Posts from ‘October, 2008’

Identity theft is affecting millions of people each year.  By following some simple tips you can greatly reduce your risks.
1. Use a paper shredder to ensure personal information and pre-approved credit offers don’t end up in the wrong hands.
2. Don’t carry extra credit cards, your Social Security card, birth certificate or passport with you unless [...]

Last week Florida’s attorney general Bill McCollum alerted parents to the widespread theft of children’s identities. He cited an estimate that 500,000 children a year fall victim to identity theft, but added that he suspected there were far more victims of child identity theft. A recent study by Javelin Strategy and Research proves him right.
Incredibly, [...]

The FTC’s new “red flag” rules designed to prevent identity theft have been put off until next year. The rules require new administrative requirements on financial institutions, dealerships and creditors to slow down identity thieves. Some are predicting that they’re likely to cause a hassle for most institutions. That being said, this week the government [...]

Believe it or not, most identity theft originates from mail theft. If you value your financial records and wish to prevent identity theft, locking mailboxes have become a necessity in today’s world, and a good one can prevent your mail from being stolen and reduce the risk of identity theft. In a matter of seconds [...]

Federal identity theft convictions increased 26 percent in 2007 from the year prior, according to a Bush administration task force report on identity theft unveiled Tuesday.
According to the “Identity Theft Task Force Report,” as many as 1,534 people were convicted in 2006, and a year later, 1,943 were convicted nationwide on various identity theft violations. [...]

Increasingly, “insiders” (e.g., disgruntled employees) who have access to financial databases are committing identity theft. Often they sell victims’ personal data to street criminals who use it to commit fraud or theft. In the mad scramble to ensure customer information affecting the bottom line is secured, properly guarding employee data sources is almost an afterthought. [...]

A recent survey by PayPal shows that citizens of English-Speaking countries are twice as likely to experience identity theft as those in other countries.   According to the study released by PayPal 10 percent of online shoppers in countries like Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. reported personally experiencing identity theft.  An astonishing 25 percent said [...]

Pretexting is the practice of getting your personal information, such as your Social Security Number, telephone records, bank or credit card numbers, or any other information, under false pretenses. In other words, a pretexter pretends they are someone else to obtain your personal information. One of the most common forms of pretexting is when someone [...]

Identity theft victims are overwhelmed and horrified when they find out someone is using their personal information to commit fraud and other crimes.  Many victims do not realize it is happening for months or years later.  By knowing how to safeguard your identity, hopefully you can prevent this nightmare from happening to you.

Never throw anything [...]

Once identity thieves have obtained your personal information there are many things they can do to commit fraud. Many people think of identity theft as only financial. There are actually many other types of identity theft that can ruin your good name, costing you time and money. Here is what identity thieves are doing with [...]