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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Identity theft protection must be a number one priority for you in this day and age. The fact is that you simply cannot ever really let your guard down when it comes to 21st century identity theft protection. The reality is that even when you are having an enjoyable dinner out you must make sure that you have proper identity theft protection in place.

You might initially think that there is no real way in which you can fall prey to identity theft while you are dining out. The fact is that in this day and age a significant number of people from around the world actually have fallen to prey to identity theft after dining out even in finer restaurants. In order for your identity theft protection program to be fully in place you need to understand the risks you face in regard to identity theft even when you are having a pleasurable dinner out on the town.

In this day and age, in most instances when people dine out they tend to use a debit or credit card to pay the tab. You are likely such a person. Because you are likely to use a debit or credit card, you actually are handing over to a person you do not know (your server) a good deal of financial information. You are providing them your credit or debit card to satisfy your tab. And your debit or credit card actually can provide a person a great deal of information – indeed, really enough to begin the process to stealing your identity.

The fact is that in most restaurants the server removes the credit or debit card from your sight. There are some exceptions to this practice; however, in most instances your credit or debit card really will end up out of your sight at least for a short amount of time. Therefore, even if you have other identity theft protection practices in place, you are still at risk.

There are a surprising number of individuals involved in the food service industry that actually work at deals with identity thieves. These servers and other types of employees gather credit card and other information from their customers and turn around and sell it to these identity thieves.

The only sure way of fully protecting yourself against this type of practice is to pay with cash. However, that is not always convenient. With that in mind, you are well served to always monitor your credit or debit card – perhaps checking your account every couple of days online. In this way, you can detect any unauthorized transaction immediately. Moreover, you will want to check your credit reports regularly to make sure that no unauthorized accounts have been opened up in your name.



By: Bernard Pragides

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Pickpockets earn good money selling your identity to an identity thief. There is no firearm or other weapon involved, so even if they do get caught, the jail time is minimal. Forget about getting your Social Security card, credit cards and identity back, they sell it. Your identity is worth a fair bit of change. The same way the jewel thief knows who the jewel fence is, the pickpocket knows who the identity thief fence is. You have your minor league pickpockets and your major league pickpockets. The minor leaguers are just low-skilled opportunists and look for people who are not protecting their wallets and identity.

They go to crowded malls and other public areas where college students like to study and they get up close, sit down and eventually reach into the students backpack. These opportunists also hang out at public beaches to find someone who is sleeping or go to the airport and look for someone waiting around with their luggage. Be careful in crowded commuter trains and subways because everybody is bumping into each other and it is not an un-expected thing to have someone else’s body up against yours. These thieves will carry a newspaper or jacket to hide their hands.

Pickpockets also work in teams where you have your “pick” and your “stall”. You are walking along and suddenly the stall stops and you bump into her, but the pick bumps into the back of you, apologizes in his usual convincing way and your wallet is gone. The pickpockets’ best friend is distraction because we humans usually focus on one thought or action, so if you give us something that is interesting we stop paying attention to our money and identity. These thieves will work in larger teams where two of them will start a fight and the others will prey on the inattentive crowd.

There are children pickpockets as well. One will walk up to you and show you his cute little toy or drawing while the others sneak up from behind and do what they do. Another excellent distraction is sex. A beautiful woman, maybe acting drunk, will walk up and affectionately touch you. Others will play on your good nature and accidentally drop their groceries or change and you respond by helping her while the other team member removes your identity. More dramatic is the team at the beach where one pretends to be drowning while the rest of the thieves help themselves to whatever is on the beach.

Picture yourself at that busy commuter train station or subway station and suddenly someone yells out “somebody just stole my wallet”. Everyone pat’s the area of their clothing where their wallet is and now the other team members know where your wallet and identity is. These heartless beings will also stake out the ATM machines and cash registers to find out where your wallet is. These thieves know not to look like a common criminal and will dress like businessmen, others will carry babies and some will act and dress like tourists. Tourists are a favorite target. Fanny packs, backpacks and purses are easy targets so protect your money and your identity. Perhaps consider buying a money belt. Carry your purse under your arm and don’t look confused or lost (even if you are) because these thieves love people like that.

 

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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Does your computer lock up? Have files become unusable? Do you have problems accessing the internet? Or do pop ups constantly appear on your screen making it impossible to search the internet? Do you frequently have documents you need to save and don’t have adequate memory on your computer? Do you worry about your security when you open emails, attachments, download and make purchases online? If so, then the Panda Software protection and repair products may be what you need to repair and protect your computer and information.

Internet Security 2008 offers the total package of features: parental controls, anti spam, anti rootkit, anti phishing, blocking of unknown threats to your computer, anti phishing, firewalls, identity protection, detection of the newest viruses, personal computer “tune ups,” and an information backup system on their secure server.

First, Panda Software protects your computer from viruses, spyware, phishing, and spam. It provides your system with valuable firewall protection. Junk mail is filtered from your email inbox. Phishing is used to trick consumers into providing their confidential information by pretending to be from a legitimate site like a bank or well-know shopping service like Amazon.com. This software detects the programming behind these phishing email messages and identifies them as dangerous. Internet Security 2008 also detects the rootkit technology used in spyware programs, which are used to creep into your system undetected and “steal” information stored on your computer as well as monitor your internet usage. This information is then used for identity theft, fraudulent use of your information to gain employment, credit lending and many other purposes. The firewall protection keeps hackers from accessing your computer when you are using the Internet.

The parental control within the Internet Security 2008 program allows you to restrict specific websites, with custom filters for children, teenagers or even employees. You can designate the types of content to be unavailable as well as the pages that you feel to be inappropriate for viewing.

You can keep your personal computer at peak operations but easily accessing your utilities to delete unwanted information such as cookies, temporary internet files, downloads, and recycle bin. After cleaning up your files then you can “tune up” your computer by using these same utilities to defragment your disk. Lastly, important or lengthy documents or other information may be saved online to Panda Software’s secure online server, which with your subscription to a one year service provides you with 1GB of server space.

The newest options to appear in the Panda Software family of products are the instant scan resources available online. Nanoscan, TotalScan and ActiveScan Pro allows you to test your computer in anywhere between 1 minute and 1 hour depending on the scan you choose and your internet connection speed. This product scans your computer to detect virus, spyware, malware, and adware and then deletes them from your system as well as repairs most damage.

Panda Software offers several other products, which are mini versions of the Internet Security 2008 antivirus software, such as Antivirus 2008, Antivirus and Firewall 2008, and Desktop Secure for Linux. These other programs use only a portion of the features and products available through Internet Security 2008 and range in price. For the value, Internet Security 2008 is a better buy. This company also offers products for business including provides networking, administration antivirus, malware, and spyware protection for businesses and their operating systems. It has won awards and recognition in several countries for the effectiveness and ease of operating its system. In the UK, PC Advisor awarded Internet Security 2007 a Gold Award, praising the quickness of its scanning and repair systems with the use of fewer computer resources. PC World (Spain) awarded it 5 stars for the thoroughness of its protection.

Internet Security 2008 is compatible with Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Vista and system requirements are standard for this type of antivirus software. Customer support is available either online or via telephone. There is no additional charge for accessing Panda Software’s 24 hour telephone support system, when you purchase this product. A one year service agreement is $69.95. A 30 day free trial of each of their products is available, to help you make an informed choice regarding your antivirus software needs.



By: Lisa Carey

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Credit card fraud is so common nowadays that credit card users have to be very alert to avoid identity theft and other types of high-tech scam. Unfortunately, some of them do not know the bank’s fraud liability policies and become an easy game for fraudsters.

There are several ways you can be diddled out of your money.

Scenario #1

Company X offers you a credit card loss protection deal so in case your credit card gets lost or stolen you won’t be liable for the unauthorized charges. The fee is usually reasonable (around two hundred dollars) so the whole thing seems to be worth paying for. The trick is that if you a credit cardholder your liability is limited to $50. Of course, the fraudsters know about that so if you ask something about the zero liability policy they will try to convince you that the law has been changed. Or they will claim that the limited liability is only for those credit card owners who have been able to report the fraud in 48 hours.

Sometimes the fraudsters promise that you can cancel the service and get your money back but whenever you try to call the line is busy or nobody picks up.

Scenario #2

You get an e-mail or a phone call from the bank saying that they are offering a new credit card loss protection service or they simply want to activate a new credit card protection feature. All you need to do is give them your account number or other kind of your personal information. Obviously, you are about to become an identity fraud victim. The smartest thing to do in this situation is to hang up or delete the e-mail. Your bank will never ask you to disclose your credit card information in such an insecure way. Actually, they do not need it because they already have it!

This type of credit scam is much more dangerous because by giving away your credit card information you make your whole account vulnerable while in scenario #1 you just pay for something that does not exist.

If you feel that your credit card needs some extra protection, you can always contact the issuing bank. Quite often the bank is eager to give you additional protection. For example, HSBC Bank for a small annual fee will give extra protection to your credit card account. The Identity Protection Plan includes special security software, 24-hours lost or stolen credit card notification, credit bureau monitoring, and professional help of a fraud resolution manager. Similar services are offered by many banks.

Credit card security is a very important thing for any consumer. So, to protect your credit card from fraudsters avoid credit card loss protection scams.



By: Wendy Drews

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Identity theft. We’ve all heard of it, but do we really understand how serious and prevalent it actually is? Believe it or not, identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in the US, according to the National Crime Prevention Council. As a matter of fact, almost $50 billion dollars was stolen via identity theft in 2006 alone. Its not just money that is lost when identity theft is perpetrated, however, it’s time as well. The mean resolution time is at an all time high. It takes approximately 40 hours per victim to resolve the crime itself, but over 600 hours getting his or her finances straight, according the Identity Theft Resource Center.

This crime seems very far away and anonymous, but, although the majority of identity theft perpetrators are strangers, over 30% are acquainted with the victim. Here are the numbers; 13% of perpetrators are employees of victims, 11% are the victim’s relatives, 10% are friends or roommates, 5% are co-workers, 4% are former spouses or significant others, and 2% are caregivers of the elderly or disabled. These figures really bring home the seriousness and inevitability of this insidious crime.

The statistics tell the story, and the story is a frightening one - but what can you do to protect yourself from this growing crime? The following are 20 of the best methods to combat identity theft:

1. Get a shredder: There are many models and types available at great values. They should be used to destroy all-important papers, but most particularly, pre- approved credit applications received in the mail. Credit card receipts should also be shredded every month.

2. Watch for “Dumpster Divers:” Shredding can also help in this area, but always be careful to think about what you’re discarding, and how it might be used to steal your identity.

3. Avoid “Shoulder Surfers:” Be wary of anyone getting too close at the ATM machine or when using phone cards. They could take your pin number and access your accounts.

4. Don’t Have Checks Delivered to Your Home: Always have checks sent directly to your bank and pick them up from there.

5. Don’t Send Checks from Home: Send them through the post office, or drop them in a US mailbox for maximum security.

6. Cancel Unused Credit Cards: Destroy and discard any credit cards you haven’t used in 6 months or more.

7. Don’t “Pass” on Passwords: Add passwords to all accounts and never use your mother’s maiden name. Make up a new word to use that doesn’t relate to you personally in any way.

8. A P.O. is the Way to Go: A post office box or locked mailbox is the most secure way to receive sensitive mail.

9. Do Business With Companies that Shred Too: Make sure all the doctors’ offices, financial institution and other vendors that you do business with also destroy your confidential information.

10. Only Carry What You Need: Don’t keep extra credit cards or social security numbers in your wallet. Memorize what you need to know and keep actual cards or documents to a minimum.

11. Don’t Give Out Personal Information Over the Phone: When someone you don’t know calls you, never give out any personal information.

12. Keep Your Social Security Number Under Wraps: Don’t include your social security number on checks or credit card receipts. It’s not necessary and it can be a very risky practice.

13. Don’t Give Up Your “Digits:” Putting your telephone number on your checks is never a good idea and can be used to gather your personal information.

14. A Picture’s Worth A Thousand Dollars, (or more): Try to order credit cards and business cards with your own picture on them for extra security.

15. Don’t Put Your Credit Card Number Online: Unless you are making transactions on a secure, encrypted site, don’t put your credit card number online.

16. Leave Your Address At Home: Any time you make a credit card purchase, do not put your address, phone number or driver’s license number on your statement.

17. Monitor Your Monthly Statements: Carefully review your monthly bank and credit card statements for any transactions you don’t recognize.

18. Review Your Credit Report: Order this information at least twice a year from the credit bureau and look for anything that seems incorrect or fraudulent.

19. Fix it Fast: Immediately correct any mistakes on your credit report via written response, with a request for return receipt.

20. Get on the Do Not Call List: Make sure your name is taken off any promotional lists and call the 3 credit reporting agency phone numbers to opt out of pre-approved credit card offers.



By: Jeff McRitchie

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Identity theft is becoming more of a reality than ever before. Credit card companies and banks that issue debit cards are now providing Identity Theft Protection as one of their services. Should you become a victim and someone steals your name or social security number here are some steps you can take to keep the situation under control.

The first thing you should do is contact the fraud department of the three major credit bureaus. Equifax has a toll free number (1-800-525-6285). Experian is another credit bureau and they can be reached at 1-888-397-3742. TransUnion is also one of the big three reporting bureaus and they can be reached at 1-800-680-7289. You want them to flag your file with a fraud alert. Also have the credit bureaus contact you in the future whenever a new account is opened and ask them them for copies of your credit reports.

Next, start calling your creditors, a creditor is the company you have credit card with, not the (credit bureau) and speak with the security or fraud department. Then file a report with the police. You can file it with your local police. Finally, report the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC can be reached at their toll free number: 1-877-438-4338. You can also ask them for a free publication that talks about identity theft.

Since we are on the topic of credit reports here is a side note you may wish to keep in mind. You can order an annual credit report at http://www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. Congress created the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act in 2003. Consumers are now entitled to a free credit report from each of the three major credit bureau companies every 12 months, the year runs from September 1st to the end of August. To get the best advantage from this Act, request a credit report from just one of the bureaus at a time every four months. There are many other websites that claim to give free credit reports but usually require a fee. Unless you really need to know your credit score keep to the free reports directly from the reporting bureaus. The annual credit report website is the only website that is authorized to give you a free credit report. If you receive an email that claims to be from http://www.annualcreditreport.com you should report it to spam@uce.gov.

Most of us receive a lot of credit card advertisements in the mail. They usually say that you are “pre-screened” or “pre-approved”. For the most part these mailings are safe. There is no need to be concerned with identity theft from these companies. If you are responding to one of those mailings, take the letter to the post office personally and have it sent off officially. There is also no need to worry about your credit report being affected by these mailings. There will be no “inquiry” or negative effect on your record. If you are still suspicious of credit or identity theft, contact the opt out organization through the Internet, visit http://www.optout.presreen.com or call 1-888-5-OPTOUT. You can chose to stop receiving mailings anywhere between months and years. But make a mental note that the “pre-screened” offers are not usually open to the public and they are sometimes only offered through the mail.

By: Carl Hampton

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Credit cards have been very commonplace that identity theft has also become one of the most common crimes being done today. The severity of this problem has blown out of proportion and hundreds of millions to billions of dollars each year are being stolen because of this.

The US Congress has put up laws to curb the rise of identity theft but it hasn’t made a major dent yet. While we have laws that help us in becoming victims and also punish those caught committing them, it is also up to us to protect ourselves from identity theft. And one of the most effective and easiest way to do this is by protecting our credit cards.

One sordid fact that the US Federal Trade Commission have released to the public is that victims of Identity theft can take an average of a year before they even know that they have been taken by identity thieves. So by the time a person realizes this, he or she may already be deep in debt.

It’s not the time though to panic. Identity theft can be curbed and prevented. All you have to do is to ensure that your credit card and your credit card information is not known to just anyone. There are very simple precautions one can do to ensure the safety of your credit card.

First off, always know where your cards are. If possible, don’t go shopping with a number of cards with you, this may create confusion. Only take a card that you will be suing with you. When paying with your card, never let it out of your sight. Make sure that your card will be charged in your plain view. Some people may copy the information as well as the all important security number at the back of the card and use it over the internet.

Memorize your PIN (Personal identification Number) and don’t trust anybody with it. People may use your credit card to withdraw money. So if you have received your credit card make sure to memorize it and quickly destroy the paper where it is written. Also, make sure not to write down your PIN and store it in your wallet. Your credit card and the PIN should never be together, in case you lost your wallet, the person who finds it would find a hard time using it without the PIN. Make sure to report a stolen or lost credit card immediately, this will prevent it from being used by anyone.

Also, be wary of emails that will ask you for your credit card details and information. This is called phishing, there are a number of scammers in the internet who would use email as a means to scam you out of your hard earned money. You may think that the email came from reputable establishment or financial institution offering great deals but they may just be from these scamming people. Make sure to delete this type of email and never provide information to it.

One great way to check if you are already a victim of identity theft is by checking your credit report once in a while. This is no problem since it can be done online and it is also free. You can find a number of websites which can provide you with this information. So be on your guard and protect your identity by protecting your credit card.

By: Mario Churchill

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With credit scores more important than ever, more and more thieves are turning to identity theft to allow them to do and have the things they want to do and have. And these thieves are bold in their approach to getting their hands on your identity.

Once they have a few details like your social security number, date of birth, and address, they can proceed to create their own new identities - as you.

The worst part is, because they’ll change your address on any credit card accounts you haven’t been using, and of course will use a different address when making application for new credit, you won’t have a clue until you try to use your credit yourself. That is, unless you check your credit report regularly.

Some thieves, unable to gain employment, will use not only your good credit scores, but your work history and professional credentials. Suddenly, a person who flunked out of 9th grade has a University Degree! So they get the job… but what happens when he or she is fired for poor work performance? It goes on YOUR record.

For those proficient in the use of the internet, all the information they need to assume your identity is easily obtained.

Along with using your credit scores to obtain new credit cards or car loans, these thieves will use your personal reputation to enable them to rent a house or apartment. Individuals who have repeatedly “run out in the middle of the night” leaving unpaid rent and a “trashed” rental unit are now free to start over. The problem is that the next time they do it, it will be YOUR name that is blackened, and YOU that the landlords seek to gain restitution for damages.

How can you protect yourself? You can’t. Not entirely. In our electronic era, information about all of us is “out there” ready to be found by anyone with the skills and determination to go after it.

The only protection is early detection, and that’s why it’s so important to get your credit report and review it carefully - and to keep watch over it. Anyone with good credit should either review his or her report monthly, or sign up for a service that alerts you each and every time there’s a change or new entry.

Then, if someone suddenly changes your address, you can take immediate steps to stop them in their tracks. Nipping a problem in the bud is a lot better than making application for a loan and being turned down - because you’re wanted by collection agencies and angry landlords!

By: Mike Clover

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Once you learn about what the different types of identity theft are and what a criminal does with your information, it is easier to protect yourself from becoming an identity theft victim. Because credit card theft is the number one identity theft crime in America, this article will discuss what it is and talk about some ways to reduce the probability of becoming a victim.

Credit card fraud is the number one fraud committed by identity theft criminals and possibly one of the easiest crimes to commit. Credit card fraud is split into two categories with the first method being a thief who actually steals an existing credit card. This is by far the easier crime to commit and luckily is easier to catch. The other option the thief may use is to gain access to your personal information and open a new credit card account that the victim will know nothing about. Many times the thief will use an alternate address and phone number so the victim never sees a bill and will not be aware of a problem until it is too late. There are steps you can take to prevent this type of fraud.

To prevent a thief from stealing your existing credit card you should cancel any credit cards you don’t need or use, pay close attention to your monthly bills, and above all else contact your financial institution immediately if you fail to receive your monthly billing statement. If a thief opens a new credit card account with your social security number it is harder to catch but there are steps you can take to prevent this from happening as well. Number one is the contact the Credit Reporting Agencies and request that no new lines of credit be approved without first seeking your approval. You should also request to be removed from any pre-screened credit offer mailing lists as thieves can steal such offers out of your mailbox or trash.

You should also take advantage of the fact that you can access your credit history twice a year for free to check for any fraudulent activity. For any accounts that have been fraudulently accessed or opened, contact the security departments of the appropriate financial institution immediately. Finally, if you are making purchases online you should use a credit card instead of a debit card. Let me explain.

Debit cards are legally riskier than traditional ATM cards or credit cards. While you are only liable for $50 if your credit card is used fraudulently, you may be liable for $500 or more if your debit card is misused plus the fact that the thief can drain your account dry and leave you broke until you get things worked out with your bank. In addition to this fact, debit cards offer much less protection then a credit card because with a credit card, you have certain legal rights to dispute fraudulent charges. If you suspect that your credit card or debit card has been compromised then you should contact your financial institution and cancel the card and put a hold on your funds.

You should now be aware that identity theft in general and credit card fraud in particular can happen to anybody. While there is no 100% guarantee that you wont become a victim of credit card fraud, taking the above steps can dramatically reduce the possibility. The important thing is that you take action to protect yourself now before it is too late. If you feel that you are not up to handling all the details then there are identity theft programs available such as the one offered by LifeLock which can take care of everything for a monthly fee.

By: Rick Churchill

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