Posts from ‘September, 2008’

Credit monitoring is a helpful tool in the fight against identity theft.  Credit monitoring services are a great way to detect identity theft before any damage can be done.  These services automatically monitor a wide range of data on your credit report, including address, employment, bankruptcy, public records, new inquiries and individual and jointly held accounts.  [...]

As businesses increasingly rely on technology to store and maintain data, including customer records, the risk of identity theft also is increasing. Red Flag Rules are rules that have been implemented by the FTC enforcing financial institutions, dealerships and creditors to take extra steps in order to detect, prevent and mitigate identity theft. These rules [...]

Depending on the severity, the amount of emotional stress that burdens a victim of identity theft is far greater than one would think. Factors to take into consideration are how in depth the identity theft was, if the thieves destroyed your credit score, racked up credit card bills, or used your Social Security Number to [...]

Even though identity thieves are very sophisticated these days, they still resort to “old-fashioned” stealing to retrieve your personal information they desire. Have you looked through your wallet or purse lately? Most likely you think you need most of that sensitive information on hand, but in reality, it’s only putting you at a higher risk [...]

Most people do not realize that they have become a victim of identity theft until months later.  It is import to be on the look out for any suspicious activity.  The earlier identity theft is detected the earlier it can be stopped and the less damage can be done.
You can detect identity theft by monitoring [...]

A phishing scam is unfortunately very easy and inexpensive for scammers to create, but can cost its victims their bank accounts, good credit scores, and even their identities. Phishing fraudsters, like spammers, use a number of techniques to collect e-mail addresses. They’ll surf through websites and newsgroups, copying addresses as they scroll; sometimes they buy or [...]

Time Warner has confirmed that at least 20 of their customers have received fraudulent emails.  The emails appear to be from the cable company with the proper logo and picture.  The emails request the customers to click on a link to verify their account information.
Consumer experts warn that responding to these emails can easily cost you your [...]

Congress is in the process of passing a bill that will strengthen laws of identity theft.  The Identity Theft and Restitution Act was passed by the House of Representatives and now moves to the Senate.  The new bill includes many needed provisions including:

Giving identity theft victims the ability to seek restitution for loss of time and [...]

Millions of young people have made themselves vulnerable to identity theft as well as putting their future academic and professional prospects at risk by recklessly posting personal information on the internet. Social networking is growing in popularity, however a recent study indicates that users of social networking websites engage in risky behavior, potentially putting themselves [...]

Most people today know that identity theft is a serious problem.  However many people do not know that there are free resources available to help.  Simply by reducing your junk mail such as pre approved credit card offers, stopping telemarketing calls, and viewing your credit report, you can in fact help reduce your risks.
To end the [...]