Check out the news article: “New identity theft scam is targeting jurors” by Bob Audette of the Reformer news site. The paragraph that caught my eye is:

“Police said an individual called the man, saying the call was being made on behalf of Judge John P. Wesley in Brattleboro District Court. The individual stated that the man had recently missed his court-ordered jury duty, and therefore the court had issued a warrant for his arrest with fines attached. The caller asked the man to verify his address, telephone number and Social Security number. “

The article goes on to say that the gentleman was careful and not compromised, but how many were compromised? Who was calling these people requesting this information? The police have not caught this perpetrator and according to identity theft statistics they won’t catch them. So if the authorities can’t catch the criminals and the crime is growing by leap and bounds, what can you do?

There are infinite ways to have your identity stolen. It seems that everyday a business is hacked and thousand or millions of personal records are stolen. You could be fooled by a tricky e-mail or phone call. Someone could steal your mail. This happen to me years ago and my credit card was charged for a pre-paid phone card. I luckily caught the charge in time to have it removed from my account, but it was my wakeup call to protect my credit. Later I learned that my credit was just a small part of the identity theft problem. Credit card fraud is only 28% of the problem. bank fraud is 18%, phone and utility fraud is 19%, employment related fraud is 13%, Government documents & benefits fraud is 8% and medical fraud is growing.

How can someone else using your identity create a criminal record for you? Imagine a drug dealer gets your name, address and say your drivers license number. They have a fake ID made with their picture, but your information. They are caught for their crime, but it is your information that is put into the system. They don’t show for they’re court date and a warrant is issued for your arrest. Yes, you will be cleared eventually, but only after being cuffed and processed. Do you really want to deal with that? Wouldn’t it be much easier to get a notice that you showed up in a criminal database somewhere and could preemptively solve the problem? Would you know how to solve the problem? How much of your time and trouble would go into solving a false record against your identity? If it were possible to make a 10 minute phone call and fax some documents to an expert in this sort of thing and have them clear the problem up for you, would you be interested in that service? Would you be more interested if that service cost only pennies a day? If so, then please continue reading.

It is almost impossible to fully protect your identity. Most of the data you need to protect is not in your control. Did you hear the recent new story about the notebook computer stolen from an employee of Veteran Affairs? Millions of identities were compromised in an instant. If you were in that database what would you have done the minute you heard about the theft? I knew exactly what to do. I made one five minute phone call to Identity Theft Shield and then let them handle the rest.

There are multiple products on the market that protect your credit. There is identity theft insurance available too, but that only give you money and instructions to solve the problem yourself. Identity Theft Shield is a complete solution. This is not identity theft insurance where they provide you funds and instructions to fix the problem yourself. Identity Theft Shield actually does the work and fixes the problem for you!

Odds are you will be a victim of Identity Theft. It’s almost impossible to avoid being touched by it. I sleep better at night knowing I have protection. Wouldn’t you like too? Please do your research and look into every form of Identity Theft protection that is available. Ask the hard questions from the companies providing this service. Ask “if my identity is compromised, what exactly does your company do for me?” 99% of the businesses offering Identity Theft protection are only focused on your credit or are going to “guide you” through the process of fixing the problem and in most cases they don’t cost any less then Identity Theft Shield.



By: Frank Brammer

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You need to make identity theft protection a top priority. The reality is that one of the most common types of crime today is identity theft. Therefore, it is very important that you really are proactive and effective when it comes to identity theft protection.

If you are like most people in the world today you spend a great deal of time online transacting business. You shop online, you obtain services online. In the end, the Internet and World Wide Web is a wonderful resource when it comes to shopping, engaging services and for many other activities. Identity thieves completely understand this reality – they understand that the Net is a prime hunting ground when it comes to obtaining financial and personal information from targeted victims.

Using the Internet to shop, indeed using the Internet at all, actually does open you up to rather significant exposure to identity theft. Therefore, you need to make certain that you utilize tools and resources that are designed to provide you with optimum identity theft protection.

Chief amongst the steps that you will want to take when it comes to identity theft protection online is to obtain reliable, reputable and effective anti-spyware software. The fact is that there likely are hundreds of thousands of people lurking on the Net trying to steal your identity and the identity of people just like you through the use of spyware.

Spyware is an aptly named application that allows a person the ability to actually “sneak” into your computer through the Net to collect information about you. A form of spyware is used by reputable online merchants to obtain some basic information about your Internet use and habits. However, those intent on identity theft use more insidious software that actually can effectively collect personal and financial information from you and your computer, including passwords to your accounts.

You need to understand that there are spyware applications that can go so far as to monitor and track your actual keystrokes – a means of collecting your password with relative ease. Spyware applications are very invasive and can be very effective tools when it comes to stealing your personal and financial information.

Understanding these key factors associated with spyware, you definitely want to make sure you have the best possible anti-spyware protection on your computer. Typically, an anti-virus program today will include anti-spyware protection as well. In the end, this type of protection is crucial as part of your overall identity theft protection efforts.



By: Bernard Pragides

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The term “bot” is for robot.  Not the kind of robot you have seen in movies and television shows (does anyone remember ‘Lost In Space’?) or the one at the car assembly plant.  Bots are now one of the most complex types of crimeware on the Internet and therefore a significant tool for identity theft.  Bots are a lot like worms and Trojans, except that they can perform a wide variety of automated tasks on behalf of their master who is usually located far, far away.

Bots can perform nasty tasks like sending spam that can blast a Web site right off the internet when the spam is part of a coordinated “denial of service” attack.  A bot infected computer does the work for its master and that machine is known as a “zombie”.  Bots can enter your computer in several ways.  They are able to search the internet for vulnerable and un-protected (Nawaz, please link to Symantec) computers and inject the infection.  After infecting the machine they immediately report back to their master.

The bots objective now is to stay hidden until their master awakens them and assigns a task.  Bots are so silent that the victim does not know of their existence until the Internet Service Provider notifies you that your computer has been spamming other Internet users.  There are times when the bot will actually clean up an infected computer so that it will not get bumped off the victims machine by another identity thieves bot.  Bots can also infect by being downloaded by a Trojan, installed by a malicious Web site or emailed directly to you from an existing infected computer.

Bots never work alone because they are part of a network of infected computers called a “botnet”.  Botnets are created by identity thieves/attackers who repeatedly infect victim’s computers using one or several of the techniques already mentioned.  Each zombie machine is controlled by a master computer called the command and control server.  The cybercriminals/identity thieves manage their botnets and instruct their army of zombie computers from their command and control centre.  Typically, a botnet is composed of a large number of victimized machines that stretch across the entire planet, from China to the U.S.  Some botnets have a few hundred or few thousand computers; others have tens and even hundreds of thousands of zombies at their command.

 

Do you want to learn about Identity Theft Prevention & Identity Theft Protection. Stop Identity Theft with LifeLock. LifeLock can guarantee identity theft never happens to you. To see how lifelock identity theft protection works



By: Randy Vezina

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Identity theft starts with the misuse of your personally identifying information such as your name and Social Security number, credit card numbers, or other financial account information. For professional identity stealers, this information is as good as gold mine.

Professional and Skilled identity Stealers may use a variety of methods to get hold of your information, including:

 

1. Skimming: These professional steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card. Do you let the waiter/waitress walk away from your table with credit card in hand? How about the gas station attendant? These are just some of the ways identity thieves can skim your card(s)

2. Dumpster Driving: In this method the thieves search for various bills and pieces for paper on which one might have scribbled some personal information. This can happen at work from the little garbage can beside your desk. Do you put your garbage out at night or even in the morning? If so, identity thieves will steal the entire garbage bag and take it to a safe location where they can pick it apart.

3. Phishing/Malware: These ID stealers are hard at work thinking up creative ways to get malware software on your computer using appealing Web sites, desirable downloads, and compelling stories, these criminals try to lure consumers to links that will download malware, especially on computers that don’t use adequate security software. Then, they use the malware to steal personal information, send spam, and commit fraud. They also can pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.

4. Changing Your Address: These criminals divert your billing statements to another location by completing a change of address form. Where they can collect your personal information form those bills.

5. Old-Fashioned Stealing: It is the most common forms of identity theft where in the these stealers steal billing related mails and credit card statements from their victims. They also resort to stealing their wallets and purses to get credit card details and other such information. They may also resort to bribing and getting such vital details from people who have access to it.

6. Pre-texting: They move step ahead in their job, by using false pretenses to obtain your personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources. Pretexing is the practice of getting your personal information under false pretenses. Pretexers sell your information to people who may use it to get credit in your name, to steal your assets, or to investigate or sue you. Pretexing is against the law. Pretexers use a variety of tactics to steal your personal information and commit identity theft. For example, a pretexter may call, claim he’s from a research firm, and ask for your name, address, birth date, and social security number. When the pretexter has the information he wants, he uses it to call your financial institution. He pretends to be you or someone with authorized access to your account. He might claim he has forgotten his check book and needs information about his account. In this way, the pretexter may be able to obtain other personal information about you such as your bank and credit account numbers, information in your credit report, and the existence and size of your savings and investment portfolios. Keep in mind that some information about you may be a matter of public record, such as whether you own a home, pay your real estate taxes, or have ever filed for bankruptcy. It is not pretexing for an identity thief to collect this kind of information.

Do you want to learn about Identity Theft Prevention & Identity Theft Protection. Stop Identity Theft with LifeLock. LifeLock can guarantee identity theft never happens to you. To see how lifelock identity theft protection works



By: Randy Vezina

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I remember the day when computers were first in my classroom. I laugh sometimes just remembering the green front Apple and Orange font IBM computers. When using them little did I know one day there would be graphic rich multimedia with unlimited connectivity to the world and information.

I also remember my friend as a child who had a computer science father. As a birthday gift he gave his son two little boxes with 8 numerical buttons and one little red LCD display on each box. These little boxes were a way for me and my friend to send codes back and forth from each other from our phone lines when at home. We created our own code talk to decipher messages. We felt like spies and had a great time messaging nonsense for hours.

Little did I know as a child that these seemingly simple things would grow into the powerful and world dominating PC and Internet. Even less did I know the impact it would have on all the lives of the world and how easy and fun it would become. As a naive child, I would never imagine the evil that would lurk to destroy such great technological advances.

With the birth of the Internet came the birth of viruses, spyware, and spam. The Internet world could now virally be infected with computer destroying codes almost instantly worldwide along with pop-up ads all over your computer screen and your inbox bombarded with propositions of the unthinkable and bizarre.

Once introduced, the world forever would be on their toes watching their backs for this malicious onslaught of computer created menaces and dangers . The industry created to thwart the destructive codings has boomed and never looked back and it is doubtful that it will ever be out of demand as more lives rely on the Internet and the computers used to access it.

Hundreds of different anti-virus, ant-spam, and anti-spyware software exists today and some can come at a bargain while others can cost you an arm and leg. Some are excellent while others are mediocre, but for today we will discuss good and honest protection that is free.

Spam as we all know can ruin a good visit to the inbox. For protection against spam you must be responsible with your email address and be careful who gets it. Applying for bogus free offers and money making schemes can open up your whole account to the dreaded inbox disease.

If you are needing spam protection you can open up a free email account with Yahoo Mail or HotMail and receive free spam protection with the service without any additional software or setup. Yahoo offers a yearly paid account with additional spam protection if the free version is not enough for you. Yahoo charges about $20.00 a year, which I myself subscribe to.

With spyware you can expect unexpected pop-ups, search intrusions, as well as the possibility of identity theft. This makes spyware no laughing matter and lucky for you you don’t have to pay to be protected. Lavasoft and AVG are just two companies that offer outstanding free anti-spyware software for your computer. Even Yahoo has gotten into the act and have given their toolbar users free spyware software that can be launched from their toolbar. I recommend running it once a day.

Viruses can literally destroy your operating system and even your whole computer which makes this last threat one of the most dangerous when it comes to your PC. You would expect to pay hundreds of dollars perhaps to protect your computer or maybe an annual subscription which is common too. Why even pay when you can get it for free?

There are two great anti-virus programs out there that you can use free for your home computer without any catch other than maybe a registration. I highly recommend these two products and use them for my own computers completely free.

Anti-virus #1: AVG has an anti-virus download that takes care of all the virus updates daily and scans your computer everyday at a specified time which is convenient for those who forget to protect their PCs.

Anti-Virus #2: Avast is an excellent program for keeping both spyware and viruses off of your computer and in the gutter where they belong. They have a more complex registration which requires email authentication and online registration, but only takes about 10 minutes of your time, a lot less time than the hours you have to work to buy a new computer or OS.

Don’t let the word free deter you from these great resources. It is amazing what these companies are offering the general PC population and you should take full advantage of their offer. I use all the mentioned software myself and it just goes to show, some of the best things in life really are free.

By: Aaron Siegel

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Do you know that emails you get from unknown senders are treated as SPAM after running them through a SPAM control filter?

This filter can be in real time, this means it scans every email before forwarding it to the email client. The others are offline SPAM filters which are built-in the email clients like MS Outlook, Eudora or any other reliable program.

Have you ever thought why so many emails have started to drop in your mailbox from peoples you never met before? More and more people started pushing emails containing information about their products. This boomed up so much that the service providers like Hotmail, Yahoo , AOL, Google etc are still struggling to get rid or reduce the amount of SPAM entering a user inbox.

The same pattern is followed by the hackers. They introduce some kind of malicious code into an email and will push it across the internet to several emailing hosts which would later spread the same mail to almost every user’s mailbox. Such emails are presented in an attractive way so that the user opens it on his/her computer and the malicious code triggers a reaction. Basically, you would send your personal/private information to the hacker.

Another way of hacking into inbox is via Spyware, which is done by installing a program on the user’s machine without its own wish and starting to show up advertisements.

SpyNoMore protects your computer either at home or at work. The software does not take more than a minutes to install and has a very user friendly interface where you can configure it to record browsed websites. You can protect confidential content from any forms of adware, spyware, Trojans or key loggers.

SpyNoMore also protects your data from dangerous key loggers which can read your key hits and store them in a text file which would later be sent over to the hacker. Trojans are another form of data eaters which would act more like a key logger but at the same times can be programmed to trigger its effects at a schedule interval.

Trojans are very hard to detect and are the most dangerous threats to the users. No one can avoid to be hit by attackers, but with SpyNoMore you are protected as it would detect and block all attempts made to sneak to your computer.

SpyNoMore guards your identity and brings back your computer original performance. It represents a smart, intelligent and powerful spyware protection solution.



By: Ted Peterson

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