes $4000 a ...
Protecting yourself from the damages of identity theft involves reviewing your credit file to ensure that the information is correct. You can order one free credit report each year, but it is recommended that you review your credit report at least twice a year. Your credit file is a key part in determining your credit worthiness, and the adversities an identity thief can wreak on your credit score can be devastating. It is critical that you ensure the accuracy of all of the information on the credit report, and if the information is not correct, file ...
Identity theft is everywhere these days and in many guises - stealing your credit card number to make fraudulent purchases, posing as you to open bank accounts and buying homes in your name, and using your SSN number to gain employment and benefits. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), 8.3 million Americans reported being a victim in 2005.
The history of ID theft
Identity theft began as a “white collar crime,” where scammers would simply assume the identity of an unsuspecting victim. They would become the stolen identity, opening new bank accounts, credits cards, and perhaps even ...
"Congratulations! You’ve won a free, 4-day vacation for two in the beautiful, sun-drenched Bahamas!"
When you get a flyer, email, or unexpected phone call promising a complimentary vacation, it’s likely a vacation scam. A current variation of the scam is an automated phone call explaining that you or somebody entered your name in a draw, and that you won. Of course, it's always from a perky-sounding female voice! Don't fall for any of it.
Do not, under any circumstances, give the company your credit card number or any other details. Many scammers simply collect your personal information and sell it ...
The damages done with medical identity theft are usually irrevocable, permanently damaging the accuracy of your records. The changes in your medical file range from minuscule details to alterations that could pose a very high medical risk. Cleaning up your medical files of the erroneous information is very important, as they can reflect permanent, long-term diseases that are not really yours.
The underpinnings of medical identity theft
Medical identity theft is the least studied form of all ID theft crimes. It occurs if someone uses the name or insurance of another person, along with other ...
Have you used your credit card to make your purchase, and the store clerk asks you for your identification? Sadly, not many of them ask for ID, but they should in order to compare signatures that are on the back of the card. The store clerk's oversight is an added bonus for credit card thieves, and it makes it relatively easy for them to make purchases with your identity! They can make purchases at stores, by mail, and very easily over the Internet. They often do not even need to have a physical card, as ...
They say that billions of dollars in private scholarship money goes unused every year. 'They,' as in the slick salesman phoning you or a glossy ad announcing that a bunch of cash is waiting for you! In reality, nearly all aid comes from the government or individual colleges. The "billions" in unused dollars is a figure used since the 1970's, and is based on an unsubstantiated study about employer programs offering potential tuition to eligible employees. Sure it's unused, but it's certainly not available to the public.
Many private scholarships are for specific applicants, such as members of a church ...
Identity theft is a crime that occurs when someone gains access to your personal information and uses your name for financial fraud. These thieves exploit your identity to make purchases using credit cards and bank accounts in your name, rent apartments and even obtain medical services. Previously, it was generally believed that identity thieves were individuals close to the victim. However, in a recent study, surprising information was revealed about the identities of ID thieves.
Are identity thieves lurking around your street corner?
Recent studies of case files from the Secret Service have revealed who these ...
Charitable organizations deserve our support and play a vital role in our communities. However, not all organizations are honorable and there are a lot of scams out there. Unfortunately, it is sometimes not easy to distinguish between the legitimate fund raisers and the crooks.
Con artists play on our sympathy and generosity. Their scams take money away from those who need help the most. They also generate negativity in the public about legitimate charities. This is perhaps the greatest crime, as many kind-hearted givers then think twice about making donations where it is needed.
In recent times, fraudulent charities have been ...
One of the most prolific and dangerous of internet scams has been the Nigerian scam, also called the 419 scam. Advance fee fraud has been around for a long time, usuallly via mail letters and fax to businesses, but this scam has hit unprecedented targets thanks to the popularity of the internet and availability of spamming software.
While the fraudsters involved in this scam were originally isolated to Nigeria, they now populate areas all around the world. The scam preys on those victims who believe they will gain an unbelievable amount of money for doing nearly nothing.
To make ...
Law enforcement is faced with significant demands with the growing cases of identity theft, but their resources are limited in fighting ID theft. Enforcement agencies all across our country have been forming task forces and identity theft laws to address the severe problem. The FBI currently has 21 separate task forces dedicated to more than 80 different types of financial crimes and identity theft. The FBI also dedicates a significant amount of analytical resources in combating ID theft, referring these investigation cases to law enforcement, proactively targeting ID thieves in organized groups.
Identity fraud and identity theft ...
Identity theft is the largest growing crime in the nation. Anyone can become a victim - all a criminal needs is your name, address, and other seemingly insignificant personal information. Many people believe that most identity theft occurs via the internet. This is a fallacy - most identity crimes happen offline. However, this does not decrease the need for cautiousness online. It is certainly more "convenient" for criminals to steal your information online - they run less risk of being caught as they would breaking into your house, and can do it from thousands of miles away. ...
What could be worse? You apply for a new car loan and strangely you are declined. What is going on? You have always paid your bills on time, paid off all your previous vehicles, and never missed a mortgage payment. Yet somehow your credit does not warrant a car loan. Upon further investigation, you find that your credit report shows six different credit cards and charge accounts, all in default for non-payment. How can this be?
You are the victim of identity theft. Someone had gained access to your personal identification information and used this to acquire credit cards ...
Your credit history sticks to you either like a dazzling diamond or a long shadow. Every loan and credit card you have, and how you pay it off (or don't), is all part of this history. This information is compiled into a credit report, which is a window of your financial health. Banks, insurance companies, landlords and perhaps even a potential employer will request this copy and pass judgment based on it. Your credit rating is a make or break to purchasing that automobile, house or gaining your dream job.
But what if you have no credit history to ...
There are three major credit bureaus in North America: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. When a creditor requests your credit report, he has one of three choices to request it from. If you have single bureau monitoring, and the creditor requests your information from another bureau, you will not be notified. With 3-in-1 monitoring, you will be notified, because your monitoring service is keeping track of your credit from all three bureaus.
Single Bureau Monitoring
Each credit bureau has their own monitoring service, and they will notify you if somebody requests your credit file from the bureau you are with. Because ...
Your credit report is like your identity in the world of finance. It is like the gate pass that one has to show at the entrance of the money market. If you fail to show your pass, your access will be denied.
A good credit report helps you obtain more credit as well, so goes the saying, "wealth attracts wealth". A person with a healthy credit history might not be synonymous with a person of plenty of wealth. As mentioned earlier, a credit report is the permit to receive credit; it is the token that shows how reliable ...
With the first spam message being delivered into an unwary victim’s email account, identity theft has jumped online. Viruses and Trojans used to be the best way to capture your information, but with widespread anti-virus software and fewer security holes in computers, the most common way to steal your information now is through a technique called phishing.
Phishing for your information
Phishing is by far the most prevalent form of computer identity theft. Basically, a thief casts the bait - usually an email, but also voicemail, instant messaging and fax - and waits for a bite. In this case, the bite ...
