It’s not a secret that identity theft is one of the leading crimes in Americas today, but very few know how to protect themselves against this horrible crime. Do to this massive criminal act, identity theft services are starting to form new empires to protect your identity. Services like LifeLock, Trusted ID and ID Watchdog just to name a few are businesses that help your identity stay secure.

Most people don’t know that you can simply do what these services do for you on your own, but this is where time management comes in. If you don’t feel like checking your credit reports every 3 months and staying on the phone to see if your credit has been tampered with, then a good identity theft service is for you. But if you want to save a few extra dollars a month then by all means do this yourself.

During these times in the US, the falling dollar and inflations in oil and food prices has more Americans making better financial choices to stay a float. Getting an identity theft service might be out of your reach at the time, but when the time is right you will need to choose the best service to keep your identity safe.

Don’t forget about your children as well. As long as they have a social security number, they can also become a victim of identity theft. Sometimes family members use each others social security number buy things and it ends up hurting the persons credit that they used. This is still a form of identity theft and services on the market today can keep up with your credit and your family members so things like this won’t hit home.

Getting an identity theft service may require a little research on your part. You definitely don’t won’t to join a small identity theft service that promises everything except keeping you safe from identity thieves. Take your time and research the reviews on the companies mentioned and see if any of them might fit your needs.

A good identity theft service is very important these days if you haven’t noticed the news. It may save you and your kids financial future and it give you one less thing to worry about and stay stressed over. There are many to pick from that are highly recommended by most consumers looking for this type of service. Just see what most of them offer and join.

A good identity theft prevention service is nice to have if you don’t feel like monitoring your credit reports, it is definitely a solution when trying automate this process.



By: Ty Wagner

About the Author:

If you are like many men and women, you have an understandable concern in regard to identity theft. Statistics prove that you are likely to become the victim of identity theft at least one time during your lifetime. In fact, when you really consider how common identity theft actually is, odds are that you will become a victim of identity theft once every ten years. Understanding how common identity theft is, you must realize how it can impact your life and your finances, including your credit score.

If you discover that you have become the victim of identity theft, one of the first things that you will want to do is to make contact with each of the three major credit reporting agencies. These agencies make it fairly easy for you to report the fact that you have become the victim of identity theft. These agencies maintain special toll free numbers and dedicated portals on the Internet and World Wide Web through which you can report that you have become the victim of identity theft.

Once placed on your account, a fraud alert will flag any activity. In other words, even if an inquiry is made to the credit reporting agency about you, you will be notified immediately. This is very helpful to you when you are fighting identity theft and working to prevent your credit score from being damaged or harmed because of identity theft.

You may be wondering whether there is a charge to have a fraud alert placed on your credit report and your associated credit score. The fact is that the credit reporting agencies do not charge you anything for placing an alert on your credit report and your credit score.

There are identity theft protection agencies in business today that can assist you in undertaking these types of steps to protect your credit report and your credit score. These services do charge a fee for their assistance.

Finally, when it comes to the issue of identity theft, a fraud alert, your credit report and your credit score, you need to keep in mind that these alerts do not stay in place forever. Therefore, you need to make sure that you remain in contact with the credit reporting agency in order to keep the fraud alert in place for as long as is necessary. It is important that you do not release the fraud alert in a premature fashion.



By: Bernard Pragides

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The number of identity theft cases has been increasing to this day. In fact, according to statistics, the Federal Trade Commission reported that for 4 continuous years, this crime has been on the top of the list of the consumer complains.

It has been assumed that this problem mounted to over 42 percent of the complaints that has lodged in the FTC Consumer Database in the year 2004 and has increased for about 40 percent in the year 2002.

According to the FTC statistics, there are approximately 10 million consumers, mostly American have discovered that their personal information have been intentionally used to open up a fraudulent bank account, utility accounts and credit card.

The worst is that their personal information have been wrongfully used to commit serious crimes with their names.In the FTC identity theft statistics, there had been more than 50 percent of the theft victims of accounts such as credit cards and other fraud accounts.

Mostly, new credit cards have been used for fraud activities. This happens when a thief opens up new accounts using other people names. This theft statistics have estimated that this have victimized over 3.23 million people in the world. this big number is continuously increasing in number.

Statistics have shown that it has cost nearly $53 billion for both existing and new accounts. This is a large number includes individual and business victims in a year. No wonder why this big number increases every year and is very hard to cease.

To be specific, this theft statistics have shown that 47.5 billion people have been victims of identity theft. The individual victims are counted to have $500 per victim in a year.

According to the news, most Americans have spent about 300 million hours in resolving the arising issue which is related to identity crime cases. It has been estimated that in every 30 to 60 hours a victim handles various matters, which are related to cases of stolen identity which includes creating an account or using existing accounts.

These problems have proven that the people who have been victimized by identity theft know the thieves who have stolen their precious and unique names and identity. To avoid this from happening, you should not share important information so that other people cannot access your accounts in any way. Make sure that the people you share important information with can be trusted.

People whom you think cannot do this crime to you are the ones who have the strong will to do it. Make sure that they will not have any idea on how to restore such important information. Someone very close to you can be a suspect. Anyone around you can be suspect and they choose no one so you need to be very careful.

Statistics have shown that it starts in the workplace. You might not know it but they could be your officemates, co-worker, employee that you are patronizing.

Most identities of employees have been stolen because of their connections to companies that are not handled carefully. Sometimes, your boss can even be the suspect. He can have access to the personal information, which he can retrieve upon application.

This crime have shown that in the year 2004, the complaints have been up for about 15 percent which was from the year 2003.

In the last five years, it has been reported by the Identity Theft Statistics that more than 25 million people have been victims of the case. It is no wonder that until now, the number of cases is still extremely high and rising. Most Americans have experienced identity theft.

Identity theft was on the top of the complaints in the year 2004 and is still getting higher. The identity theft victims naturally spend 175 hours to use for their personal time and about $800 just to clear their names and restore their credit history.

The Federal Trade Commission have estimated that a victim will spend 14-16 months of clearing their names in cases of identity theft. So it is important that you keep your accounts safe because if you are a victim, you cannot fix your credit easily and it will take too long.



By: Willie DeJarnette

About the Author:

There are so many identity theft solutions that you have to choose from, and so if you are intelligent and you are worried about identity theft – as it is one of the biggest problems in the world today – then you can really rest assured in knowing that there are many different identity theft solutions that are available for you to use.

More About Identity Theft Solutions

If you are wondering about identity theft solutions, then you are going to want to know that there are actually several identity theft solutions in particular that are incredibly important and that you are going to have to take into consideration no matter what.

The first is in regards to your mail. Far too often people receive bank statements and other bills in the mail and end up just throwing them out regularly, however you are going to want to know that this is actually a big mistake. You never want to throw out any mail that has your personal information or even your address on it without ripping or cutting it up, as someone could go through your trash and use this mail to steal your identity.

Especially if it is something such as a bank statement, on which is clearly most of your most private personal information, and even though your bank card number and password are most likely not displayed right on the mail itself, there are ways that a perpetrator could take that mail, figure it out, and end up stealing your identity.

Unfortunately, a person really does not need much in order to be able to steal someone else’s identity, and this is why it is truly so critical that you take all of the precautions into account, so that you can be as best protected and knowledgeable as possible. You also want to make sure that all of your family and friends understand this too, so that as many people as possible will be prepared against identity theft.

You can go to seminars or do your own research as well, in order to gain the most knowledge possible, and after all, the more you know the better you will be able to protect yourself against something such as identity theft, and thus the better off you are going to be overall. Have patience, and remember that anyone can be a victim of identity theft.



By: Ann Marier

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Note: You have a one in ten chance of becoming the victim of identity theft this year. With this in mind, you need to make sure that you take all reasonable steps available to you to protect yourself from becoming the victim of identity theft. With this in mind, if you have detected that you may have become the victim of identity theft, one of the initial steps that you will want to take in response is to put a fraud alert on your credit reports. You will want to contact the three major credit reporting agencies and have them flag your accounts with these fraud alerts.

 

Fraud alerts do serve a very helpful purpose when it comes to protecting you from become a victim of identity theft or becoming re-victimized by an identity theft. When you ask the credit reporting agencies to place a fraud alert on your credit reports, when an attempt is made by an identity thief to open up new credit accounts in your name, the financial institution from which the credit or loan is being sought will see the credit alert and will proceed accordingly. For example, rather than issue a new credit card to the identity thief in your name, the financial institution will put the whole process on hold until the time that it can confirm that it really is you who is seeking this extension of credit – in this case, a credit card.

 

Despite the definite importance of fraud alerts, these alerts simply are not enough to clean up after you have become the victim of identity theft or to protect you from becoming the victim of identity theft in the future. Fraud alerts are one weapon in your arsenal that can be a part of your overall effort at responding to and preventing identity theft.

 

For example, if you have been the victim of identity theft, in addition to seeking and obtaining fraud alerts you absolutely must also file an appropriate police report. Moreover, you must notify each and every financial or similar type of institution or business through which you have an account. You need to make these types of individual notifications in the aftermath of becoming the victim of identity theft.

 

If you have not been the victim of identity theft per se, fraud alerts also represent one line of defense that can be helpful to you. But, you must maintain a vigilant and comprehensive approach to doing everything possible to protect your identity.

 



By: Bernard Pragides

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The use of your personal data such as your name, address, telephone number, credit card, and mothers maiden name by other people is called identity theft, which is also known to be an identity fraud. It is the illegal use of your personality to commit crime or any illegal acts.

Usually, the purpose of this crime is to commit financial fraud or deception. Either it is using your name to buy something or obtain something through the use of your credit account and other personal security accounts.

By the use of your name, the identity thief gets a good service. And you are left with a bill that is in your name and you will be asked to pay.

Sometimes, well-established citizens are the ones victimized by identity theft; but it can also target people who do not have large accounts.

These identity thieves also use college students, the data and information about these students are much better and much easier to obtain. They use their names for application for credit cards and use it for criminal and illegal purposes.

Most college students do not care about their financial account and do not apply for these credit cards but will eventually receive credit card application on their mailbox.

Large business groups are the main target of these identity thieves. They usually find out before they apply for credits, they have history of non-payment of bills. Bills they knew nothing about because they were actually done by these identity thieves.

Small businesses can also be surprised when they apply for a loan and denied approval because of nonpayment of an existing loan that needs to be paid. This is a very critical problem where in these small businesses find they have to pay a loan they did not purchase.

It is possible for almost anybody to be victimized by these identity thieves. This is due to modern technology that exists in our world today.

Transactions are made without face-to-face contact, transactions that require the name, address, contact number, security information and sometimes password. By using malicious software that can be downloaded through websites, thieves is able to gets all the information they need.

This is how easy it is for these thieves get the information they need. Once they have all the information they need, they have before them all the possibilities to commit different financial and other related crimes.

These thieves use different identities to purchase things, use different services, obtain a bank account, apply for a credit card, apply for loans and other government benefits and obtain money using the victims identity.

The major problem with this kind of crime is that the victim will be forced to clear all the transaction he or she has not made. In most cases, these thieves usually pretend to be the victims identity, obtaining all the necessary information including the victims security settings.

The sad thing is, these transactions are done without the knowledge of the owner. The surprise comes when he receives the many bills and loans to be paid. The more that these thieves involve the victims identity in these crimes the longer it takes to repair the damage.

The damage done to the victim will cause problems in obtaining new jobs, applying for credit cards and renting apartments.

However, this major problem can be resolved. Many companies offer identity theft insurance. Many people will have the ability to obtain this insurance as an option in their home insurance policy.

It is now possible to detect the people that use the personal data of others if they have a home insurance policy. By these means, the owner can find out who these thieves are, that try to use their personal data.

Reports about the present situation of the accounts are given to the owner in regular basis. However, the owner may need to pay for the service rendered.

The amount that is paid over to these identity theft insurance is huge. There are many debates about it but people prefer to pay it to have peace of mind.

It is better to pay the huge premium than to be worried about the security of your identity. These insurance companies will protect the account from identity thieves. It takes the worry out of the equation if your accounts are secured by it.

For more information on Identity Theft Click Here



By: Lucas Heijn

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Protect your kids from the risks associated with identity theft. Children often fall prey to identity fraud, and the numbers of young victims grows every year, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). There are several simple tips you can use to protect kids from identity theft.

Why Kids Are Targeted by Identity Thieves

Kids are easy targets for identity thieves. By law, children can’t apply for credit cards, loans or other lines of credit until they are 18. That gives identity thieves many opportunities to steal a child’s identity and use it freely to open lines of credit. In addition to random strangers stealing a child’s identity, unfortunately, unscrupulous family members also often target them.

Children Feel Effects of Identity Theft When They Venture Out in the World

Children who are identity theft victims feel the pain inflicted by the crime when they try to establish a credit history. Applying for a loan or a credit card, children and their families are often shocked to learn that their child has a poor credit history, even though they’ve never had a line of credit. A poor credit score can prevent kids from getting the jobs they want, obtaining credit cards, loans and more. Although justice is on their side, it can take years to clean up a lifetime of identity theft.

Protect Your Kids from Becoming a Victim of Identity Theft

Adults can protect kids from identity theft by taking a few safety precautions. Shredding paperwork from doctors and other entities that list a child’s Social Security number or date of birth can help protect children from identity fraud. Credit card and loan offers that arrive in the mail addressed to children should be addressed with the company sending the offer, so they know that they are sending items to minor children. Social Security cards and other personal information about children should be safely stored to avoid the risk of identity fraud.

Children Identity Fraud Repair: What to Do if the Worst Should Happen

If a child becomes a victim of identity fraud, there are a few things you can do to help them repair their credit history and regain their identity. Their Social Security number should be changed and a police report should be filed immediately. Credit card companies, lenders and collections agencies associated with the phony identity should be notified immediately about the identity theft.

Reduce the risk of identity theft with credit monitoring . Credit monitoring provides an added layer of protection against identity fraud with up to date information about credit scores and details of unusual activities on a credit report.



By: Lisa Nichols

About the Author:

You heard right. Identity Theft is THE fastest growing crime wave in America. Why? Because its easy and doesnt require someone to break into your home to make off with the goods. They can get them right out of your trash!

According to the U.S. Postal Service, one reason is the carelessness of how many of us handle sensitive documents. One of the best investments you can make for your home or office is a paper shredder. There are people who make a living out of looking for a copy of someones un-shredded bank statement, credit card bill, tax return or any number of documents with sensitive account numbers!

This article is an attempt to educate you of those dangers and give you some genuine facts and a solution or two. If you have ever known someone who had their identity stolen then you know what we are about to tell you is true.

Last year alone, more than 9.9 million Americans were victims of identity theft, a five billion dollar crime wave!

The number of id theft victims and their total losses are probably much higher. It’s hard to pin down, because law enforcement agencies may classify id theft differently – it can involve credit card fraud, Internet fraud, or mail theft, among other crimes. It can even involve your credit report because when you order a copy of yours unless you request that only the last 4 digits be listed, the entire number is there just waiting to be stolen! I know this myself because I recently ordered my credit report be mailed to me and there was my entire social security number on EVERY page for all to see!

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) reported that only four percent of victims cited stolen mail as the source of personal information. Even so, U.S. Postal Inspectors, charged with protecting the nations mail system from criminal misuse, are leaders in the fight against identity theft.

What Should I Do If I Am A Victim of Identity Theft?

According to the FTC, if you are a victim of identity theft there are four steps you should take as soon as possible, and keep a record with the details of your conversations and copies of all correspondence.

Place a fraud alert on your credit reports, and review your credit reports.

Fraud alerts can help prevent an identity thief from opening any more accounts in your name. But one is too many.

One of the best favors you can do for yourself is order LifeLock the guaranteed Identity Theft program. When we set our site up we decided to only recommend vendors that we had confidence in personally.

What sold us on LifeLock? The fact that their founder and CEO Todd Davis does their advertising and gives his Social Security number in all their ads. When I first heard this I figured it had to be an advertising ploy. After further checking them out both my daughter and I both signed up. They have lived up to everything they said and as a bonus we stopped getting those pre-approved credit card offers and the majority of our junk mail also stopped.

Here is what LifeLock says about themselves:

Stop Identity Theft. Guaranteed.

By now you’ve heard the stories about individuals whose identities have been stolen by identity thieves. They’re not pretty stories . . . people working for hundreds of hours over many years to get their lives back in order, even innocent individuals ending up in jail! We can protect against this ever happening to you. Guaranteed. Up to $1 million.

LifeLock doesn’t just report unauthorized use of your credit information, we prevent it by working with the credit bureaus to make sure you’re contacted to approve any credit transaction before it takes place. We also remove your name from pre-approved credit card offers and junk-mail lists, where identity theft often gets started.

We’re the leaders in proactive identity theft protection as you’ve probably seen in coverage in The Wall Street Journal and Chicago Tribune, and on MSNBC, CNN, and many other national news outlets. We’re so sure of our system our CEO confidently publishes his own Social Security number in all our ads.

Is this fraud alert something you can do yourself? Yes however since this is not a priority with most people it will get put off until its too late. Then you have to un-do what could have been prevented in the first place for approximately 33 cents a day. Thats pretty cheap insurance. This is an investment in protecting your peace of mind and your good name as well.

If you’ve already become the victim of id theft you can contact them for help on getting your good name back!

With the increase of identity theft, I wouldnt put it off another day. Once your identity is compromised it can take months or years to get it fixed. Contact LifeLock today.



By: Dewey Kearney

About the Author:

Simply put, identity theft happens when someone assumes another person’s identity in order to fraudulently obtain money, goods, or services. The results of identity theft include ruined credit ratings, unearned debt, unwanted debt collections, and sometimes even wrongful arrest.

Identity theft is a malicious and onerous crime because most victims will not find out they’re a victim until the damage is already done, because it costs the victim so much, and because offenders usually get away with the crime.

Reports of identity theft continue to increase at an alarming rate each year. As many as 10 million people fall victim to this crime annually. Victims report that the experience is as traumatic as being mugged or having their home burglarized. It’s an invasion of your privacy and an attack on your personal financial well-being. It undermines your sense of trust in others and creates fear of becoming a victim again in the future.

What does Identity Theft Involve?

Identity theft happens when someone gets access to your personal information. This may be your birth date, your social security or driver’s license number, your bank and credit account numbers, or your PINs or passwords. Having one piece of the information puzzle makes it easier to get others. For example, knowing your birth date may give the thief enough information to trick other information out of an unsuspecting office clerk.

Once the thief has your information, they can make purchases, open new accounts, or make loans under your name. It is common for identity thieves to submit a change of address to your financial network so that you don’t even receive your statements, making it more difficult for you to discover the fraud. They can run your bills to and above your credit limits. They can apply for mortgages and loans using your credit history. The can even transfer money out of your bank accounts. Unfortunately, you won’t know about it until one of your valid purchases is refused by a merchant or you get a phone call or letter from a debt collector.

In the worst cases, identity thieves have committed other serious crimes under their victim’s identity. Wrongful arrest and very expensive defense costs can result for the victim.

Technology is a Double-Edged Sword

One reason identity theft is on the rise is the increasing use of electronic media for making financial transactions. Shopping over the internet is common today, and many purchases are made over the telephone. Buyers and sellers don’t come into contact. Signatures can’t be verified long distance. Security issues abound on the internet, and it is fairly easy to get your information through non-secure websites. Hackers develop sophisticated programs that steal information as you enter it or download entire customer databases from large companies, including the customers’ personal information.

Many people fail to keep their account numbers, passwords, and PINs within their control. They write them down, carry the list of numbers with them (where they can be stolen), or leave them out where others can get the information. They use passwords that are easy to guess (birth dates, anniversaries, pet’s names, etc.) rather than more complex combinations of numbers, letters, and symbols. They use the same password for all their accounts or fail to change their passwords from time to time.

Advice for Potential Victims of Identity Theft

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has published guidelines to help citizens avoid becoming victims of identity theft:

1. Never give out more information than is necessary. Especially when shopping online or via telephone, limit your information to that necessary to make the purchase and receive the product or service. Don’t volunteer anything you don’t have to.

2. If you suspect someone is trying to get information from you under false pretenses (like an e-mail asking you to verify account information), contact the company in question to ask them if they sent the e-mail and why they are asking for the information. Often, the company is a victim of fraudulent activities as well. If they do not acknowledge the e-mail as theirs, forward a copy of the e-mail to the ISP that delivered it and to the FTC. You can also send an alert to the major consumer reporting companies (Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian) so that they are aware of the abuse.

3. If you can, have all of your bank and credit accounts and lines of credit password protected so that no one can make a transaction without proper authorization. Use smart passwords that are not easy to guess.

4. Keep your social security and credit cards in a safe place under lock and key. Consider putting them with other important personal documents in a safe deposit box or home safe. Avoid carrying your account numbers in your wallet or purse, and don’t share the information with co-workers and acquaintances. Don’t keep anything in your wallet that you can’t afford to lose.

5. Don’t give out your social security number unless you have to secure a credit report, open an account, or apply for a loan.

6. Don’t use websites that are not secured. Make purchases and provide personal information ONLY over secure servers. Look for URLs that use “https://” and encryption software to process information they gather from customers. Find out what their privacy policies are and whether they use the information you give them for any other purposes. Base your decision on whether to proceed on their answers to those questions.



By: Abhishek Agarwal

About the Author:

The term Identity Theft refers to an illegal action of opening someones credit account statement without his/her permission, stealing vital information about an individual and then utilizing this information to view or use his credit account or make any transaction in his name. Identity theft may also be referred to as Identity Fraud.

With more and more people becoming technological savvy, it has become quite easy for a common criminal to steal the identities of other people. In fact this problem has spread at an alarming rate across the world. If you are one of the witnesses or the victims of an identity thief, do make an urgent report of it right away. This action of yours will surely save you from further losses.

In order to stop identity fraud or theft from happening to you, numerous safeguards or defensive plans have been put in place. These plans will work only up to a certain level but what is required in totality is the alertness on the part of consumer. While making an identity theft, a cheat usually accesses your SSN (social-security-number) as well as other significant details in order to facilitate an effective utilization of your identity.

Below are some of the steps that a person is recommended to adopt in order to reduce the risk of falling prey to the identity theft.

* Report the identity theft as soon as possible to the local police department in your area.

* Immediately contact the fraud department of your bank as well as those of your creditors.

* Make a theft report to the federal trade commission as well.

* Last but not least, report your identity theft to the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Trans Union and Experian.

Notifying all the three credit bureaus as soon as possible is the most important step that a victim can take. The main reason behind this is the fact that the identity thief may try to obtain your credit by making use of the false identity. If you have reported to the credit bureaus about the theft and asked them to place a fraud alert on your credit report it should detour the thief. Along with this, try to get a copy of the credit report so as to determine the degree of un-lawful activity that has taken place using your identity. Besides this, a copy of the credit report statement can show other fraud activities or disputed actions carried out in your name.

Following is the sequence of steps followed by the credit bureaus upon report of the identity theft:

* Post the security alert on the credit report file.

* Drop the identity theft victim out of the various offers or pre- approved for credit issuance.

* Mail a copy of credit file to the victim of identity theft.

To summarize, we can say that identity theft can prove to be very critical for a victim of the theft. So, it is always recommended to follow all the precautionary measures to control it.



By: Jay Delgado

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