The holidays and auto accidents

thanksgiving marks the nucleus and beginning of haphazard and dangerous times on america’s roads

while a intimate and intimate holiday song labels this “the most mystic and wondrous time of the year,” it’s also one of the most haphazard and dangerous.

while we’re giving thanks for such a heap of other mystic and wondrous things in our lives, we also need to be heedful that the thanksgiving holiday weekend, year after year, produces more alcohol-associated automatic accidents and wrongful deaths than any other time of the year – including christmas. The high level of drunk driving fatalities proceeds until after new year’s eve. As a seattle-based impertinent and personal injury lawyer, i can’t assist but detect the increase in senseless automatic accident tragedies that happen for the duration of what must be exclusively and solely a celebratory time.

some shocking facts:

• in the u. S. , the leading criminal cause of death is drunk driving. & #xd;
• more than 17,000 people are the dupe and victim of drunk driving automatic accidents annually. & #xd;
• between thanksgiving and new year’s day, 38% of all wrongful deaths from automatic accidents are alcohol associated. & #xd;
• repeat drunk drivers are responsible for almost 60% of those alcohol-associated fatalities.

what’s primary is attempting to stop these automatic accidents before they happen – so everyone can enjoy a peaceful and happy holiday time. Here are a small amount of surmises and suggestions from madd (mothers versus drunk driving)& #xd;
to assist make that happen:

• be a safe and responsible party host – assure none of your guests drive home when they’re in no condition to operate a vehicle. Don’t just depend on their physical aspect to evaluate their sobriety. & #xd;
• designated driver – if one of your group makes the commitment not to drink, you can effortlessly refrain from an alcohol-associated automatic accident. & #xd;
• non-alcoholic party drink recipes – give your guests a choice regarding beverages, or eliminate alcohol exclusively – and serve fun party drinks for the whole family. & #xd;
• tie one on for protection and safety – displaying the madd ribbon on your vehicle shows your commitment to avoiding impertinent and personal injury and wrongful death because of drunk driving – and can inspire other motorists to do the same.

there are ways to celebrate the holidays in a responsible way – and hushed and still have plenty of “good cheer. ” starting this thanksgiving, i hope all of you will do your best to keep the roads safe for everyone.

©2009 vpl. All Rights Reserved.

Internet and Your Identity â 3 Tips to Fight Identity Theft

advancement in engineering science comes with it an increased opportunity for thieves to steal your identity. They undertake in truth hard and doesn’t stop until they’re successful. Internet is a really luxurious area where one may have your identity stolen anytime.

take these 3 tips to fight internet related identity theft.

1. Install an internet security software in your computer. It warns you when the site that you go to is not safe and so you may guard yourself whether to go farther or not. Usually the indicator for your security is green if it is safe and red when the site is not safe.

2. Search for a secure key sign when giving personal info on the net. Be heedful if it asks for your social security number. Also search for the padlock on the site. It usually means that it is secured.

3. Keep away from giving personal info through emails. Scams take place this way. At all times do not forget not to give any personal info this way.

it is at all times best to prevent identity theft. Protect yourself. Do what’s needed to keep away from getting victimized. Be on guard and take the necessary steps to help yourself. Thieves are at all times learning new things.

keep yourself altered at new tips to help yourself. Things are at all times altering and advancing. . . So be ready.

you cannot take the results of stolen identity lightly. It is your life. Thieves are there ready to destruct everything that you have worked for in life. Don’t give them the opportunity to gain what you have earned for your own behalf.

remember that prevention is the most skillful way to go than suffer from its consequence. You cannot underestimate the work that needs to be exercised if you are a victim of identity theft.

Identity Theft â Equip Yourself With Obvious Tips to Avoid Identity Theft

Every day you are faced with the chance that your identity can be stolen. Thieves are working more than ever on how to steal your identity and they are taking advantage with our modern technology. Do not fall prey to these thieves. Take all necessary precaution to prevent it from happening.

There is no guarantee that you can protect yourself a hundred percent from being a victim of identity theft. The best you can do is to make yourself aware of simple but necessary steps to protect yourself. There is no harm in taking precautions to prevent identity theft but it will take a whole chunk of your life to try and correct what has already been done if your identity is stolen.

Here are the simple necessary precautions that you can incorporate in your daily life to lessen the chance of identity theft. These steps you may already know but take a look at the ones that you may have not thought about.

1. Get a shredder especially the cross-cut ones as this can protect you better. Some thieves can go a long way as to put together shredded documents. It will be difficult however to do this if you are using a cross-cut shredder.

2. Any document or papers that contain your name and address needs to be shredded. It includes letter envelopes, receipts, bank statements, letters, etc.

3. Never bring your SSS card with you unless absolutely necessary. PIN (personal identification number) should never be written anywhere near the card and certainly do not share any of these informations even to your family or friends. Some people are a victim of their own family or friends.

4. SSS and PIN are never to be given over the phone especially if you did not initiate the call. There are few instances that you need to but it is upon you to decide whether it is necessary in your particular situation.

5. Credit monitoring is very important so you can monitor any unusual activity and report it at the earliest time to get it corrected. You can also monitor your statements so you can take action as soon as possible if there happens to be any activity that did not come from you.

There is more that you can do if you want to take this to the next level to avoid identity theft. Find a company that deals specifically with identity theft protection. Take a look at it as like having a car insurance. You have the insurance in place so that you have somebody to go to when an accident happens.

Five Ways That Identity Theft is Accomplished

in order to avoid getting a victim, you should recognise the five principal ways that identity theft is accomplished. Knowing the five ways that this type of theft is accomplished, you may take the steps necessitated to defend yourself from getting a victim of identity theft.

the basic way that identity theft is accomplished is through dumpster diving. People, strangers, neighbors, or even friends and relatives, go through your trash to find what they’re searching for. When dumpster diving, most identity thieves are searching for any type of document that they may use to benefit admission to your identity. Mostly, they’re searching for credit card statements or utility bills. They may even get numerous of the info that they require to benefit admission to your identity by opening up your junk mail.

the second way that identity theft occurs is through phishing scams. Phishing scams are getting the most popular method for identity theft due to how easy it’s to achieve, plus the lower risk of ever being caught. A phishing scam works in this way; the identity thief will send out an email that looks lawful, commonly it will appear to be from a bank or credit card company. The email asks you to click on the link provided and update your account info or verify numerous info in your account. Once you click on the link, you’re redirected to a internet-location that looks precisely like your bank or credit card internet-location; notwithstanding, it’s really a bogus internet-location. Once you enter in your personal info, you have given the identity thief all he/she needs to benefit admission to that account. It just goes downhill from there.

the third method that is utilized to achieve identity theft is a skimming fraud. A skimming fraud only works on credit cards. To achieve identity theft by skimming, the info on your credit card is written down or scanned with a skimming device. The info gained includes the three-digit security code on the back of the card. The info received allows them to use your credit card number to order items online, or in other places where the card is not required to be present.

the fourth way that identity theft is accomplished is through theft of your mail, either mail that you have put out for the postal worker or mail that has been delivered to your house. Through examination of your mail, the identity thief may find outgoing checks to compensate utility bills or incoming bank statements or new bills. Every of these may include sufficient info to grant the identity thief to assume your identity.

the fifth way that identity theft may be accomplished is simple burglary, such as breaking into your house or even your car. Your car registration and insurance info are commonly left in the car and contain the info a skilled identity thief needs to benefit admission to your identity. The theft of your stereo or gps navigation strategy may be taken to cover the real motive for the break-in.

Address Verification Systems â Keeping Your Credit Card From Unauthorized Use

With today’s advanced technology, we are now able to do a number of virtual transactions. Settling our utility bills, shopping and paying our employees can now be done in the comfort of our own homes in front of a computer on the Internet or by processing a credit card payment over the phone.

But have you noticed that the computer or the agent will always ask for your complete address in every transaction? If you have been doing a lot of transactions by phone or Internet, I’m sure that you have encountered this scenario a number of times. Some of us are getting very annoyed with it because they keep on asking that information even if they have our address on their records. This process is called address verification.

Just to clarify, we must not be annoyed if the agent is doing address verification on transactions. This is a very important task and is considered a standard operating procedure in terms of money matters.

But why is it very important for companies to do address verification? Companies are basically doing this for two reasons. The first one is to make sure that every transaction is an authorized transaction and thus protecting you from account fraud or theft. For example, another person had a hold of your credit card. By the mere possession of the card, he could use it to do some online or phone transactions. However, he will not be able to do that since he will be asked to verify the billing address of the card. Since that person does not have that information, he cannot verify it and thus the transaction will not push through.

How does the process of verifying the address work? The agent or the online shop will ask for the billing address. Once the billing address did not match the entries on the system, then the transaction will be declined. This will prevent any unauthorized use of your credit card.

Some companies, aside from having their own verification system, also use a USPS address verification system. USPS address verification system is an application that is connected to the United States Postal Service. This is a very reliable tool in checking whether the address is valid or is registered on the database. So once the company was not able to verify the address both on their database and on the USPS address verification system, they will totally reject the transaction and make a report about a fraud caller.

The second reason is that they want to have a smooth and good relationship with the client. If you found out that you have an unauthorized transaction on your credit card bill, I’m sure you will contact the company and complain because they allowed this unauthorized and unverified use of the credit card. Thus leading to a discontinuation of business. With the verification system, you are sure that only you and the authorized people can do the transaction.
With address verification by using their database and USPS address verification system, you can be sure that your account and your business relationship with the company is protected. In this way, you can continue doing transactions without worries since you have the key information needed by the verification systems.

Identity Theft Protection â Insurance For Your Identity, Part Three

Identity Theft is a very real threat in our society. Undoubtedly, you have read the staggering statistics regarding this new threat. If those facts do not make you step back a assess your current Insurance Program, I don’t know what will. As I have spoken to countless people about this new threat, I have been amazed at the common attitude that exists. Everyone believes that it can not happen to them. My intent in writing this series on Identity Theft was to show those same people that, “Yes”, Identity Theft can happen to you! Let’s start with a series of questions I would like for you to ask yourself (and be honest).

• Have you ever used a Credit or Debit Card?



• Do you sign the back of your Credit or Debit Card?



• Have you ever supplied personal information via the internet?



• Do you keep your Social Security Number in your wallet?



• Received Mail in your personal mailbox?

If you answer “Yes” to any of these questions (by the way, there are hundreds of questions just like this that I could add to the list), then you could be a potential target.

If you have read Part One and Part Two of this series, you have seen some basic steps or precautions you can take to help stop ID Theft. You have also seen the financial impact that an ID Theft can have on you, not to mention the amount of time an these thefts can cost you. Hopefully, you will understand that you should treat your Identity the same way you treat your other major assets (home, car, life) and look for a good “insurance policy”.

The fact is that the people who look to steal identities, are countless steps ahead of any “Identity Theft Programs” available. You have undoubtedly heard countless advertisements for various Identity Theft Solutions. These solutions tend to portray themselves as stopping identity theft. The fine print, however, lets you know that NO system is 100% effective. Most solutions involve placing a “freeze” on your credit account (which is something you could do yourself for free). More importantly, the vast majority of these solutions only deal with ID Theft involving “finances”.

As you have hopefully learned by now, Identity Theft involves more than just Financial Theft. The most advertised solutions do nothing to help with the other forms of ID Theft. The premise behind these solutions is for them to simply STOP Identity Theft. Again, no solution can guarantee this. If I were to design an Identity Theft Solution there are a few things that I would want to have.

• Identity Monitoring (Credit Monitoring, Social Security Number Monitoring, Drivers License Monitoring)



• Dedicated Identity Restoration Specialist



• Service that takes the restoration out of my hands

In a nutshell, I want a service that will monitor everything that deals with my Identity and alert me when something suspicious happens. Should we determine that someone has stolen my identity, or is attempting to steal my identity, then I simply say “go get ‘em and call me when you are done”.

Unfortunately, after reviewing countless Identity Theft Solutions, it seems that the majority of the solutions offer band-aids. I found two solutions that best fit my criteria for an Identity Theft Solution:

1. IDwatchdog



2. Identity Theft Shield

While both solutions act in a similar fashion, I do lean more toward the Identity Theft Shield. The main reason is similar to how I choose any other Insurance Provider. I look at the track record. The Identity Theft Shield is a solution from Kroll, Inc. Kroll is the leading risk management firm on the planet. In fact, they are the company that was used to track the financial records of Saddam Hussein. The solution is marketed by Pre-Paid Legal Services. While there are many people who look down upon Pre-Paid Legal, If you do your research, you will see that they have been in business over 30 years.

Protecting your Identity should be a major concern. The threat is real. There are steps that you can take to reduce your exposure, but you should seriously consider purchasing an Insurance Policy for your Identity.

Address validation systems â holding your credit card from unauthorized use

with today’s advanced technology, we are now capable to do a small amount of virtual dealings. Deciding our utility bills, shopping and paying our employees may now be done in the comfort of our own homes in front of a computer on the net or by processing a credit card payment over the phone.

but have you noticed that the computer or the agent will at all times ask for your complete address in each dealing? Whether or not you have been doing a heap of dealings by phone or internet, i’m certain that you have encountered this scenario a small amount of times. A heap of of us are becoming very annoyed with it because they keep on asking that info even whether or not they have our address on their records. This routine is called address validation.

just to clarify, we ought not be annoyed whether or not the agent is doing address validation on dealings. This is a truly principal task and is considered a usual operating routine in terms of money matters.

but why is it very principal for companies to do address validation? Companies are fundamentally doing this for two reasons. The original one is to ensure that each dealing is an authorized dealing and therefore protecting you from account fraud or theft. As an illustration, another person had a hold of your credit card. By the mere possession of the card, he could use it to do some online or phone dealings. Nonetheless, he wouldn’t be capable to do that since he are going to be asked to verify the billing address of the card. Since that person doesn’t have that info, he can not verify it and therefore the dealing wouldn’t push through.

how does the operation of verifying the address work? The agent or the online shop will ask for the billing address. Once the billing address did not match the entries on the strategy, then the dealing are going to be declined. This will keep any unauthorized use of your credit card.

some companies, apart from having their own validation strategy, likewise use a usps address validation strategy. Usps address validation strategy is an application that is connected to the united states postal service. This is a truly authentic tool in checking whether the address is valid or is registered on the database. So once the constitution was not capable to verify the address both on their database and on the usps address validation strategy, they’ll altogether reject the dealing and make a report when it comes to a fraud caller.

the second reason is that they want to have a smooth and good relationship with the customer. Whether or not you found out that you have an unauthorized dealing on your credit card bill, i’m certain you will contact the constitution and complain because they permitted this unauthorized and unverified use of the credit card. Therefore leading to a discontinuation of business. With the validation strategy, you are certain that only you and the authorized humans may do the dealing. & #xd;
with address validation by utilizing their database and usps address validation strategy, you may be certain that your account and your business relationship with the constitution is protected. In this way, you may carry on doing dealings without worries since you have the key info needed by the validation schemes.

Address verification systems â keeping your credit card from unauthorized use

with today’s innovative engineering science, we are now competent to do more than one virtual dealings. Deciding our utility bills, buying goods and paying our workers can now be performed in the comfort of our own homes ahead of a computer on the internet or by processing a credit card payment over the phone.

but have you noticed that the computer or the agent will at all times ask for your complete address in every dealing? Whether or not you was busy doing numerous dealings by phone or internet, i’m certain that you have encountered this scenario more than one times. Numerous of us are getting very annoyed with it because they keep on asking that selective information even whether or not they have our address on their records. This subroutine is called address validation.

just to clarify, we must not be annoyed whether or not the agent is doing address validation on dealings. This is a really principal task and is considered a common operating procedure in terms of cash matters.

but why is it very principal for companies to do address validation? Companies are fundamentally doing this for two reasons. The first one is to ascertain that every dealing is an authoritative dealing and thence protecting you from account fraud or theft. For example, another person had a hold of your credit card. By the mere possession of the card, he could use it to do some online or phone dealings. Nevertheless, he will not be competent to do that since he are going to be asked to verify the billing address of the card. Since that individual does not have that selective information, he can not verify it and thence the dealing will not push through.

how does the operation of verifying the address work? The agent or the online shop will ask for the billing address. Once the billing address did not match the entries on the scheme, then the dealing are going to be declined. This will keep any unauthorized use of your credit card.

some companies, apart from having their own validation scheme, also use a usps address validation scheme. Usps address validation scheme is an application that is connected to the united states postal service. This is a really authentic tool in checking whether the address is valid or is registered on the database. So once the establishment wasn’t competent to verify the address both on their database and on the usps address validation scheme, they will completely reject the dealing and make a report in regards to a fraud caller.

the second reason is that they want to have a smooth and good kinship with the client. Whether or not you found out that you have an unauthorized dealing on your credit card bill, i’m certain you will contact the establishment and complain because they permitted this unauthorized and unverified use of the credit card. Thence leading to a discontinuation of business. With the validation scheme, you are certain that only you and the authoritative humans can do the dealing. & #xd;
with address validation by making use of their database and usps address validation scheme, you can be certain that your account and your business kinship with the establishment is protected. In this way, you can carry on doing dealings without worries since you have the key selective information needed by the validation systems.

Identity theft protection â insurance for your identity, part three

identity theft is a very real threat in our society. Undoubtedly, you have read the staggering stats when it comes to this new threat. If those facts don’t make you step back a assess your current insurance program, i don’t know what will. As i’ve spoken to innumerable individuals when it comes to this new threat, i’ve been astonished at the common attitude that exists. Every one believes that it cannot happen to them. My aim in writing this series on identity theft was to show those same individuals that, “yes”, identity theft may happen to you! Let’s commence with a series of questions i would like for you to ask yourself (and be honorable).

• have you ever applied a credit or debit card?

& #xd;


• do you sign the back of your credit or debit card?

& #xd;


• have you ever supplied personal information via the internet?

& #xd;


• do you keep your social security number in your wallet?

& #xd;


• received mail in your personal mailbox?

if you answer “yes” to any of these questions (by the way, there are hundreds of questions precisely like this that i could add to the list), then you could be a possible target.

if you have read part one and part two of this series, you have seen many introductory steps or precautions you may take to help stop id theft. You have similarly seen the financial affect that an id theft may have on you, not to relate to the quantity of time an these thefts may cost you. Hopefully, you will realise that you should treat your identity the same way you treat your other major summations (home, car, life) and search for a good “insurance policy”.

the fact is that the individuals who look to steal identities, are innumerable steps in front of any “identity theft programs” available. You have undoubtedly heard innumerable advertisements for respective identity theft solutions. These solutions tend to portray themselves as stopping identity theft. The fine print, nonetheless, lets you know that no system is 100% efficient. Most solutions involve placing a “freeze” on your credit account (which is something you could do yourself for free). More significantly, the huge majority of these solutions only deal with id theft involving “finances”.

as you have hopefully learned by now, identity theft involves more than just financial theft. The most advertised solutions do nothing to help with the other forms of id theft. The premise behind these solutions is for them to merely stop identity theft. Again, no solution may guarantee this. If i were to design an identity theft solution there are certain things that i would want to have.

• identity monitoring (credit monitoring, social security number monitoring, drivers license monitoring)

& #xd;


• dedicated identity restoration specialist

& #xd;


• service that takes the restoration out of my hands

in a nutshell, i want a service that will monitor everything that deals with my identity and alert me when something suspicious happens. Will have to we find out that an individual has stolen my identity, or is attempting to steal my identity, then i merely say “go get ‘em and call me when you are done”.

unfortunately, after reviewing innumerable identity theft solutions, it seems that the majority of the solutions offer band-aids. I found two solutions that best fit my criteria for an identity theft solution:

1. IDwatchdog

& #xd;


2. Identity Theft Shield

while both solutions act in a similar fashion, i do lean more toward the identity theft shield. The main reason is similar to how i choose any other insurance provider. I look at the track record. The identity theft shield is a solution from kroll, inc. Kroll is the leading risk management firm on the planet. As a matter of fact, they’re the organization that was applied to record the financial records of saddam hussein. The solution is marketed by pre-paid legal services. While there are many individuals who look down upon pre-paid legal, if you do your exploration, you will see that they have been in business over 30 years.

protecting your identity had better be a major concern. The threat is real. There are steps that you may take to diminish your exposure, but you should severely look at purchasing an insurance policy for your identity.

Identity theft shelter â insurance for your identity, allocation three

identity theft is an actual real threat in our society. Undoubtedly, you have read the staggering stats about this new threat. Whether or not those facts don’t make you step back a assess your current insurance program, i don’t recognise what will. As i have spoken to countless humans about this new threat, i have been astonished at the common attitude that exists. Everybody believes that it can not take place to them. My purpose in writing this series on identity theft was to show those same humans that, “yes”, identity theft can take place to you! Let’s start out with a series of questions i would like for you to ask yourself (and be honest).

• have you ever employed a credit or debit card?

& #xd;


• do you sign the back of your credit or debit card?

& #xd;


• have you ever supplied personal information via the internet?

& #xd;


• do you keep your social security number in your wallet?

& #xd;


• received mail in your personal mailbox?

if you answer “yes” to any of these questions (by the way, there are hundreds of questions just like this that i could add to the list), then you could be a potential target.

if you have read part one and part two of this series, you have seen a great deal of initial steps or precautions you can take to assist stop id theft. You have likewise seen the financial impact that an id theft can have on you, not to refer to the amount of time an these thefts can cost you. Hopefully, you will perceive that you better treat your identity the same way you treat your other major pluses (home, car, life) and look for a good “insurance policy”.

the fact is that the humans who look to steal identities, are countless steps in front of any “identity theft programs” available. You have undoubtedly heard countless advertisements for respective identity theft solutions. These solutions tend to portray themselves as stopping identity theft. The fine print, nonetheless, lets you recognise that no system is 100% efficient. Most solutions implicate placing a “freeze” on your credit account (which is a thing you could do yourself for free). More significantly, the huge nearly all of these solutions only deal with id theft involving “finances”.

as you have hopefully learned by now, identity theft involves more than just financial theft. The most advertised solutions do not one thing to assist with the other forms of id theft. The premise behind these solutions is for them to plainly stop identity theft. Again, no resolution can guarantee this. Whether or not i were to design an identity theft resolution there are a few things that i would want to have.

• identity monitoring (credit monitoring, social security number monitoring, drivers license monitoring)

& #xd;


• dedicated identity restoration specialist

& #xd;


• service that takes the restoration out of my hands

in a nutshell, i want a service that will monitor everything that deals with my identity and alert me when something distrustful happens. Will have to we determine that a person has stolen my identity, or is attempting to steal my identity, then i plainly say “go get ‘em and call me when you are done”.

unfortunately, after reviewing countless identity theft solutions, it seems that the nearly all of the solutions offer band-aids. I found two solutions that best fit my criteria for an identity theft resolution:

1. IDwatchdog

& #xd;


2. Identity Theft Shield

while both solutions act in a similar fashion, i do lean more toward the identity theft shield. The main reason is similar to how i choose any other insurance provider. I consider the track record. The identity theft shield is a resolution from kroll, inc. Kroll is the leading peril management firm on the planet. As a matter of fact, they are the constitution that was employed to record the financial records of saddam hussein. The resolution is marketed by pre-salaried legal services. While there are a great deal of humans who look down upon pre-salaried legal, whether or not you do your exploration, you will see that they have been in business over 30 years.

protecting your identity had better be a major concern. The threat is real. There are steps that you can take to reduce your magnification, but you better severely consider purchasing an insurance policy for your identity.

Address validation strategies â holding your credit card from unauthorized use

with address verification by making use of their database and usps address verification strategy, you may be sure that your account and your business kinship with the organisation is protected. In this way, you may proceed doing transactions without worries since you have the key selective information necessitated by the verification strategies.

Identity theft protection â insurance for your identity, allocation three

do you keep your social security number in your wallet?

& #xd;

have you ever supplied personal info via the world wide web?

& #xd;

do you sign the back of your credit or debit card?

& #xd;

service that takes the restoration out of my hands

in a nutshell, i want a service that will monitor everything that deals with my identity and alert me when something suspicious happens. Will have to we find out that a person has stolen my identity, or is attempting to steal my identity, then i simply say “go get ‘em and call me when you’re done”.

unfortunately, after reviewing innumerable identity theft solutions, it seems that the majority of the solutions offer band-aids. I found two solutions that best fit my criteria for an identity theft solution:

1. IDwatchdog

& #xd;

2. received mail in your personal mailbox?

if you answer “yes” to any of these questions (by the way, there are hundreds of questions just like this that i could add to the list), then you could be a potential target.

if you have read part one and part two of this series, you have seen a lot of first steps or precautions you can take to aid stop id theft. You have likewise seen the financial affect that an id theft can have on you, not to relate to the amount of time an these thefts can cost you. Hopefully, you will realise that you ought to treat your identity the same way you treat your other major assets (home, car, life) and look for a good “insurance policy”.

the fact is that the individuals who look to steal identities, are innumerable steps in front of any “identity theft programs” available. You have undoubtedly heard innumerable advertisements for respective identity theft solutions. These solutions tend to portray themselves as stopping identity theft. The fine print, nonetheless, lets you recognise that no strategy is 100% effective. Most solutions involve placing a “freeze” on your credit account (which is a thing you could do yourself for free). More significantly, the vast majority of these solutions only deal with id theft involving “finances”.

as you have hopefully learned by now, identity theft involves more than just financial theft. The most advertised solutions do not one thing to aid with the other forms of id theft. The premise behind these solutions is for them to simply stop identity theft. Again, no solution can guarantee this. Whether or not i were to design an identity theft solution there are a few things that i would want to have.

• identity monitoring (credit monitoring, social security number monitoring, drivers license monitoring)

& #xd;

• dedicated identity restoration specialist

& #xd;

• Identity Theft Shield

while both solutions act in a alike fashion, i do lean more toward the identity theft shield. The main reason is alike to how i choose any other insurance supplier. I look at the track record. The identity theft shield is a solution from kroll, inc. Kroll is the leading chance management firm on the planet. In fact, they’re the constitution that was applied to track the financial records of saddam hussein. The solution is marketed by pre-salaried legal services. While there are a lot of individuals who look down upon pre-salaried legal, whether or not you do your research, you will see that they have been in business over 30 years.

protecting your identity ought to be a major concern. The threat is real. There are steps that you can take to reduce your magnification, but you ought to seriously look at purchasing an insurance policy for your identity.

Address validation schemes â keeping your credit card from unauthorized use

with today’s progressed engineering, we are now capable to do a couple of virtual dealings. Resolving our utility bills, buying goods and paying our workers can now be performed in the ease of our own homes ahead of a computer on the net or by processing a credit card payment over the phone.

but have you noticed that the computer or the agent will always ask for your finish address in each dealing? Whether or not you have been doing a heap of dealings by phone or internet, i’m certain that you have ran into this scenario a couple of times. A heap of of us are getting very annoyed with it because they keep on asking that data even whether or not they have our address on their records. This routine is called address verification.

just to clarify, we ought not be annoyed whether or not the agent is doing address verification on dealings. This is a really crucial task and is conceptualized a general operating routine in terms of money matters.

but why is it very crucial for companies to do address verification? Companies are fundamentally doing this for two reasons. The introductory one is to assure that each dealing is an authorized dealing and therefore protecting you from account fraud or theft. For example, another person had a hold of your credit card. By the mere possession of the card, he could use it to do a bit of online or phone dealings. Nonetheless, he wouldn’t be capable to do that since he are going to be asked to verify the billing address of the card. Since that person doesn’t have that data, he can not verify it and therefore the dealing wouldn’t push through.

how does the process of verifying the address work? The agent or the online shop will ask for the billing address. Once the billing address did not match the entries on the strategy, then the dealing are going to be declined. This will keep any unauthorized use of your credit card.

some companies, apart from having their own verification strategy, likewise employ a usps address verification strategy. Usps address verification strategy is an application that is connected to the united states postal service. This is a really dependable tool in checking whether the address is valid or is registered on the database. So once the establishment was not capable to verify the address both on their database and on the usps address verification strategy, they will altogether reject the dealing and make a report about a fraud caller.

the second reason is that they want to have a smooth and good kinship with the client. Whether or not you found out that you have an unauthorized dealing on your credit card bill, i’m certain you will contact the establishment and complain because they permitted this unauthorized and unverified use of the credit card. Therefore leading to a discontinuation of business. With the verification strategy, you’re certain that only you and the authorized humans can do the dealing. & #xd;
with address verification by utilizing their database and usps address verification strategy, you can be certain that your account and your business kinship with the establishment is protected. In this way, you can continue doing dealings without concerns since you have the key data needed by the verification strategies.

Identity theft protection â insurance for your identity, portion three

identity theft is a really real threat in our society. Undoubtedly, you have read the staggering statistics about this new threat. Whether or not those facts do not make you step back a valuate your current insurance program, i don’t recognise what will. As i have spoken to innumerable individuals about this new threat, i have been astonished at the common attitude that exists. Everybody believes that it can not take place to them. My aim in writing this series on identity theft was to show those same individuals that, “yes”, identity theft may take place to you! Let’s begin with a series of questions i would like for you to ask yourself (and be honest).

• have you ever applied a credit or debit card?

& #xd;


• do you sign the back of your credit or debit card?

& #xd;


• have you ever supplied personal info thru the net?

& #xd;


• do you keep your social security number in your wallet?

& #xd;


• received mail in your personal mailbox?

if you answer “yes” to any of these questions (by the way, there are hundreds of questions exactly like this that i could add to the list), then you could be a possible target.

if you have read part one and part two of this series, you have seen a good deal of primary steps or precautions you may take to support stop id theft. You have similarly seen the financial affect that an id theft may have on you, not to relate to the quantity of time an these thefts may cost you. Hopefully, you will understand that you better treat your identity the same way you treat your other major sum totals (home, car, life) and search for a good “insurance policy”.

the fact is that the individuals who look to steal identities, are innumerable steps in front of any “identity theft programs” available. You have undoubtedly heard innumerable advertisements for various identity theft solutions. These solutions tend to portray themselves as stopping identity theft. The fine print, nevertheless, lets you recognise that no system is 100% effective. Most solutions implicate placing a “freeze” on your credit account (which is a thing you could do yourself at no charge). More importantly, the huge majority of these solutions only deal with id theft involving “finances”.

as you have hopefully learned by now, identity theft involves more than just financial theft. The most advertised solutions do not one thing to support with the other forms of id theft. The premise behind these solutions is for them to plainly stop identity theft. Again, no solution may guarantee this. Whether or not i were to design an identity theft solution there are certain things that i would want to have.

• identity monitoring (credit monitoring, social security number monitoring, drivers license monitoring)

& #xd;


• dedicated identity restoration specialist

& #xd;


• service that takes the restoration out of my hands

in a nutshell, i want a service that will monitor everything that deals with my identity and alert me when something distrustful happens. Will have to we determine that someone has stolen my identity, or is attempting to steal my identity, then i plainly say “go get ‘em and call me when you are done”.

unfortunately, after reviewing innumerable identity theft solutions, it seems that the majority of the solutions offer band-aids. I found two solutions that best fit my criteria for an identity theft solution:

1. IDwatchdog

& #xd;


2. Identity Theft Shield

while both solutions act in a similar fashion, i do lean more toward the identity theft shield. The main reason is similar to how i choose any other insurance supplier. I look at the track record. The identity theft shield is a solution from kroll, inc. Kroll is the leading danger management firm on the planet. As a matter of fact, they’re the organisation that was applied to record the financial records of saddam hussein. The solution is marketed by pre-remunerated legal services. While there are a good deal of individuals who look down upon pre-remunerated legal, whether or not you do your research, you will see that they have been in business over 30 years.

protecting your identity should be a major concern. The threat is real. There are steps that you may take to diminish your magnification, but you better gravely look at purchasing an insurance policy for your identity.

A couple ways to protect your personal information

In this day in time your personal information such as your address, credit card number, checking account number, and even your telephone number, is at an all time high of theft. Telemarketing companies and marketing companies will pay top dollar for your personal information depending on the type of information collected. Identity theft and other related crimes are also at an all time high.

There are a couple things that you can do to help reduce the risk of having your phone constantly ringing day in and day out with a telemarketer on the other end and to keep your personal information secure from theft.

1) The number one mistake and the easiest way for a person to steal your information is actually in a very accessible place known as your trash. Most criminals of identity theft find your bills, check stubs and other personal info in your trash. Make sure you discard your personal info in a proper way, shredding is one way to cut down on this.

2) The internet is the number one source of information distribution in the world. When buying, applying, or signing up for something on the internet make sure it is a reputable company and they have a secure online certificate, otherwise known as a SSL cert. This scrambles all the information on the page into a code so others cannot see what is being typed into the screen.

3) Beware of scams either via phone or on the internet. If you haven’t heard of the company before or are unsure of what they are telling you don’t give them any information.

4) Never give your credit card information to companies that call you asking you to pay a bill. Most of the time they are legit companies but the other half are scams. Ask them to send you a bill in the mail.

How Damaging Can Identity Theft Be?

It may sound less harmful than it is but identity theft can actually make a victim suffer the worst of consequences in terms of finances. Just imagine if someone stole your information and made use of it to make all sorts of transactions. The thief may buy something you would have never thought of buying yourself. He could obtain loans from every institution and he can open credit lines. Of course, he wouldn’t plan on paying whatever expenses he’ll be incurring and that leaves all the burden to you. Sometimes, identity theft sounds just like something we only see on tv or in the movies and maybe read on the Internet. But yes, identity theft is real and it can happen even to you.

Sometimes, it can even get as bad as the thief committing crimes and identifying himself as you. There would be no reason for police authorities not to believe him because he would have all the information to prove that he is you. In fact, such information could be enough for him to actually live the comforts you’ve worked hard for. Now, that’s not a very reassuring prospect. Definitely, you should never ever take your Internet Security for granted if you care at all about your reputation and even your life.

It’s time for people, especially Internet users, to realize that identity theft happens to everyone. It can happen to you or any of your family members. The situation becomes particularly risky when you are in the habit of buying things online or transaction with your bank online. This is because both actually need you to expose very sensitive information about you, particularly your account numbers, usernames and passwords. You know just how sensitive these data are and they definitely should never have anything to do with anyone other than yourself. If you’re not careful enough with this information while making those online transactions, such data could be easily intercepted by hackers. Of course, these are the people you’ll never want to to encounter in your Internet life, so it’s important that you do everything to protect your identity online.

One way to do this is by installing an IP changing software in your computer. With this software, you will be able to surf the Internet without revealing your real IP address. We know that computers on the web communicate wtih each other using this IP. This also means that a hacker will be able to identity you and make you an easy target once he knows your IP.

Identity Theft â Its Projected and Expected Aftermath Scenario

Every day, we read from newspapers and hear from television news reporting theft. Their prevalence causes many to be victimized too. Victims cry for justice as it brings a devastating effect on them. While theft is seen as negative to many, it also serves as an eye opener to some.

Identity theft almost affects all sectors of the society. However, the most that are affected are the victims and the business sectors. Though the effect on each differs in intensity, it is all together a devastation.

For financial institutions, theft caused them millions of dollars. In most instances, it is the financial institutions that incur the financial losses of their customers. In worst scenario, if they are at fault, it is likely that their business will close.

While they work hard to secure the personal information file of their customers, when this strikes, they are not spared from the liabilities, most especially reporting was neglected on their part.

On the individual’s part, the experience may take its toll on them personally, psychologically, emotionally and financially too. Though the extent of its damage and its effect on them is not the same, it is obvious that there are some who may feel angry with the situation, some may manifest symptoms of depression, and some may feel the pangs of stress.

However, the problems it caused the individual and the business sectors made the public aware that identity theft is already a reality. It has finally being taken seriously.

Individuals are now taking steps to do some theft protection as a precautionary measure. Some are now careful with their personal information. Extra measures on keeping their SSN a secret is now practiced by many. Looking around you before punching your credit account number is a must to most customers.

Banks and other financial institutions are now careful with their business dealings. They counter check information and the person before they release loans. Included as a precaution, is the safeguarding of the information file of their customers.

On top of these, financial institutions play an important role in educating their customers to do regular identity theft check. This includes the checking of their credit report.

In short, though identity theft has caused the public in general, its effects are going to the nerves of the financial institutions and the individual victims. It had caused them discomforts personally and financially. Even if this is so, identity theft opened the eyes of the public to be more wary about their personal information.

Restoring Your Identity â Resolution Vs Restoration Services

Identity theft is growing and has affected 27.3 millions people in America in the past 5 years. Those people not only lose their identity, money, credit and more, they also spend years and even more money trying to clean it up. But what does it really take when restoring your identity?

If you have been a victim of identity theft and are suffering for things you did not do, you need the proper assistance. There are companies who are out there who can help with restoring your identity or with restoration. At first glance, these services may look like the same thing, but they are not. Resolution Services offer a solution for the victim to work with to restore their identity, while Restoration Services do the actual work to restore the victims identity.

Resolution Services offer the victim an identity theft product with instructions on how the victim can restore their identity themselves. Some services offer a call in service where the victim can speak with a Crisis Coach. Either way, the victim has to do the work to restore their identity which can take weeks to month and in some cases years to restore their identity.

Restoration Services have clients sign a limited power of attorney, empowering them to complete 85% of the work. The victim can live their lives while the Restoration Service goes to work for them with the credit reporting agencies, the Department of Motor Vehicles, Social Security Administration, the Post Office and more, all of which they have systems and relationships with to handle the restoration process in a more efficient manner. This results in a much quicker identity restoration.

Ultimately, it is up to the victim as to which type of service works better for them. Some people are so jaded that they do not trust anyone and would rather do the work themselves, while others prefer the experience of the service and want them to use their contacts to fix the situation as quickly as possible. This option will save identity theft victims hours of time and frustration.

As with anything, prevention is always best. There are hundreds of things you can do to protect your identity. The problem is many of us do not have the time or knowledge to implement every prevention strategy. With so much of our information out there not under our control an early warning system is important. Safeguard your information as much as you can. Avoid putting your information out there, check your credit card statements item by item, use only secure internet sites when shopping, and never let your credit card, license or bill out of your sight.

Identity Theft â How Does it Undo the Victim?

In almost every State and country, identity theft seems a normal occurrence. It happens every day with shocking numbers of victims. This is especially true in the United States. It causes considerable problems not only to the society as a whole but especially to the victims.

One of the emotional turmoil this causes is the stressful situation where a victim is investigated. This is when a victim does the explanation during court proceedings. Background investigation disturbs the typical day of the person involved. Not only is this stressful but embarrassing too. Neighbors, friends and colleagues might think the victim is really a criminal.

Besides that, the victim feels violated in his privacy. He may feel he does not have secrets anymore. To those who are careful but were still victimized, they feel they have inadequate identity theft protection.

It also makes victims paranoid. They might suspect almost anybody even those who are honest and credible individuals. Though being paranoid is a form of identity theft protection, it affects the victim’s relationship to the people around him.

On top of these, it may cause you to be apprehended with crimes you did not commit. This is because thief can do illegal activities associating your name. He may be involved in bank robbery, rape, murder and other crimes in which you know nothing about. All you have to do is to allow yourself to be handcuffed if that situation comes.

In addition, the thief can do anything with your identity. He may buy expensive house, cars, personal effects, DVDs and many more. He may also apply for loans until your financial company will haunt you of delinquent payments.

Psychologically, this causes you sleepless nights thinking on how you are going to report identity theft to the authorities and to your financial company. Most of all how you are going to get back your clean credit report. The long wait of the correction may further add to your disturbed night sleep. Statistics shows it will take 4 months to years to straighten out the problem.

If the victim cannot stand the emotional and psychological effect of this, it will eventually affect him physically. He might not eat as usual because of depression, feels constipated or experience loose bowel movement, and undergo other physical symptoms which may lead to the worst scenario.

All in all, the effect of identity theft to the victim is devastating as it affects the totality of a person. Although, the effect differs from individual to individual, victims all experience emotional, psychological and physical harms it causes.

The One Thing That Will Finally Get Your Attention

Your attention can be divided to several issues in a minute alone. You cannot be put to blame if this is the case since man is a complex creature that is capable of doing so. All the time, you are distracted and most often, it is difficult to get your undivided attention. But what if your name and financial future is on the line? Your world will stop.

For a split second, you cannot breathe and the endless stories about identity theft burn your chest at the very moment. You are the victim, the vulnerable victim who has not discovered the crime of the traitor until after identity theft check. It was your officemate who delved into dumpster diving to get your information and exploit the chances of having them. But you did not know this. No, you did not. And now the law is pushing you to talk about loans you did not make, credit cards that the thief extensively swiped all over the metro and the bankruptcy statements that you did not file.

Identity theft can ruin your life and can taint your name. Here is what you can do:

1. Assess
   
   Assessment by identity theft check is one good action when suspicion arises. If you think it is a fraud, then have a credit repair company fix the problem. Even they can be capable of evaluating your credit report for signs of identity theft. Therefore, having your reports reviewed every so often will help in the early discovery of the crime.



2. Report
   
   Once you reaffirm that you are a victim of it, one of the most important action is to report the case. First, contact your credit card companies and file an identity theft so that they may stop the transactions which may occur in the future. You may contact the credit report bureaus to trace the thief as fast as possible. And not to forget, the Federal Trade Commission can help gather information for better development in the case.



3. Claim
   
   You have the privilege of credit and by this you have a right as a citizen of the state.  You can claim your rights to freedom and protection from crime. Use the power of information to better equip you with the right action or the right decision against identity theft. Credit report bureaus may guide you through the steps in clearing your name in the eyes of the law.



Clear your mind and think fast. The thief is out there causing as much damage as possible. What can you do at such a time? Are you even capable of doing anything? What can you do to save your identity? The clock is ticking, so as you financial future ahead of you.

Home Stealing â How Crooks Can Literally Steal Your Home

Everyone has heard of home burglary before, right? Thugs break in and take things of value from you home. But that is not what I am talking about here.

I am talking about a new criminal activity that has recently become very popular among thieves and crooks. I am talking about literally stealing your home from you without you even knowing about it.

The term is known as ‘house stealing’. It not the actual physical act of loading your home on a tractor bed and driving off. It is perpetrated by a crook or band of thieves assuming your identity and changing the ownership of your home and cashing it out. This is another version in long line identity theft techniques. Here is how it happens and what you can do to protect yourself.

These con artists and fraudsters first target a property of interest. They find out the details of the properties ownership which is readily available as a public record at your local courthouse or city hall.

They create fake identity papers such as a counterfeit social security card or a phony driver’s license. Then they make a trip to an office supply store where they can easily obtain the necessary real estate documents and paperwork they need. Using their fake identification card(s) and the newly created property deeds, they file these with you local government authorities. Unless caught during the act, the property ownership transfers into the name of the new owners. Then they are free to refinance or sell the property, all without the rightful owner ever knowing this has happened!

How does this happen? Doesn’t the government agency know that it is a fraudulent activity? Apparently not since proper identification was provided. Now, your house is stolen and is in someone else’s name. Now the new ‘owner’ can refinance or sell to an unsuspecting buyer, pocket the proceeds and disappear to start the con all over again somewhere else.

House stealing can be stopped. If you use a credit monitoring service or subscribe to an identification theft protection service, you may already be protected. Check with your service provider and check to see if they provide constant monitoring of your credit reports for any liens being placed against your home.

The actual process and the ease with which this can be done are downright frightening. What can you do to protect yourself? The FBI advises that the best way to ensure you are protected is to monitor your county or local authority’s deeds office for any and all liens created and assigned against your property.

And there is a website you can visit for a free solution that does just that. This is free service will monitor public documents for any association with your registered property(s) and will alert you in any case there is a change made to them.

Find out more at their website at http://www.epropertywatch.com

Beware Of The Current Boom In Identity Theft

The crime of identity theft is booming and now more than ever, you need to change your habits to become more conscious of safeguarding your personal information so that it does not get into the wrong hands.

You may not be aware of the boom in the crime of identity theft but it is a crime that continues to increase, especially as many people become less careful with their personal information and who they are willing to give it to. Just as an example, almost 8 million people were victims of identity theft of some form during 2006.

It is hard to understand why there is such a major increase in this type of crime, which is a crime that barely existed only 10 to 15 years ago. Yes, there were fraud cases back at that time, but not nearly to the extent nor the sophistication that today’s identity theft crimes display.

Much of the reason, it must be assumed, is due to the Internet boom and how there are literally millions more people online every day than there were several years ago. But this is NOT to say that the Internet or the information technology craze is a bad thing, not at all. What it does mean, however, that it is easier than ever for people to share personal information online. There is no personal interaction required to type information into a web form or via instant messenger or via email, when in reality, you do not know for 100% sure exactly WHO is receiving the information you are transmitting into cyberspace. You may THINK it’s your bank asking you to verify your information or this great new friend you met in a forum that teaches Sunday school, but do you really know?

For the most part, most consumers are unaware of what information they are NOT required to divulge. People who are relatively new to the Internet and email do not realize that their bank or credit card company would NEVER ask them to verify personal information online, yet thousands of people fall victim to email scams every year by doing so because the email looks so “official”. What they don’t realize is that almost any 12 year old worth his salt can create an “official looking” email that probably would look better than one the real bank or credit card company would send out themselves!

Never give out your personal information, account information or PIN codes via an online form or to a telemarketer over the phone. Even if you don’t have doubts about the identity of the person calling, be cautious anyway and YOU initiate the call to the bank or credit card company so you know who you are calling.

Invest in a paper shredder, which are less than $40 at almost any office supply store. And with those credit card offers you get in the mail every week? Shred them. If you are like most people and simply tear it in half and throw it in the trash, this becomes gold for the identity thieves who regularly engage in “dumpster diving” to piece back together such offers so they can steal your identity.

Protect your identity and your personal information. It may be a bit more trouble than you are used to taking, but if your identity is stolen, you will spend weeks, month, and even years trying to get things straightened back out.

Protect Yourself Against Identity Theft

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the world today. You’ve worked hard to get and maintain a good credit rating. There are several steps you can take today to ensure that you are protected as much as possible against the crime of identity theft, which can sink your credit rating to negative numbers almost overnight.

It seems like you can hardly watch the TV news or read the daily newspaper anymore without seeing a report of identity theft or seeing the topic of identity theft coming up as a very hot topic. Although identity theft is not a well-known type of crime, it is one of the fastest growing and insidious crimes in the world today.

Let’s look at a typical case of what happens with identity theft. Very simply, someone opens an account, like a Visa or MasterCard, or perhaps at a major department store, using YOUR name, YOUR social security number, YOUR date of birth. This is all information that supposedly, YOU would be the only one that would know, so it appears legitimate. The address is frequently not your address, but with the frequency that people move these days, a different address seldom throws up a red flag. Since you have good credit, the new account is approved, and the new credit card is mailed to “you” at the address provided on the application.

Now what happens? The thief may repeat the process and open 2-3 or even a dozen or more new accounts. Having the cards in hand, the thief goes out and charges those cards to the hilt, purchasing things like a plasma TV, a high-end computer system, top of the line digital camera, even a late model used car, and much more.

A couple of months down the road, you get a call from the collections department with American Express, Citibank Visa, your local department store, and sometimes even ALL of these. They want to know if there is a problem with your new account, since you have not made any payments to date. Huh? In the vast majority of cases, this is your first indication that you have been a victim of identity theft.

It is not a pretty picture. The lender is going to assume that you are just trying to fabricate a story so you can enjoy all the new toys you bought without having to pay for them. And most of those creditors will get fairly hostile with you, and in the meantime, they are more than happy to start reporting your huge delinquency to the credit bureaus so that your previously sterling credit rating starts going to the dogs in a hurry.

The good news is that the error can be resolved … eventually. But it is going to take months and even years to get your credit rating restored to where it was before, as well as a significant amount of your time and possibly even legal fees. You see, those lenders who approved “your” new account don’t want to take responsibility for merchandise that was purchased and will probably never be found again. The ONLY thing they have to allow them to track it down is your social security number and date of birth, so since that is the only thing they have, they hound you like a pit bull. Unfortunately, they also take the attitude of you being guilty until being presented with irrefutable proof that you are innocent and a victim of identity theft.

Do not take a lax attitude about identity theft because it can happen to you, and I can guarantee that it is significantly less fun than a root canal. There are many steps you can take that will help guard you against identity theft, and you are highly encouraged to take those steps as soon as possible.

Making Yourself Aware of Identity Theft and Fraud

Identity Theft Protection for 2007. Don’t let it happen to You!

Any form of theft is a violation to the law. It causes infringement to the right of an individual, an organization or even a group of companies. Moreover, for every infraction there is a corresponding sanction.

Majority of the general public are aware about it. However, only few can understand regarding this matter. There is a necessity for clarification because it can bring so much impact to several aspects of both the business and the group of individuals concerned.

Are you aware that there is also the so-called identity stealing and fraud that happens in the web world? With the advent of technology, where everything almost functions through computer systems, there is a lot of falsification that can happen.

Identity theft in its strictest sense refers to stealing of your personal data. These data are usually found in your typical credit card. The data will constitute your SSN number, license number, credit card and also your bank account number as well as your mother’s maiden name. In other words, if all of this necessary information will be stolen from you, they can also perform transactions using your identity.

Identity robbing and fraud indeed ruins your personal confidentiality. This is something critical because it can cause havoc in your life also. You do not even know if someone is planning against you or your property.

The worse thing is that, traditional credit cards are not used in the line anymore. Almost all the transactions already pass through the computers and even the credit cards. It is easier to steal your identity through computer access because of it being accessible to the public.

You should secure yourself at all times. Be sure that you are always ready if somebody steals your identity. It is a fact that it is quite difficult to do this, primarily because everything is out of your control.

Bear in mind that you are responsible for taking significant actions in order to prevent your identity from being taken away from you by others. Do not let them benefit from the fruits of your labor.

You should always beware of the people that are expert in terms of identity theft and fraud. They know all of the tactics and strategies in stealing your identity. Some of these people even study all the tricks that they can do so they may execute the crime clean.

Yes, identity rip-off and fraud can be both considered crime. Fraud usually happens after somebody steals your identity, because it allows him or her to manipulate your personal information with these illegal actions.

Your personal identity can be a greatest tool also for deceiving other people. This will particularly happen if the business transaction will happen computer to computer. So many people are becoming wealthy with this fraudulent act.

You should not loose hope because there are still certain actions you can take to prevent yourself from being a victim of identity theft and fraud. It will also vary depending on the place where you are.

If you are at a boarding house, do not trust your roommates too much. Make sure that you keep all your personal data properly hidden. It is not good if you will be exposing your entire personal identity to your roommates. Its smarter if you send and receive your mail at the nearest post office in your town than leave in the mailbox at your boarding house. You can also crumple and destroy all the unnecessary forms that will include your personal data immediately so that others will not have an access to this anymore.

If you are at work, you can refer to some agencies that can guarantee you for the security of your personal data. Do not forget to confirm if your personal data is held safely. Make sure that when making business transactions, avoid trusting other people especially those that ask your personal information via phone. You can verify if it concerns business matters or any legal operation.

Likewise, on your computers avoid posting too much information regarding your personal identity. Exposing yourself too much to the public is not advantageous. Do not cause a menace to your life.

Identity Theft â Are YOU at Risk?

Chances are you think that you won’t be affected by the nation’s number one fast-growing crime. Think again. Identity theft is on the rise. Find out what you don’t know about ID Theft and how you can protect yourself.

Chances are you think that you won’t be affected by the nation’s number one fast-growing crime. Think again. Identity theft is on the rise. In 2005, 9.3 million Americans were victims of identity theft according to the Javelin Better Business Bureau survey. 68.2 percent of the cases involved thieves who obtained personal information off-line vs. only 11.6% obtained online. ID theft through lost or stolen identification, misappropriation by family and friends, and theft of paper mail are among the most common ways thieves gain access to your information. Most people do not have a clue how to protect themselves. For a moment, let’s just examine what could happen in your life if you are targeted for this crime: ¡¤ Victims now spend an average of 600 hours recovering from identity theft over a period of years. This equals nearly $16,000 in lost potential or realized income. Typical out-of-pocket expenses are $1,500 on average. ¡¤ Even after a thief is stopped from using your information, sometimes up to as much as 10 years, victims still struggle with the impact of identity theft. That includes increased insurance or credit card fees, inability to find a job, higher interest rates, as well as continuing to battle collection agencies that refuse to clear records despite substantiating evidence of the crime. How stressful do you think this situation would be? ¡¤ The emotional impact on victims is likened to a violation similar to what victims of violent crime describe including rape, violent assault and battering. People feel dirty, ashamed, embarrassed and often are afraid to ask for help. Many have reported a split with a spouse of significant other as well as being unsupported by family members. Most victims report a lack of responsiveness from those entities they turned to for help including police, collection agencies, credit issuers, utility companies and financial institutions. The average arrest rate for ident! ity thef t based on reported cases is 5%. The message here is crystal clear – we have to fight identity theft ourselves! Exactly what are the different types of identity theft and how do identity thieves get access to your personal information? Financial Identity Theft This is the kind of identity theft most people think of first. Thieves hack into your computer at home or at the office and steal personal information. It accounts for about 28% of all identity theft happening today. For example, thieves will: ¡¤ use your line of credit to make purchases ¡¤ use your credit cards to make purchase ¡¤ open up a mortgage using your name and social security number ¡¤ create a loan using your name and social security number ¡¤ file bankruptcy under your name ¡¤ open phone or utility accounts under your name ¡¤ attempt checking and/or savings fraud (accessing your accounts) ¡¤ attempt to use existing accounts to make purchases Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, your liability in the case of unauthorized credit use is limited to $50 per card. However, in order to take advantage of this protection, you must file a dispute letter within 60 days after the first bill containing the error was mailed to you. So what happens if the thief changes your address and you don’t receive your bill? Guess what, you are held financially liable. In addition, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act has the same 60 day notification provision or your liability is unlimited. Not fair, but it’s the reality. Some credit card companies promote zero liability for these kinds of fraudulent transactions. However the reality is that there are exclusions including cards used by business purposes, ATM transactions, and certain PIN-based transitions, all transactions processed outside the card issuer’s network, and cases where the card holder gave permission for someone else to use their card. You have to read your cardholder agreement carefully to find out t! he exact details. Financial Identity Theft has significant impact on a person’s life including: financial losses, inaccurate credit reports that can mean being denied a job, difficulty getting new lines of credit, trouble opening new accounts as well as higher costs for loans and insurance. The toll of this kind of financial loss can be significant as can be witnessed in a recent lawsuit filed by a plaintiff against Home Depot, Case #02CC13327 in Orange County Superior Court, where a judge awarded the plaintiff $1 million in damages for identity theft. Criminal Identity Theft This is the second most common type of identity theft and most people aren’t even aware of it. In this case, a criminal uses your information during encounters with the police. For example, a thief who has your identifying information gets arrested for a crime and gives them your name and social security number. One day you are driving along and get stopped for a traffic infraction. The cop runs your name through their database and finds out you just committed a bank robbery in another state. Suddenly you are being hauled off to jail for something you didn’t even do! Never mind how stressful and embarrassing this mistake could be, it can also lead to an erroneous criminal record, outstanding arrest warrants, and possible consequences such as being fired from your job for not disclosing a conviction and even get you thrown in jail. What if this happens on a Friday night and they toss you the local jail overnight? Do you have someone you can call that could bail you out? Can you afford this kind of mistake happen in your life? The results of this kind of criminal identity theft could include a negative impact on future employment, loss of security clearance, lost jobs and higher insurance premiums. It is the most difficult type of ID theft to clear up and in some cases, almost impossible. Some victims have been reduced to carrying court documentation with them at all times to! prove w ho they really are and not the actual criminal. Social Security Identity Theft If someone uses your social security number to get a job and they have a continuous work record, guess who gets to pay the tax bill? The answer is you. There are cases where someone’s social security number was used a total of 37 times by different people. In the employment screening business, we see this happen every day. Medical Identity Theft This kind of ID theft involves someone using your health insurance for medical and/or hospital care. The result is a mixed up medical record that could result in potentially deadly consequences. For example, what would happen if someone used your identification and health insurance number and got an HIV test that proved positive? Now all of a sudden, that record is attached to your medical records and every time you see a healthcare person, they think you have aids. In addition, this can seriously impact your ability to get insurance and it can result in significantly higher insurance premiums. A recent article in the November 2006 issues of Reader’s Digest reported that ¡°fraud is estimated to account for as much as ten percent of all health care costs ¡­ including medical identity theft.¡± ¡°An insurance card is like a Visa card with a $1 million spending limit,¡± says Byron Hollis, national anti-fraud director of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The most frightening part of this article is the fact that organized crime rings are realizing how lucrative identity theft is and are adding a new dimension to the problem. Driver’s License Identity Theft Our driver’s license is the standard and most often used form of identification in United States. ID thieves are professionals at creating fake driver’s licenses that are virtually impossible to detect. Having this form of picture ID opens the door to numerous other types of ID theft. On October 28, 2006 in California, a worker at the Santa Ana DMV w! as arres ted for her alleged role in an ID theft scheme that used applicant information to create fraudulent licenses. The indictment alleged that she used her position to sell fraudulent drivers licenses to co-schemers who paid between $1,500 to $5,000 for each fraudulent license. She allegedly obtained the identifications of victims from the DMV database and changed their address and identifiers to match the fraudulent purchaser who then had a new DMV photo taken. What can You do to Protect Yourself? The good news is there are many things you can do to protect yourself, but you must be proactive. This is a crime you cannot afford to wait to become of a victim of. 1. Order the Federal Trade Commission’s free report on identity theft by visiting www.consumer.gov/idtheft or calling 877 382-4357 2. Get a copy of your own credit report and review it carefully for accuracy. Because of the new Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) you can get a free copy once a year at www.annualcreditreport.com 3. Be careful with your mail. Don’t use an unsecured mailbox when mailing anything containing financial information. Drop off at the post office or in a post office collection box. 4. Guard your trash. Identity thieves will look for credit card receipts and applications, insurance forms, bank statements etc. Buy a shredder and use it regularly. 5. Use your Social Security Number only when absolutely necessary. Before you give your SS# to anyone, ask why it is needed and how it will be used, or shared with others and how the company protects your personal information. 6. Pay attention to billing cycles. If your bills don’t arrive on time, follow up with your creditors. A missing statement can mean an ID thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address. 7. Be cautious with online purchases. Before purchasing anything on the internet, look for the icon of a lock in the lower right-hand corner of your browser windows. If it’s there, you’re dealing with a secure site. It n! ot, you& #8217;ll be safer finding another merchant. 8. Remove personal information from old computers. Files you think you have deleted from your computer may remain on your hard drive where hackers can easily access them. Use a wipe utility program to delete files with sensitive data. 9. Opt-out of receiving pre-approved credit cards offers in the mail by calling 888 5-OPT-OUT or going to www.optoutprescreen.com 10. Immediately sign up for an ID Theft Shield program which can not only monitor your credit and let you know when anything changes, but can also provide restoration after the fact. Don’t wait on this one – Click here now for more information

Medical Identity Theft

Unfortunately, medical identity theft has been on the rise in recent years. With healthcare costs on the rise, many are becoming desperate in their efforts to obtain the treatments and medication they need. This has driven some to turn to fraud as a solution.

Medical identity theft occurs when someone takes another person’s personal information and uses it to receive free medical care or prescription medication. Thieves steal names, social security numbers, Medicare numbers, and more in order to effectively prove to healthcare providers that they are covered under someone else’s plan.

This criminal problem has become such an issue that in 2007 alone, around 500,000 Americans fell victim to it. Even more astounding is the fact that this number has only gone up since then. In order to protect yourself from this financially devastating form of fraud, make sure that you protect your personal information and keep close watch over your medical bills and notifications. If you notice something unusual or a charge for treatment you didn’t receive, contact your insurance company immediately.

Common Fraud Schemes

There are very strict laws and regulations that aim to protect the privacy of all patients. Despite these, however, some thieves are still able to evade the system and carry out their ID theft schemes. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Service, some of the more common tactics that are used include the following:

• Approaching you in a public space (mall, parking lot) and offering you some sort of service in exchange for your Medicare number
• Calling you, claiming to be conducting a health-related survey, and asking for your Medicare number
• Calling you, claiming to be telemarketers that work for Medicare or Social Security and are asking for phone or internet payments

With regards to the information that is stored in the computer system at your insurance agency and doctors’ offices, there isn’t much you can do. You can only trust that they have the correct computer and networking protection the keep wanted intruders out of their systems.

10 Ways Identity Thieves Steal Your Personal Information

Identity thieves want your personal information and they are desperate to get it. These criminals use stolen personal IDs for their own illicit gain, and they will go to extreme lengths to steal your personal identifying information. Here is a list of ten (10) different ways your ID can be stolen without you even knowing it.

1) Dumpster Diving. Perhaps the easiest way to steal your ID. You might be surprised at all the stuff you inadvertently throw out that contains personal data. Identity thieves simply rummage through your trash to find any personal information you may have thrown away in the trash. Always shred any documents that have your name, social security number or any other identifying information on it before disposing of it.

2) Steal your bank, credit union, credit card, and other financial statements right out of your mailbox.

3) Divert your mail to another address by filling out a change of address form

4) Hack into a bank account or other financial institution.

5) Steal your PIN at a gas station or grocery store Point of Sale (POS), or at an ATM.

6) Clone your credit card number at bars and restaurants where the card is processed out-of -sight behind closed doors.

7) Theft of sales information or receipts from a retailer.

Hack into a store’s database to access customer information, rewards programs, etc.

9) Phishing attempts. Phishing rhymes with “fishing” and that’s exactly what it is – an attempt at fishing for your personal information by online ID criminals. You receive an email that appears to come from your bank, online retailer, or other legitimate company you do business with. The email will ask you to “confirm your account information” by supplying Social Security number, credit card or bank information or other information that is specific to your account. When you send the requested information the thieves can now use it to access your account to commit fraudulent transactions.

10) Theft of your personal information at an auto dealership or mortgage lender. This data is used to access the consumer’s credit history for fraudulent purposes.

In summary, you now have a list of some of the ways your ID can be stolen by criminals with malicious intent. Knowing how these crooks can steal your personal data puts you on the path to being more proactive in guarding your personal information and keeping it safe from fraudulent use.