Identity Theft Protection
Identity Theft Protection
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Identity Theft the world’s fastest-growing crime could be knocking at your door just as you read this book. Are you prepared for it? What steps have you taken to avoid becoming a victim? How do you find out if you are a victim? What steps should you take if you do realize you are a victim?
I will cover all of these questions in this book. My only hope is that you can use this information to help protect yourself before it is too late.
Identity theft protection is something that you need to know about and watch for signs every single day. Each day, you make choices about your identity mainly with the use of your credit card. If you are one of the people that realize just how easy it is for someone to get a hold of your information, then you know that it is up to you to make sure that they do not get the information that is going to ruin your credit score and put your life at a full stop. Here is what you need to do now in order to make sure that you have the highest level of protection possible.
• Make a note of your credit and debit card statements to see what name appears when you authorize a charge. For example, I get gas at a gas station in Coeur d’ Alene Idaho, but on the name appears on my credit card account as a general store in Alvin Texas. After some investigation, I find that the gas station up here is owned by that general store in Texas.
• Get a copy of your credit report and ensure that everything on it is correct. This should include your address and your account information. Take a look at who is inquiring about your credit as well. Make sure that you clear up any discrepancies that are listed there as well.
• Use spyware protection on your computer. If you connect to the internet with your pc, then you need to have an updated spyware protection program on your computer. This will help you to monitor anyone that tries to apply a program that could be used to track what you are doing online as well as record information that you enter there (like your online banking account or even a simple newspaper website) and then report it back to a thief. Make sure to run a complete scan at least weekly as well. I recommend ESET NOD32
• Use anti-virus protection on your computer. No matter if you connect to the internet or not you need an anti-virus program on your pc, then you need to have an updated anti-virus protection program on your computer. This will help you to monitor anyone that tries to put a nasty virus on your computer, which may render your computer useless. Make sure to run a complete scan daily as well. ESET NOD32 Antivirus will handle this as well as the spyware.
• Check your balances. You should know how much you are using on your credit cards and you should know when there are no charges that you are familiar with. A good option to make sure that this happens is to have an online account set up with your credit card companies. This way, you can easily check your transactions daily or at least weekly to ensure that everything is okay. (Most banks and credit card companies offer this for free. If yours does not, find one that does.) May I recommend a credit union
When you take the time to ensure that your information is protected, you can ensure that your credit and your identity are safe. Taking the time to check out this information takes only minutes but it can save you from many, many heartaches and costly expenses down the road.
When it comes to identity theft protection, it is up to you to get the best results possible. While there are plenty of things that you blame on someone else to do, it is really up to you to ensure that you keep your personal information, especially your finances, in order. To do this, though, there are many things that can help you. In fact, if you get into a routine it can be easy to make sure that your identity is always safe and secure. What you need first, though, is information.
In order to ensure that you are protected, it is essential that you take the time to know how you can be affected by identity theft. For example, do you know how a thief can get your credit card number or information? If not, then you should educate yourself on that. Second, you should know what is available to help you with that protection.
The next thing to do is to learn about your credit report. You need to be able to get your credit report and check it for any errors. You should do this at least once per year. If you are really adamant about your credit score and your credit history, you may want to purchase a credit monitoring program that can help you to be notified of new accounts as they appear on your credit report. All in all, it is up to you to make sure that the information that is provided about you is accurate.
How Did It Happen To Me?
For many people, the fact that their identity has been stolen is something that they just can not believe. How did this happen to me? I know when I became a victim a couple of years ago, I asked that very question. The question is something that haunts people. But, what they do not know is that there were probably things that they could have done as identity theft protection. Now, that is not to say that every one that is affected by identity theft can protect it, but many can.
To know what you can do to prevent identity theft from happening to you, there are several things that you need to learn about. Here are some of the things that you can do to make sure that it does not happen to you.
• Keep an eye on your credit card balances and make sure that you do not allow anyone that should not have them to get a hold of your credit card numbers and info. They can easily make payments without the credit card in hand with this information.
• Only use secure websites when it comes to making purchases on the web. A secure website is one that has an ‘s’ after the http in the browser’s address box (the box you would type in website name into.) This is nearly an impossible situation for others to steal from.
• Never provide your personal information to anyone including your last name, your address, or your credit card numbers. You should guard your social security number closely.
• Only purchase from reliable merchants on the web that you know. If you do not know the merchant, you may want to consider using an alternative form of payment. There are services online that allow you to pay through them so that your credit card information or bank account information is not at risk. For example Paypal.
By doing these things, you can help to ensure that your credit card information is not being used in the wrong way.
When it comes to making purchases on the web, there are several things that you should know about when it comes to identity theft protection. Several people think that identity theft is something that will happen to them if they make purchases on the web. This is kind of odd because the facts are that 75% of identity theft occurs offline. Yet, what is important to know here is that if you make purchases in the right manner and take care while you are online, you should not have any problems when it comes to doing so. You do not have to feel worried every time you attempt to make a purchase. Just use these tips to help you.
First of all, make sure that the websites that you are visiting allow you to pay for their purchase on a secured webpage. This page should have an address that starts with https. If the s is missing, the site is not secure on the payment page and you should not use it. Secondly, if you receive an ad that comes to you through your email, you should not click on the links in the email to visit the site especially if it is a big, well-known company. Instead, type it into your browser so that you make sure you are not going to a fake website geared at taking your money. Many, many banks are being targeted by these scammers. Typically they send you an email stating that they (the bank) have noticed suspicious activity on your account and that you need to verify your information via the link they provide in the email. This of course takes you to the fake page and you give them all your good information. Tip of the day, if you get an email from a bank, credit card company asking you to verify your information, by no means should you click on any link. If you feel compelled to verify information, pull out your bank statement, and call the number on it.
Here is an example of a spoofed email from supposedly Mid America Bank
Dear MidAmerica Bank customer,
This is your official notification from MidAmerica Bank that the service(s) listed below
will be deactivated and deleted if not renewed immediately. Previous notifications have
been sent to the Billing Contact assigned to this account. As the Primary Contact, you
must renew the service(s) listed below or it will be deactivated and deleted.
FAKE LINK
If you are not enrolled at Web Banking, please enter your username,
and your account password and follow the steps.
SERVICE : MidAmerica Bank with Bill Pay.
Thank you, sincerely,
Customer Service
========================================
IMPORTANT CUSTOMER SUPPORT INFORMATION
========================================
Document Reference: (48051).
TM 2006 MidAmerica Bank Corporation, All Rights Reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.
* Please do not reply to this message. For any inquiries, contact Customer Service.
I don’t even know where MidAmerica Bank is let alone do I have an account with them.
Here is another example this one coming from supposedly Bank of the West
Dear Valuable Customer,
Currently we are trying to upgrade our on-line security measures. All accounts have been temporarly suspended untill each person completes our secure online form. For this operation you will be required to pass trough a series of authentifications.
As the Primary Contact, you must confirm the service(s) listed below!
To begin unlocking your account please click the link below.
FAKE LINK
Please note:
If we don’t receive your account verification within 48 hours from you, we will further lock down your account untill we will be able to contact you by e-mail or phone.
Copyright © 2005 Bank of the West. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender
This next example is one of my favorites. It is supposedly from Lloyds TSB Online Bank Which I have no relationship with. It even warns you about the scams that this email wants you to fall for anyway.
| Dear Customers,Lloyds TSB Online Bank always look forward for the = high security of our clients. Some customers have been receiving an email = claiming to be from Lloyds TSB advising them to follow a link to what appear to be a Lloyds TS= B web site, where they are prompted to enter their personal Online Banking details. Lloyds TSB is in no way involved with thi= s email and the web site does not belong to us.Lloyds TSB is proud t= o announce about our new updated secure system. We updated our new SSL servers to give our customers a better, fast and secure online= banking service.
Due to the recent update of the servers, you are requested to please u= pdate your account info at the following link. FAKE LINK *I= mportant*
A. J. Blair |
Please do not reply to this e-mail. Mail sent to this address canno= t be answered.
For assistance, log in to your Lloyds TSB Online Bank account and choose t= he “Help” link on any page.
Lloyds TSB Bank Email ID #325
Another funny thing about this email is that they didn’t even provide a valid website address when typing it out. (This one might get the Darwin award.)
Here is one from “America’s Credit Unions”
Dear Credit Union Client,
You have been chosen by the America’s Credit Unions to take part in our quick and easy 5 question survey. In return we will credit $50 to your account, just for your time!
With the information collected we can decide to direct a number of changes to improve and expand the online services.
The information you provide us is all non-sensitive and anonymous. No part of it is handed down to any third party groups.
It will be stored in our secure database while we process the results of this nationwide survey.
We kindly ask you to spare two minutes of your time in taking part with this unique offer!
To continue, click here FAKE LINK
Sincerely,
America’s Credit Unions.
Once again with one of the forward slashes removed for your protection
Here is yet another spoof email, this one purporting that it is from Ebay (The Online Auction House), stating that I didn’t pay for an item and that I needed to login to my account via there false link. T
|
| eBay Unpaid Item Reminder: #4604409124 |
| Dear Member, | heartnsoulauctions has informed us that they have not yet received your payment for the following item: Harley Davidson Aftermarket Silver Face Gauge Kit(#4604409636)No action is being taken against your account at this time. However, it is important to remember that when you bid on or buy an item you are agreeing to a contract between you and the seller. If the situation isn’t resolved within 7 days of this reminder, you may receive an Unpaid Item strike under eBay’s FAKE LINK. .If you don’t respond by July-10-2006 you may receive an Unpaid Item strike.Remember, repeated Unpaid Item strikes may result in your suspension from eBay.
Most Unpaid Item disputes can be resolved through direct communicatio! n between the buyer and seller, and we encourage you to work with your trading partner to reach a resolution. | Regards,eBay | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| eBay Unpaid Item Reminder: #4604409124 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| eBay Unpaid Item Reminder: #4604409124 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dear Member, | heartnsoulauctions has informed us that they have not yet received your payment for the following item: Harley Davidson Aftermarket Silver Face Gauge Kit(#4604409636)No action is being taken against your account at this time. However, it is important to remember that when you bid on or buy an item you are agreeing to a contract between you and the seller. If the situation isn’t resolved within 7 days of this reminder, you may receive an Unpaid Item strike under eBay’s FAKE LINK. .If you don’t respond by July-10-2006 you may receive an Unpaid Item strike.Remember, repeated Unpaid Item strikes may result in your suspension from eBay.
Most Unpaid Item disputes can be resolved through direct communicatio! n between the buyer and seller, and we encourage you to work with your trading partner to reach a resolution. | Regards,eBay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dear Member, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| heartnsoulauctions has informed us that they have not yet received your payment for the following item: Harley Davidson Aftermarket Silver Face Gauge Kit(#4604409636)No action is being taken against your account at this time. However, it is important to remember that when you bid on or buy an item you are agreeing to a contract between you and the seller. If the situation isn’t resolved within 7 days of this reminder, you may receive an Unpaid Item strike under eBay’s FAKE LINK. .If you don’t respond by July-10-2006 you may receive an Unpaid Item strike.Remember, repeated Unpaid Item strikes may result in your suspension from eBay.
Most Unpaid Item disputes can be resolved through direct communicatio! n between the buyer and seller, and we encourage you to work with your trading partner to reach a resolution. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regards,eBay | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
You should never provide anyone on the web with your personal information either. You can also use a payment service, such as Paypal. This will allow you to make purchases without the worry that more than the purchase price will be applied to your account. This is a great form of protection on the web. Also, make sure that you have an up to date and running Spyware Program
. This will help you to ensure that no one is recording your information while you are online and reporting it back.
There are many things that you can do to ensure that you are always safe when it comes to making payments and purchases on the web. In fact, you can safeguard your identity in a number of ways here.
One of the things that you can do when it comes to identity theft protection is to use your credit report to help you. There are several ways that this can help you but the bottom line is that you need to do it. Your credit report is a detailed report that is offered by several companies. It helps you and credit lenders to see just how much of a risk you are based on your past history of credit as well as your current amount of credit. By taking a good look at these things that the reporting agency is providing, the lender will make decisions such as if they will lend you money to buy a car or a home and if they will extend any other form of a credit to you.
But, if you are a victim of identity theft, you may find yourself in a whole world of trouble. Your credit report is a good way to see if someone is actually using your information against you. To know this, you should take the time to find out what is on your report. Each individual that has one is entitled to receive a free credit report each year from the credit reporting agencies in the US. This can be done right on the web making it much faster for you to handle problems as well.
You should check for several things on your credit report. First, you should ensure that there are no new accounts (or old ones) on your credit report that you did not open and use. If you did not open the account and it has a balance on it, chances are that someone else did. Look at the inquires that are listed on your credit report as well. This will help you to see just who is looking at your report. Finally, make sure that the addresses that are listed there are really yours.
When it comes to identity theft protection, it is up to you to make sure that it gets done the way that it needs to be done. You should not count on your credit card companies letting you know that someone is using your credit card. In fact, you could go months without realizing it and by then, it is far too late to have this taken care of. But, there are several things that you can do now to ensure that you are going to have the best results when it comes to your identity.
Here’s a look at the ways that you can have the best Identity theft protection.
• Always monitor your credit card statements for purchases that you did not make.
• If you lose your credit card, report it as soon as possible to the lender so that it can be
Canceled and a new one listed. Review with the representative the charges that are on your card to ensure that no one has used it.
• Pull your credit report. You can do this for free once per year or pay for it more often. Consider a credit report monitoring program that will help you to know as soon as a new account is opened and when things are changed on your report.
• Make sure that your credit cards have identity theft protection programs on them to help to safeguard against possible charges that you do not make.
• Make online purchases carefully. Make sure you are on a secure website that you are using your credit card with a merchant that you know and trust and consider using payment services that allow for your information to be kept from the merchants that you do not know.
• Never provide your personal and financial information to anyone on the web that is not a legitimate business.
Identity theft protection starts with you. You need to monitor it and you can when you use these services.
This information is directly from the FTC (Federal Trade Commission)
What To Do If Your Personal Information Has Been Compromised
Companies or institutions that keep personal information about you have an obligation to safeguard it. Still, from time to time, the personal information they hold may be accidentally disclosed or deliberately stolen. If your information falls into the wrong hands, it may be misused to commit fraud against you.
If you get a notice that your personal information may have been compromised, taking certain steps quickly can minimize the potential for the theft of your identity.
If the stolen information includes your financial accounts, close compromised credit card accounts immediately. Consult with your financial institution about whether to close bank or brokerage accounts immediately or first change your passwords and have the institution monitor for possible fraud. Place passwords on any new accounts that you open. Avoid using your
mother’s maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your Social Security number (SSN) or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers.
If the stolen information includes your Social Security number, call the toll-free fraud number of any one of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies and place an initial fraud alert on your credit reports. This alert can help stop someone from opening new credit accounts in your name.
Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com; P.O. Box 2002, Allen, TX 75013
TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790
An initial fraud alert stays on your credit report for 90 days. When you place this alert on your credit report with one nationwide consumer reporting company, you’ll get information about ordering one free credit report from each of the companies. It’s prudent to wait about a month after your information was stolen before you order your report. That’s because the suspicious activity may not show up right away. Once you get your reports, review them for suspicious activity, like inquiries from companies you didn’t contact, accounts you didn’t open, and debts on your accounts that you can’t explain. Check that information — like your SSN, address(es), name or initials, and employers — is correct.
If the stolen information includes your driver’s license or other government-issued identification, contact the agencies that issued the documents and follow their procedures to cancel a document and get a replacement. Ask the agency to “flag” your file to keep anyone else from getting a license or another identification document in your name.
Once you’ve taken these precautions, watch for signs that your information is being misused. For example, you may not get certain bills or other mail on time. Follow up with creditors if your bills don’t arrive on time. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks. Other signs include:
- receiving credit cards that you didn’t apply for;
- being denied credit, or being offered less favorable credit terms, like a high-interest rate, for no apparent reason; and
- getting calls or letters from debt collectors or businesses about merchandise or services you didn’t buy.
Continue to read your financial account statements promptly and carefully, and to monitor your credit reports every few months in the first year of the theft, and once a year thereafter. For more information on getting your credit reports free once a year or buying additional reports, read Your Access to Free Credit Reports at www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/freereports.htm.
If your information has been misused, file a report about your identity theft with the police, and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. Read Take Charge: Fighting Back Against Identity Theft for detailed information on other steps to take in the wake of identity theft.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Disclaimer: Brian Gruss developed this e-book to provide access to valuable information. Although I made every effort to only offer accurate information, I cannot guarantee that the information I made available is always correct and current. Brian Gruss does not warrant or make any representations as to the quality, content, accuracy, or completeness of the information, text, graphics, links, and other items contained in this e-book. Consequently, no one should rely upon any information contained herein, nor make any decisions or take any action based on such information. Brian Gruss or any subsidiaries are not responsible for any action taken in reliance on the information contained herein and for any damages incurred, whether directly or indirectly, as a result of errors, omissions, or discrepancies contained herein.