Identity Theft Solutions

Archive for March, 2009

A new site called Lifelock Scam is causing quite a stir about identity theft solutions using fraud alerts to protect against identity theft.

According to the site, it takes 5 minutes to place a fraud alert yourself and costs absolutely nothing. They even supply the toll free phone number and links so you can do your own either online or off.

What’s more, they claim that the practice as carried out by Lifelock is illegal and is soon to be stopped by the courts leaving anyone who has signed up high and dry.

The site also blows holes in that famous Lifelock guarantee and says its pretty much worthless as it states Lifelock will pay professionals to correct your credit file if ‘their [lifelocks] service is shown to be at fault.

It has details of ongoing class action suits regarding the Lifelock guarantee, their aggressive ad campaigns and their use of fraud alerts.

You can read more by clicking here.

Identity theft fraud is affecting more than twenty-seven million Americans on a yearly basis which means that the need for adequate and strong identity theft fraud protection is very high indeed. Banks in particular need to have identity theft fraud protection as this form of fraud is something that can cause them to suffer a lot of heavy financial losses. It is therefore good to know that banks have begun using password protection in order to safeguard their online business transactions.

Ordinary Citizens

However, even ordinary citizens can make use of simple identity theft fraud protection and there are in fact quite a few measures that can prove to be very good and effective in safeguarding their best interests. The first of these identity theft fraud protection measures is ensuring that you never divulge your Social Security and credit card numbers to anyone that is not known to you personally or officially.

Second, proper identity theft fraud protection means informing the bank immediately after you realize that you have misplaced your checks or they have been stolen. These can be flagged by the bank which will then block payment against those checks.

Giving away your PIN number to your ATM card is certainly a big no no of identity theft fraud protection measures and so this is something that you should never do. Also, the more effective identity theft fraud protection measures require that you also ensure that you thoroughly shred all your financial documents and bills prior to disposing of them and even solicitations received by credit card companies must be shredded before disposal.

In case you have not received your monthly bills then a basic identity theft fraud protection measure is to immediately call the concerned company to find out the reason for the delay. Also, once you receive these bills you need to go over the details with a fine comb to ensure that nothing untoward is contained which would then point to an instance of identity theft fraud.

Lastly, the greatest identity theft fraud protection measure that you should take is to check your credit reports at least once in a given calendar year to ensure that all information on the report is accurate and correct. Any mistakes must be pointed out and corrected.

Today, identity theft protection is a must for virtually every person. Using a good identity theft protection guide can help you combat identity thieves in an effective manner and so preserve your sanctity and safety. This is especially relevant in today’s plastic money societies where identity theft is a common menace that requires suitable and strong action to keep the identity thieves at bay.

There are quite a few different though simple free identity theft protection measures that everyone can use in order to safeguard their personal details. Most identity thieves are known to use some very deceptive means by which to rob your personal information and among other means they will call you up posing as officials from your bank or credit card company and will ask you to furnish your personal details in order to ‘update’ their records.

Never Divulge Personal Details Over The Telephone

The simplest free identity theft protection option open to you in preventing such ruses from working is to make a point of never divulging your personal details over the phone. Another big ruse used by identity thieves is to call you up to congratulate you for winning a lottery or other prize. They then ask for your personal details in order to send you your winnings. If you again use the same free identity theft protection measure (not divulging your personal details over the telephone) you can defeat this fraudulent method.

Another effective free identity theft protection measure is to add your telephone number to the National Do Not Call Registry so that you won’t be bothered by such calls. Your workplace too is a place where identity thieves might strike without warning. Often, it could even be your co-workers that might make off with yours or their employer’s information.

Identity thieves will try and hack into your or your office’s computers and you might be otherwise fooled into divulging your very personal details. So, the best free identity theft protection measure in this instance too is to remember to never divulge your password to anyone and especially not over the telephone. It is however surprising how often people tend to give their passwords to complete strangers in the mistaken belief that they are helping someone out – often, a close colleague or fellow worker.

You can also affect free identity theft protection by making it a point of using more complex types of passwords that should ideally include both letters and numbers and the password should also contain at least ten characters.

Even ensuring that you don’t carry your personal information on your person in your wallet is another good free identity theft protection measure that can help save you from identity thieves. Today, there is also a pressing need for ensuring adequate identity theft fraud protection measures because America is being attacked by an epidemic called identity theft. It is believed that more than twenty-seven million people have been made victims of identity theft on a yearly basis.

If you worry about identity theft you are not alone. It has become one of the biggest worries of many people online and off. Even if you do not own a computer, your information is stored on computers elsewhere. What you can do in that situation is monitor your credit record regularly.

There are many programs that you can use to help protect your information on your computer and while you are online. You need to have anti-viral software, a good firewall, and spyware programs are also important. You need to protect against identity theft any way that you can.

If you do a lot of online shopping, make sure you are using secure websites to purchase your items. Look for a Veri-Sign icon, or other Trust icon, and a security message. This is important when you are giving credit card and bank account numbers.

There were over two hundred million personal IDs that were compromised in 2008 alone. Many are duped into giving their information through e-mail scams that take them to what they believe is a website that they belong to, but is really a mock page to get them to enter their information. You should not follow these links to re-enter any personal information. Contact the vendor directly to ask if there is a problem with your account.

Passwords are another thing that you can control. Change them frequently when it involves any account that has personal information about you, especially if it is financial information. Passwords should have a combination of letters, numbers and characters if allowed.

Take steps to be proactive in stopping identity theft in your life. Shred everything with any personal information on it as well as your computer protection. Contact someone immediately if you suspect that you have been compromised. Stay ahead of the game.

It has been often said that a good offense is a good defense.  This axiom stands true when it comes to identity theft.

Identity theft is that criminal act in which unscrupulous individuals gather sufficient personal information about an individual.  This information is then utilized by the individual to pose as the victim in order to access the person’s financial information and endeavor to open up new accounts to get merchandise for nothing.

Therefore, it is important for individuals to understand this criminal act and how pervasive it is.Identify theft information can share with concerned individuals the need to protect their personal information and the proper disposing of mail.

Protecting Personal Information

One of the primary precautions that identity theft information prevention will share with individuals is to protect personal information.  That personal information can include credit card numbers, PIN numbers, bank and credit card information, Social Security numbers, etc.

Therefore, when statements are received or other correspondence from financial institutions they should be disposed of properly.  Specifically, the documents should be shredded so as to make them unreadable.

Also, identity theft information on how to protect personal data recommends that certain documents not be carried in a person’s wallet or purse.  Those documents include copies of birth certificates and social security numbers.  With these documents it is best to keep them in a safe place.  Also preventative identity theft information suggests that the numbers of credits cards be copied and placed in a secure place as well.

Disposing Of Mail

Another identity theft solution to deter identity thieves is to properly dispose of credit card offers received in the mail.  Often, these credit card companies send to households unsolicited credit card offers.  Generally, these offers exclaim pre-approved credit cards and all the applicant needs to do is simply return the form.

For many households, they simply throw away these offers by placing them in the trash.  To prevent the potential of this identity theft information from falling into the hands of identity thieves, it is important to dispose of these credit card offers properly.  Therefore, the best way to dispose of these applications is to purchase a shredder and utilize this device for all sensitive correspondence including credit card offers.

Another identity theft information suggestion to minimize unsolicited credit card offers is to stop receiving these offers.   This can be accomplished in one of two ways.  One is by calling 1-888-5-OPT-OUT or visiting www.optoutprescreen.com.

Go here for more about Identity Theft Facts and Avoid Identity Theft

Being alive in this incredible age of technology can be a fantastic thing, however,it can also lead to dangerous situations that were not around in the past. Thieves today can be very gifted technologically, taking your personal data from on line websites. In the past a thief would have to acquire your personal information via a physical means like obtaining your purse or wallet. These days identity theft can happen through nefarious websites,hackers gaining access to your computer, or secure websites becoming compromised giving up your confidential information. Identity theft solutions are a necessary part of everyday life.

Some Tips To Help You

There are a number of organizations that furnish identity theft solutions.They try to educate individuals on what to look for if they believe they have become a victim.They also provide information about what to do if you believe you’ve already had your information stolen.

One bit of advice that many of these companies recommend is to examine your checking, savings and credit card accounts often.  Make sure there is no suspicious activity on those accounts  If you uncover some suspicious activity, you should report it at once to the credit bureau.  Not only does is protect your accounts from more damage, but it may actually aide in capturing the identity thieves!

Safe Web Surfing 

Another way you can avoid identity theft is by safer Web surfing and e-mail habits.Avoid clicking on a link from an unknown source and be careful what websites you visit. It’s just like real life, don’t take anything from a stranger!  Malicious e-mails, websites that promise free money or illegal downloads and instant messages from people you don’t know can all be a source of potential identity theft.  The Golden rule-don’t click on a link if you don’t know who it’s from.

Beware of Emails From Strangers

E-Mail can be a good way to correspond.  They can also conceal malicious links that may try to load viruses or other malicious programs to your computer.  These programs can search your computer for personal information and transmit it back to the criminals when it is found. Don’t click on any attachments in an e-mail that you don’t recognize.  If you do accidentally click on an attachment ,you should at once disconnect your computer from the Internet and start a thorough virus scan. 

In closing, identity theft solutions have numerous layers.  You can find services online that will help you asses your credit, and notify you of any suspicious activity.  Most of these services charge a monthly monitoring fee, but it’s money well invested considering what you stand to lose!

Identity Theft Solutions

As our economy worsens, identity theft crime continues to be one of the quickest growing crimes. This crime can be committed by a petty thief stealing purses to large overseas criminal syndicates using sophisticated strategies to steal identities.

Due to the increase in people’s identities being stolen, several companies have developed ways to protect your from identity theft, including LifeLock Reviews solutions. With millions of identities been stolen each year, there is huge demand for a way for people to prevent this crime. Standing still is not an acceptable option because the criminals are working hard to assume your identity.

Stealing identities is often a crime of opportunity. Your personal information somehow gets in the hands of a thief and they take advantage of the situation to make a quick buck. Most often, the crime is methodically planned out and carried out in such a method to fool even the most careful consumer.

In simplest of definitions, identity theft can be defined as the following: Someone, other than you, uses your personal information, including your name, address and social security number, to commit some fraud. This crime is generally committed for monetary reasons, with the criminal using your information to make money.

A criminal literally assumes their victims identity. The criminal passes themselves off as the victim and impersonates them so that lending institutions have no idea that they are really dealing with a thief and not the actual person. ID theft is a very personal crime that can put the victim in a financial bind.

Making money is not the only use for ID theft. It can also be used to assist those in the country illegally appear to be legitimate in the eyes of employers and government programs. With the crackdown on illegals being so strong, illegal immigrants are doing what they feel is necessary to stay employed and in stay the country and this includes assuming the identities of citizens.

It is important to be doing what you can to not to not become identity theft’s next victim. Victims find themselves in a difficult position as they try to make good their good name. Take every possible precaution to make sure that you do not fall victim to this crime by making us of a protect identity theft solution.

The truth of the matter is that this personal crime is on the rise and there is no sign of it slowing down. Because of the state of the economy, we are finding that more people are taking the desperate measure of stealing identities to survive financially. This makes a compelling argument to look into protection yourself with a protect your identity solution.

Many times we get an email addressed to us from a financial institution we have done business with, letting us know we need to bring up to date the personal data on the site. But, can you really be sure that the site you know about is the one asking for the information, and not a criminal?

Criminal organizations creating websites to pass themselves off as a business or financial institution is becoming a very large problem. The sole purpose for these websites is to trick you into giving out information that is personal. The partnership of making use of email and websites to trick you into giving out private information is called “phishing”. Phishing is a great reason to consider using a identity theft protection plan company.

It is not as easy as you might think to catch a phishing email. These emails most often appear to be very genuine and will spoof the type of an email you normally get from the real business. The difference is that, when you click on a link in a phishing email, you open up a website which only is there to steal your identity.

The fake, or phishing, websites are going to have the same look and feel of the real website. The best way to figure out the difference between the sham and genuine site is to take a close look at the site’s domain name. The sham site may have a portion of name in its name, but it will always have more characters that revel it is a phishing site.

The organizations that are behind the phishing emails and sites are usually experienced crooks. They can afford to spend a lot of cash and resources to come up with very real looking sites and emails because there is a bunch of money to be made in stealing identities. These thieves are out to get you, so it is always a very good idea to be using a credit identity theft service.

Because they ultimately want to steal your identity, or other data that they can use to make a financial gain, they want to seem genuine. They will have the same design and usability that the real business has, including using real logos and slogans.

Since the phishing emails and websites can appear to be the real thing, people often have a hard time telling that they are on a fake site. The better amount of work the thieves put into their duping emails and websites, the easier it is for them to fool unsuspecting consumers.

In order to never fall victim to a phishing attack, the best thing you can do is make a habit of never click links found in emails. If you are convinced that the email is real, then just visit the website though normal means other than the email link. The best defense against these phishing attacks is by never clicking on links found in emails, while making use of a protection against identity theft service.

In days gone by if an individual had been the victim of a theft they would have known right away.  This is because the thief would generally steal tangible items.  Those items could have included stereos, televisions, jewelry, money, etc. 

However, today, not only are tangible items stolen, but intangible items as well.  Specifically, one of those intangible items that can be stolen is a person’s identity.

Identity theft is when a thief intercepts or steals personal information and then utilizes that information in an effort to pose as their victim.If they are successful, the thief can access the financial information of that individual and worse open up new accounts allowing the individual to illegally obtain merchandise and ruin the good name of the victim.

Therefore, it is important to implement identity theft solutions.  Some of those identity theft solutions include the proper disposing of mail and requesting a credit report on a consistent basis.

Disposing Of Mail

One of the primary identity theft solutions to preventing this type of thievery is properly dispose of unsolicited credit card offers that are received through the postal service.  Often these credit card offers are sent out by credit card companies in hopes that individuals will take advantage of low teaser interest rates.Generally, the credit card companies are just looking for new customers and often do not conduct significant research regarding the financial background of the potential customers that they mail to.

Obviously, this can be a formula for disaster.  Specifically, the mail recipient does not know that these offers are being sent nor does the credit card company know the potential customers that they are mailing these offers to.

Therefore, a simple identity theft solution is to adequately destroy all credit card applications that are not acted upon.  That process should include the shredding of all documents prior to them being placed in the trash.

Obtaining A Credit Report

In addition, another primary identity theft solution on how to avoid identity theft is to check one’s credit report on a regular basis.  This can be accomplished by writing one or all of the three credit bureaus and requesting a personal copy of the individual’s credit report.  This credit report can also be accomplished by going online.

When a credit report is received it is important to look for any suspicious activity or opening of a credit card without one’s knowledge.If any suspicious activity is noted it is important to contact the credit bureaus immediately as well as the financial institution that is involved.

Go here for more about Identity Theft Facts and Avoid Identity Theft

Only people that live far from big cities and in places where identity thieves have as yet not extended their operation to will the need for proper identity theft protection be something that is of less than of critical importance. The fact is that today identity theft is a huge problem that affects millions of people all around the world and particularly in the US. Even if you are not given to purchasing goods and services online there is still no assurance that identity thieves won’t get to you.

Do Not Shop Online?

Identity theft protection is vital for even those people that never shop online or who buy from brick-and-mortar stores because recent studies have been able to prove that online activity is not a major concern as far as identity theft goes. This means that even if you have never ever shopped online; not ensuring identity theft protection will not prevent identity thieves from getting to you. It is not a question of whether you will become a victim of identity theft but more a question of when will the identity thieves get to you.

The best identity theft protection is of course to understand the modus operandi of identity thieves and then to take preventive measures to make sure that the identity thieves cannot use their methods on you. Even those innocuous looking offers that pop into your mailbox on a daily or perhaps weekly basis can be one of the ways that identity thieves will strike you down. Unfortunately, as yet the US postal service is not able to spam out fictitious mails and so they deliver whatever is posted to you into your letterbox.

Therefore, proper identity theft protection means throwing away these so-called offers without giving them another thought. However, before you throw away the offer makes sure to shred the offer so that your name and address cannot be found by those that rummage the garbage looking for just such information.

Identity theft protection is also not an activity that is relevant to only rich and wealthy people because ordinary citizens too need to be on their guard at all times. It is sad that today you cannot throw away your garbage without needing to worry that you have not taken the appropriate identity theft protection measures such as security shredding useless documents and bills and of course those good-for-nothing offers.

Vigilance is crucial to proper identity theft protection and in fact you can also make use of identity theft protection services to handle this vigilance for you. By enrolling with such service companies you can rest assured that you will be informed regarding changes to your credit reports and so be warned in time when something false shows up on these reports such as someone having made off with your identity and who then ran up bills that you will have to pay.