Identity Theft Prevention Articles
When you fill up at the gas pump, you may unknowingly be leaving something behind: your identity. ID theft at the gas pump is the preferred method of the latest generation of ID defrauders. But there are ways to outsmart them. Let’s take a closer look at this growing problem and what you can do to minimize the risks.
A Full Tank…and an Empty Bank Account?
ATM card users have long been advised to shield the key pad any time they input a PIN number to obtain services. Though this method is an important one and can deflect a thief standing just ...
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As happens each year, this Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11, 2008) the United States honors those who have proudly served their country. But there is an insidious faction that looks at the military in an entirely different way: as potential targets for fraud, scams and identity theft.
Find out why the military is the latest target for identity related crimes, and what's being done about this growing problem.
Targeting the Military
With most professional and medical records now kept on computers and with the preponderance of file-swapping for legitimate purposes, ID fraud is easier than ever for criminals. Networked files in particular are at ...
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In the wake of consumer education on internet-propelled ID fraud, Americans are changing certain online behaviors, according to a survey conducted by the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA).
Although 73% of the survey’s respondents said they use the internet for various transactions that include banking and stock trading, almost 60% said their behaviors online have changed due to fear of ID theft. (See this link for more information, including the surveyors' methodology.)
A few of the findings of the study included:
22% of those surveyed reported their identity had been used for such criminal purposes as credit card theft or unauthorized ...
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There is information in your wallet, your computer, countless databases and files across the country and possibly the globe. You do the best you can to safeguard yourself against attack by identity thieves and credit fraud, but sometimes they get sneaky.
There is one little thing you may carrying around with you that has an immense amount of personal information on it - your cell phone. Not only do they often have your own phone number, but names, phone numbers and addresses of friends and colleagues, internet access to your personal accounts, banking and financial information and other personal keys to ...
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More and more thieves are grabbing personal information from popular internet networking sites. Could you be next? We explore an identity thief’s methods and what you can do to keep from becoming a victim.
The New Face of Networking
Today’s new face in networking is a host of sites, such as facebook.com, meetups.com and myspace, which allow individuals to keep in touch. What makes these networking spaces so popular is the immediate accessibility of associates to one another’s vital information. Unfortunately, that’s what makes them popular among identity thieves, too.
Up Close and Too Personal
Networking site users drop an amazing amount of personal ...
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Your social security number is important, but in the wrong hands it can ruin your credit--and your identity.
You’ve had your social security number from birth (or since becoming a citizen of the United States). It has allowed you to obtain a driver’s license, open a bank account and obtain credit cards.
Unfortunately, it can allow an identity thief to do the same things…using your name and other personal information, all easily obtainable with those nine little numbers.
Social security theft is considered one of the most lucrative businesses by today’s savvy ID criminals. Your social security number is a gateway to your ...
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You’ve heard this phish story before: a friend or associate received an e-mail from a reputable bank or credit card company. Warned that her credit status was in danger, she was directed to a link where she was able to supply her information in order to “verify” her credit status. Two weeks later, her bank account was empty and her credit score had plummeted.
It had all seemed so legitimate, right down to the design of the web page and logo of the faux “company”. And your friend is only one of millions who get taken in by phishing each year.
Now ...
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Last year, 8.4 million people across the U.S. were victims of identity theft. Amounting to more than $49 billion in lost funds, identity theft in 2007 was a lucrative business for criminals in the know.
But the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) says it doesn’t have to be that way. The organization is spearheading National Protect Your Identity Week Oct. 19-25 in order to educate citizens on how to protect their accounts, their funds and their identity.
Sponsored by such well-known organizations as the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), National Protect Your Identity Week will include tips, ...
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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 ...
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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. ...
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