WELCOME AND THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY INFORMATIONAL WEBSITE!
What is ID Theft…?
Where are the hightest areas of ID Theft …?
Should you worry about ID Theft…?
What could your identity be used for …?
How do people get your information …?
How can you protect yourself …?
What do you do if you have become a victim …?
Are you getting odd emails (scams)…?
UPDATE ON A NEW FRAUD!
There are persons calling saying they are with your security credit card department, they give you their ID number, ticket number, and your credit card
number to call in order to appear real. They will review some of your account information and ask you for additional information such as the numbers on the
back of your credit card. DO NOT GIVE ANY ONE THESE NUMBERS due REAL credit card company already knows this information. If someone gets
these numbers they are able to charge to your account over the internet, just under $500.00 as to not draw attection by your real credit card security
department.
If you should get one of these calls HANG UP and call your credit card company to report this fraud/scam.
NO CREDIT CARD COMPANY WOULD CALL YOU TO CONFIRM YOUR ADDRESS
OR ANY INFORMATION ON YOUR CREDIT CARD.
What is ID Theft…?
Did you know Identity theft is on the rise? What is Identity Theft? How can you protect yourself from becoming one of the 7 million people affected by this
crime every year? Did you know more than 33 million people have already been victimized by ID theft?
Identity theft is when someone gains access to your personal information and uses that information to get gain.
If you get a chance and want to see what other experts say about this growing problem I highly recommend reviewing the October 2003 issue of Consumer
Reports. In my option, Consumer Reports has one of the best all inclusive articles on the subject. Or you can always due a little research by visiting the
Federal Trade Commission website or www.FBI.gov to get current updates on this growing crime.
What could your identity be used for…?
Where are the highest areas of ID Theft…?
Washington DC
Most thieves are using your identity to start new line of credit and cell phones… but
here’s the break down…
Arizona
Credit Card
42%
California
22%
Phone or utilities
Nevada
17%
Bank
9%
Texas
Employment related
8%
Benefits or government
Florida
8%
Attempted ID theft
Oregon
Loans
6%
Washington
Other
16%
Should you be worried about ID Theft if your state is not on the list…? In short, YES!
Identity Theft is one of the fastest growing financial crimes spreading across the nation. Faster than consumers can be warned about the problem. If you think
you should not worry about identity theft or take a few minutes to protect yourself then think about how long it takes to clear up any problems if someone
should take your identity. On avg you can lose around $800.00 and it may take up to 2 years to clear up any problems. Most often those who fall victim to
this crime don’t even know they are victims until they need a line of credit in purchasing a car or home. So take a few min to learn more about this crime and
what to look out for.
How do people go about getting your information…?
Stealing Company data
Pretexting
Dumpster diving
Mail theft
Account takeover
Skimming
Raiding your old
computercomputer
Breaking into home or CAR
How can you protect yourself…?
Order your credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus.
Equifax 1800-685-1111 PO Box 105851, Atlanta, GA 30348
Trans Union 1800-888-4213 PO Box 1000, Chester, PA 19022
Experian 1888-397-3742 PO Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013
Little warning ID Theft insurance isn’t typically worth paying for… read the fine print. Most will ask for a deductible.
Don’t pay bills, bank, or conduct other financial transactions on public computers.
Unplug computer’s cable or phone lines when not in use.
Password protect your bank, investment accounts, etc.
IF the company ask you to set up a password for an account never use your birth date, a child’s
birth date, nicknames, or mothers maiden name, these are the most often used passwords
Check to make sure your employee records are safeguarded. There are laws to protect you but it’s more the wondering eye or hand that might
take home an employee directory for personal use.
Travel Light, and those items you chose to carry with you either make a copy or have the information such as account numbers, expiration date,
name on account, and the cards 1800 number in a LOCK BOX. I’ve always kept a written list of all my accounts, and important documentation
in a safe place (make sure to NOT WRITE THE PASSWORDS ON THESE ACCOUNTS).
Lock up your invoices, bills, checks, bank cards, receipts; anything that has your personal or account information on it. Often when I conduct my
free security review while visiting homes I find many of these items within plan sight. Just a photo of any one of the items could enable someone
to start an account over the internet using your information.
Shred AND destroy any paper items with account or personal information. This is to include those offers for a free credit card! Better yet mail
those un-requested free credit cards back without filling out the information and write on the form to take you off their mailing list. They’ll want
to save money by not mailing you again and you won’t have to worry about as much junk mail. www.clarkhoward.com has form letters.
Beware of ATMs and who is around you. If it’s not an ATM you are used to then go somewhere else. Do not go to the ATM on paydays or
after dark, even if you are with someone. Try NOT to use ATMs within unknown establishments.
When it’s time for a new computer be sure to keep your old hard drive! Have your hard drive cleaned, reformatted, and then destroyed… yes all
three of those things at minimum. (Keep in mind computers can’t just be put in the garbage, contact one of the many MAJOR computer
companies in which most have a plan to trade out your old system with safeguards, www.dell.com, www.gateway.com, www.bestbuys.com)
Before you go out of town halt your mail and newspapers; as well as, let your security provider know when and where you will be in an event of
an emergency.
Safe guard your cell phones, pagers, laptops, and handheld devices (don’t forget memory chips).
Before you give out any information on the phone or over the internet, even if it is a secure site, do your homework on the individual or company
to ensure that they are legitimate. Personally I would not recommend using your credit card but rather COD and NEVER give out personal
information such as full name, SSN, or your birthday.
What do you do if you have been a victim…?
Did you know if someone takes your identity you may not know about it for several months… and even if you get everything cleared up your identity may
have been sold to someone else? ID theft can become an on going problem for years down the road. KEEP YOUR DOCUMENTATION you may need it
down the road.
FILE A POLICE REPORT!!!!! These reports are kept on file for a much longer period of time and may be your only
protection if you have problems down the road.
Notify banks, creditors, and utilities (that’s why keeping a list of all your accounts in a safe place is a good idea)
Contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1877-ID-THEFT, or www.consumer.gov/idtheft
Order your Credit reports from all three agencies
Review the following sites for up to date information on this crime:
Equifax 1800-525-6285
Experian 1800-Experian
TransUnion 1800-680-7289
Are you getting odd emails (scams)…? Do you think you are being scammed? For more information or an inside
look into internet scams click on the following click to the FBI database of current scams:
Internet Fraud Complaint Center:
http://www.fbi.gov/cgi-bin/outside.cgi?
http://www.ifccfbi.gov
You also want to be aware there are many emails being sent pretending to protect you from ID Theft. The email invites you to
protect yourself by registering your debit card information with the FBI… IT EVEN LOOKS LIKE AN FBI website. So what do you
do if you get such an email or suspect an email fraud scheme? Click on these two sites:
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THIS SITE IS JUST AN INFORMATIONAL SITE… ALWAYS CONTACT YOUR LOCAL
AUTHORIES. BEST THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS TO NOT THINK THAT IT WON’T HAPPEN TO YOU…
JUST TAKE STEPS TO MAKE SURE IT DONESN’T HAPPEN!
