Identity Theft Crisis

The loss by staff at Her Majesty?s Revenue & Customs of two CDs that contain sensitive information about 25million UK residents is only the latest in a series of high-profile scare stories that highlight the need to protect our personal and financial information, and prevent us becoming the unwitting victims of identity fraud.

In 2006 an estimated 178,000 people in Britain were affected by identity fraud which cost the country close to

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While surfing the ‘net, I came across a report about the reduction of identity theft and identity fraud. Obviously, it caught my attention. Following, in part, is that report which was produced by Javelin Strategy & Research, and co-sponsored by CheckFree Corporation, Visa Card, and Wells Fargo & Co.

While identity theft remains a multi-billion-dollar problem for businesses, organizations, and individuals, incidents of the fraud dropped significantly last year, according to a report.

Identity fraud occurring in the United States declined in 2006 by 12 percent over the year before, from $55.7 billion to $49.3 billion, according to the third-annual survey by Javelin Strategy & Research. The survey, which involved 5,000 telephone interviews, estimated the number of victims dropped for the fourth consecutive year by about 500,000 to 8.4 million persons.

Researchers attributed the decline to better consumer education and awareness and increased use of online banking and financial sites that allow closer monitoring of accounts. “Businesses are doing a lot more, law enforcement is doing more, and so are consumers,” said James Van Dyke, president of Javelin, a research company in Pleasanton, Calif., specializing in financial services and payments.

Tena Friery, research director at the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit consumer organization in San Diego, said she was surprised by the size of the decline but said there is much greater public awareness.

“We still have a long way to go,” she said.

According to the report, there was a significant reduction in fraudulent new-account openings, traditionally one of the most common kinds of fraud. It occurs when a criminal uses a victim’s personal data to open a new account.

The survey also found that it takes on average less time and expense to resolve a fraud case than last year. When fraudulent accounts are opened, the average fraud amounts dropped from more than $10,000 in 2005 to $7,260 in 2006. Resolution times dropped from an average of 25 hours in 2005 to five hours in 2006.

Van Dyke said one reason the numbers are down is that businesses are “screening account applicants much more closely.”

Individuals and consumer groups have long argued that extra screening was needed because conflicting application information, such as two addresses, could indicate identity fraud.

One group that isn’t doing better, according to the report, is 18- to 24-year olds. This age group was more likely to become a victim of identity theft than other age groups. (See sure to read my related article, Your Child’s First Year at College: Prime Target for Identity Theft?.

The report references offline criminal activities; however, I do believe that incidents of identity theft have remained unchanged online. One example is stated above, with cybercriminals targeting recent high school graduates and college freshmen.

Unfortunate victims, these graduates and college freshmen provide extremely lucrative opportunities for the cybercriminals to obtain their personal information. Even before they start their first careers, these graduates and college students will, most likely, be crippled by identity theft.

To protect yourself, you need an internet security team of experts making sure that you, your family, and your business computer are always safe and secure. The best protection you can have in today’s rapidly changing world of cyber-attacks is to have expert support for all your Internet security needs that will provide technical support without any hassles and without charging you extra fees. It will become even more critical than it is today as time goes on. You need to find your own personal team of experts to rely on. If you ever have a security problem, you will want to have a trusted expert you can call for professional help, without any hassles and extra costs!

Because cybercriminals are becoming smarter and more sophisticated in their operations, they are real threats to your personal security and privacy. Your money, your computer, your family, and your business are all at risk.

These cybercriminals leave you with three choices :

1. Do nothing and hope their attacks, risks, and threats don?t occur on your computer.

2. Do research and get training to protect yourself, your family, and your business.

3. Get professional help to lockdown your system from all their attacks, risks, and threats.

Remember: When you say “No!” to hackers and spyware, everyone wins! When you don’t, we all lose!

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Social Security has been one of the country’s most successful programs. It aids people from financial uncertainty especially in their trying times.

The program provides several protections such as:

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It?s one of the country?s fastest growing crimes ? but how do you stop someone from stealing your personal details and using them to get credit in your name? There are a number of ways in which you can help to defend yourself ? and your finances ? from identity fraud.

The electoral roll is used by lenders to verify that you live where you say you do – if you?re already registered, an identity thief will be unable to register in your name. If you haven?t already done so, protect yourself by contacting your local council to register to vote.

An unidentified or suspicious transaction is often one of the first signs of ID fraud. Ensure you thoroughly check your credit card and bank statements for unusual entries. Your credit report can also indicate that someone is using your identity to apply for credit, so check it regularly for applications you didn?t make or accounts you didn?t open. You can view your free credit report online by signing up to a credit monitoring service that will alert you every time there?s a change that could indicate fraud.

If you have had key items stolen, such as credit cards or your passport, report these to the police and any other relevant organisations in order to warn them of potentially fraudulent activity in your name. Thieves may also intercept mail to steal vital information so if any of your mail is going missing, notify the Post Office immediately, and ensure you have mail forwarded when you move.

If you go away on holiday, arrange for your post to be collected regularly to avoid it being stolen and used to commit Identity theft.

An old catalogue with your name, address and account number on it could be useful to fraudsters so ensure that you don?t throw away anything containing personal information that could be used to steal your identity. If in doubt, shred it. Also avoid carrying important documents around unless you really need them. Your passport, driving licence and payment cards can all be used by criminals, so make sure they are kept in a safe place.

Several criminal ploys exist to get hold of your personal details, including cold calls and unsolicited e-mails, so be wary of sharing confidential information with anybody. This includes PINs, bank account details and passwords.

What?s more, steer clear of opening attachments to unsolicited e-mails or visiting dubious-looking web sites – they could contain a virus that will steal important data from your hard disk. Always make sure your computer is protected by installing the latest security patches and anti-virus software on your computer. Increasingly popular social networking sites are ideal for Identity thieves as they can use personal details such as your full address, date of birth, children?s and pet?s names to obtain your password or PIN.

In summary, to protect yourself from ID thieves, use the tips above to ensure that you keep your confidential information secure and stay on top of ID fraud by checking your credit report on a regular basis.

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Impersonation fraud occurs when someone assumes your identity to perform a fraud or other criminal act. Criminals can get the information they need to assume your identity from a variety of sources, such as the theft of your wallet, your trash, or from credit or bank information. They may approach you in person, by telephone, or on the Internet and ask you for the information. Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America, claiming more than 10 million victims a year. Cyber thieves are becoming more sophisticated every minute of the day. It’s harder for consumers to find the best ways to protect themselves against these thieves, but there are some preventive measure that you can take to guard your personal information from being ever stolen. Below will give some ideas how identity thieves gain access to your personal data without you konwing about it:

Identity thieves get your personal information by:

A. Stealing wallets, purses and your mail (bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, new checks and tax information).

B. Stealing personal information you provide to an unsecured site on the Internet, from business or personnel records at work and personal information in your home.

C. Rummaging through your trash, the trash of businesses and public trash dumps for personal data.

D. Posing by phone or E-mail as someone who legitimately needs information about you, such as employers or landlords… or

Buying personal information from “inside” sources. For example, an identity thief may pay a store employee for information about you that appears on an application for goods, services or credit.

Some Tips to Avoid Impersonation/Identity Fraud:

1. Never throw away ATM receipts, credit statements, credit cards, or bank statements in a usable form.

2. Never give your credit card number over the telephone unless you make the call.

3. Reconcile your bank account monthly and notify your bank of discrepancies immediately.

4. Keep a list of telephone numbers to call to report the loss or theft of your wallet, credit cards, etc.

5. Report unauthorized financial transactions to your bank, credit card company, and the police as soon as you detect them.

6. Review a copy of your credit report at least once each year. Notify the credit bureau in writing of any questionable entries and follow through until they are explained or removed.

7. If your identity has been assumed, ask the credit bureau to print a statement to that effect in your credit report.

8. If you know of anyone who receives mail from credit card companies or banks in the names of others, report it to local or federal law enforcement authorities.

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United States Postal Inspection Service

DeliveringJustice
Identity Crisis: Protect Your Identity
A High Noon Bullet

Identity fraud is the fastest-growing crime in America. With millions of victim…

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http://www.IdentityRipoff.info
Preventing Identity Fraud

Preventing Identity Fraud is a primary concern these days. 9 Million Americans will have their identities stolen this year alone. You can…

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Many people will not experience a crime like identity fraud during their lifetime. However, the crime is not uncommon; most of us will at least know someone who has been a victim of ID theft, if we ourselves have not been. Because of this fairly high proliferation of identity fraud – particularly during times when the economy is tough – it is advisable that you get to know a little more about this crime, how to tell when it’s happening to you, and what to do about it.

The first step in identification is quite obvious, really. If you’ve had your bank or credit cards stolen or have lost them, you could become a victim. The same goes for entering your bank details on dodgy sites that do not have the small padlock indicating a seal of online security or have an untrustworthy URL when it should be straightforward. Prevention in these cases is easy: for lost or stolen cards, cancel them immediately. And as for online security, simply ensure that all websites you deal through are trustworthy and secure.

However, identity fraud can occur even when you’re being careful, and if you notice money disappearing from your account and being spent on things you know you didn’t buy then it is quite likely that you have had your bank details stolen. We all pay for this, eventually – in higher prices and increasingly expensive credit card terms, even if we ourselves are not affected by such crimes. That’s why it’s important to do your best to prevent becoming a victim to identity fraud.

What’s worse is that, although many banks are good natured about identity fraud, some will refuse to reimburse you should you be unable to prove that you did not buy what has appeared on your card. Therefore, insurance is important – on your cards and on other important possessions, like home contents insurance should the identity fraud prove to be an exceptionally bad case that can affect more than just your bank balance.

If you’re worried about online security, it may be wise to acquaint yourself with some of the most common fraud occurrences that happen online. This can particularly involve email accounts, which many trust unquestioningly when they should consider certain emails more carefully. For example, never give your details to anybody from another country claiming to wish to transfer funds into your account that you’d then pay back, keeping some for yourself. In addition, never trust any lottery win emails – especially if you never played in that draw! Finally, acquaint yourself with ‘phishing’ and watch out for it – it is the biggest email scam likely to succeed.

Identity fraud can be a scary and violating occurrence – so ensure that your cards are well looked after and that the websites you deal through have the https:// in the URL, as well as the security padlock demonstrating that they are safe. This could save you the stress, time and possible loss should you become a victim of this crime.

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Secret services helping stop Identity Theft. If u had an experience with identity fraud, please share it on complaintsboard.com

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Identity thieves are constantly on the lookout for any documentation they can use to smoothly acquire another person’s identity. The number one document that will open almost any door for these unscrupulous characters is your Social Security card. Once a thief has obtained your Social Security number, the path to assuming your identity is now wide open and ready to be trampled upon. Therefore, your Social Security number should always be protected at all costs. Don’t become a victim of Social Security identity fraud.

You will be required to present a valid Social Security card to the personnel office when you embark on a new job. Once your employer has recorded the number, the safest thing for you to do, in order to protect your identity, is to store your card in a secure location. Never carry your Social Security card on your person, in your wallet or in the glove box of your car.

But what do you do if, despite your best efforts, you discover someone is using your Social Security number for fraudulent purposes? You must act immediately. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission either by phone (1-877-438-4338) or via the Internet at www.consumer.gov/idtheft . Do not procrastinate on this as identity thieves are extremely adept at rapidly assuming your persona and they can cause unlimited damage to your credit rating in very short order.

If you suspect that someone else is using your Social Security number for work purposes, you should immediately contact the Social Security Office. Identity thieves can wreck havoc with your income tax and if left to their own devices can cause you untold grief with Uncle Sam and the IRS. It could take months or even years and probably a ton of money to prove you have been a victim of identity theft, so quick action on your part is essential.

Should you suspect that someone else is using your Social Security number fraudulently to retain employment, you can also go Online at www.ssa.gov/mystatement and check your Social Security Statement, which records all earnings posted to your Social Security record. Should your suspicions be confirmed and you discover errors on your statement, you should immediately contact your Social Security Department. Again, procrastination can be devastating as unravelling these records is time consuming and fraught with red tape.

Should the unthinkable happen and you can confirm that someone else has access to your Social Security number and is creating havoc with your credit, you will get little or no satisfaction from the Social Security Administration. Although they may be willing to eventually cancel your Social Security number and issue a new one (which, incidentally is no mean feat), they will offer no help in trying to repair your damaged credit rating. The onus is on you to try to repair any damage from Social Security identity fraud.

You should immediately telephone the fraud department of all your creditors and then follow it up in writing for your own records. Request that your account be flagged with a fraud alert so that no further credit card charges can be incurred without your express knowledge and authorization. Ask that the creditors forward a statement to the credit reporting agencies explaining your problem. Make sure this notation contains contact information, including your telephone number, so that you can be reached if any further charges show up on your record.

Request a copy of your credit report from each of the 3 major credit-reporting agencies. Be sure to contact all three as sometimes creditors are registered with different credit bureaus because of logistics and geographical restrictions. You may contact them On- line, but to be on the safe side, a telephone call – followed up in writing – may get you quicker results. Contact information for the three major credit-reporting agencies can be found at the bottom of this article.

File a police report – chances are that you are not the only one whose identity has been compromised by these criminals. Police Departments now maintain extensive files on known identity theft rings and they may be able to help you get your identity back a little quicker.

Social Security Identity fraud is a very serious matter. Dealing with the various government agencies to clarify your Social Security records is a time consuming and often frustrating experience. Therefore, to avoid having to deal with such a task, you should always, always make every effort to keep your Social Security identity is safe and out of the hands of criminals.

Contact information for Credit Reporting Agencies:

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 www.equifax.com
Experian: 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289 www.transunion.com

The above Social Security identity fraud article is for information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.

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