Identity Theft

What Happens If Your Identity Is Stolen – 3 Steps You Need To Take

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. It can impact the rich, the poor, the old, the young, and anyone else. You might think of Identity Theft as an internet or online crime, but the fact is, having your identity stolen offline is far more common than online ID theft.    It doesn’t matter where you come from, how careful you are, or how good/bad your credit is, you are at risk for ID theft. Most crime happens to individuals who feel they are immune from identity theft.

 Two Primary Forms of Identity Theft. When it comes to identity theft, it is important that you understand the different types:

 Fraud – Fraud is a type of theft in which someone uses your personal information to open bank accounts, or apply for or cosign for credit cards.

 ID Theft – The crime of identity theft occurs when someone impersonates you by using your personal information to gain valid drivers licenses, passports, and other forms of ID. They use this new ID to apply for jobs, start utility services, and to steal your government benefits such as social security. The person can apply for home loans, declare bankruptcy, and event commit crime using your name.

Steps To Take If You Think Your Identity Has Been Compromised.

click on each of the bolded links below for more information.   

Step 1: Detection – Click on the link for more information on Detection

There are many you can verify your Identity has been stolen, but the fastest and easiest is to frequently check your credit report.  Below are links to the individual credit agencies:  

 Experian  

TransUnion  

Equifax

Better still would be to join a credit monitoring service. Many people have heard of freecreditreport.com, but I actually do not recommend them. I used their service for 2 years, and while the monitoring service was good, their FICO (credit rating) scores were WAY off. When I applied for my mortgage, their scores differed by almost 90 pts.

The most accurate FICO scores and best credit monitoring that I have found is MyFico. I found a coupon that saves you 25% on their monitoring service:
 

Step 2 – Report Identity Theft Immediately- Click on the link to the left for more information on how to report identity theft properly

According to the Federal Trade Commission, the biggest problem they have in stamping out identity theft is that very few people report identity theft properly. You must contact your city or state police, all three credit bureaus

Step 3 – Restoration - Click on the link to the left for more information on restoring your identity and credit

Once a thief has stolen your identity, they can begin damaging your name and credit. The can apply for car loans, mortgages, and credit cards. Worse yet, the could even commit a crime which will be added to your criminal record. The most common thing identity thieves do is make unauthorized purchases with your credit. This leaves you with unpaid balances, late fees, and other credit issues. If you have ever tried to repair your credit, you know how much time and effort it takes to fix the damage caused by late payments and the resulting collections.

 Notes about restoration:

 Cost – I wish there was a better place to start, but the fact is that restoring your credit and name after having your identity stolen costs money. In fact, the cost of restoration typically ranges from $5000 – $7500, and can be far more.  

 Time – Depending on the degree of theft, recovering your name and rights can take years. In the mean time, you may have difficult securing a job, buying a car or home, or obtaining credit. Typically, the restoration process takes anywhere from 3 to 7 years.

Preventing Identity Theft

 Here are some steps you can take to protect your identity

• Shred and recycle all documents that contain any of the following:
  • name
  • address
  • phone number
  • income
  • social security number
  • account numbers
  • all other personal information
• Do no leave mail anywhere where someone can grab it.
• If your mailbox doesn’t lock, do no leave your mail in your mailbox overnight.
  • If you are leaving town, have your neighbor get your mail, or go to the post office and have them hold your mail until you return
• Keep copies of your important documents including your drivers license, credit card numbers, and phone numbers for creditors so you can call them immediately in the event you lose your purse or wallet.
• If you loose any peronal information, immediately contact the credit bureaus and social security administration to put a fraud alert on your account.
• Report questionable letters and phone calls to the FTC. There is a complaint form available on http://www.ftc.gov
• Never click on any link in an email requesting you to verify account information
• Do not repsond to or click on any employment offer that you didn’t not apply for, or any job that is located in a foreign country. 

I highly recommend the use of a credit monitoring service, or better yet, an identity theft protection program. LifeLock is the industry leader in proactive identity theft protection, offers a proven solution that prevents your identity from being stolen before it happens. They’ll protect your identity and personal information for only $10 a month – and guarantee their service up to $1,000,000. We also offer the only identity theft child protection program available in the market, so guarantee your good name today and enroll now.

 A special note about electronic pin numbers and passwords:

Passwords to your online banking, credit card, mortgage, and other website accounts need to be secure. I highly recommend using a secure password generator such as the one provided free by pctools. You should use a different password for each of your accounts, making it more difficult for identity thieves to steal your information. Also, update your password at least twice per year. Managing your passwords can be a pain. I recommend using the Microsoft Fingerprint Reader and password manager. This nifty little device and software allow you to securely store password information for all of your accounts. Then, when you go to login to your account, you just put your finger on the print reader and it enters the proper password. Here’s a link to the finger print reader: Microsoft Fingerprint Reader

 Preventing Fraud

 Here are some steps to take to protect your self from fraud:

• Never give away your personal information such as your full name, address, account number, birth date, or social security number to ANY unknown person.
• If someone call from your “bank” and asks you to verify your personal information, get their name and number, then call your local bank branch and ask if that person works for your bank. Find out if they really need any information from you.
• Report any scam you recognize to the FTC
• Ignore anyone who offers you a loan or claims you own a prize and then request you pay a fee or give them your credit information as a confirmation of your prize or winnings.
• Never accept a check from a foreign national in exchange for a part of the money being received. If they offer you a percentage of the transfer, this is definitely a scam
• Always ask for a name and contact information from anyone whom you suspect of illicity activity. 

Conclusion

I hope you find the information in this guide valuable. If you have any questions about identity theft, please feel free to email me. My contact information is below.  

Warm Regards,
Steve Warshaw
steve@topinternetguides.com

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How Do I Know if My Identity Has Been Stolen?

Has Your identity Been Stolen?

Identity theft can happen to anyone. It can happen to you, your neighbor, even your baby or child. Identity theft isn’t just a crime that happens on the Net or through credit card theft. Thieves today are smarter and trickier than ever. They use technology in new and enticing ways to get what they want when they want it from unsuspecting, innocent victims.

It is vital that you understand how criminals are getting your information, and what they are doing with it.

Have You Fallen Victim to Any Of The Following?

Fraud – Fraud is a type of identity theft that results in having another individual open bank accounts, or apply for and obtain credit in your name. There are many different methods criminals use to obtain your personal inofrmation in order to enable them to do so. Here’s a great tip:

If someone tries to get your personal information without a reasonable cause (if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is), ask yourself the following questions:

• "Did I ever contact this person or their company?"

• "Do I know this person?"

• "Why should I give them my personal information?"

Attempts to obtain your personal information is typically called "phishing." Below are some tricks identity thieves like to use:

1. They pretent to be from your bank or credit card company, and ask you to verify your identity for security purposes.The easiest way to beat this scam is to ask for their name, and the branch from which they are calling. If they actually give you information (which they usually won’t, they’ll just hang up), look up the actual branch phone number using the internet, call the branch, and ask for the first and last name provided.

2. You receive an email from legitimate looking websites asking you to click on a link to verify your password or personal information.Clicking on the link will take you to a website that looks EXACTLY like the actual website. These acts of phishing are very tempting because of the look and feel of the website you visit.One notorious instance of this type of fraud is in relation to PayPal, on online payment processor. Neither PayPal, your bank, or any credit card company will ever send you an email asking you to update your personal information. If you receive an email about your account, Do Not click on the link. Rather, go to the website directly from your browser, then find out of there is any need to confirm any type of information. Of course, you can always find the phone number and call the company directly.

3. False claims of winnings such as prizes, sweepstakes, or lottery winnings
   These type of phishing attacks are simple to detect. You will receive mail or email claming you have won something, even though you did nothing to didn’t apply for or do anything to get them. Through email, you will usually be directed to a website which will attempt to gather your personal and credit information. Through regular mail, you will be directed to call a number and when prompted, enter your personal details. You often will be asked for your credit information in order to pay a small transaction fee to process your winnings. The bottom line here is that if you didn’t enter the sweepstakes, purchase the lottery ticket, or do anything to win a prize, then there is little doubt the email or direct mail is fradulent.

4. Credit Protection and Repair
   This phishing attempt usually involves a thieft posing as a legitimate bank or credit repair service. They offer guarantees that they can repair your credit in a short period of time that appear to make them a legit business. Here’s a simple tip. Nobody, not a lawyer or even your credit card company, can instantly repair your credit. Repairing your credit takes time, so if someone calls you and guarantees hey can do instantly, or even close to instantly, chances are they are thieves trying to get your personal information

5. The Foreign Money Scam
   This is by far the most well known and pervasive internet scam anywhere, but it still impacts 1000′s of victims everyday. It works like this. You receive a letter or email from a foreign representative asking you to help them transfer money overseas. The amount is usually in the millions of dollars. The scam artist offers you a percentage of the money in exchange for your assistance. They then ask for your personal details such as name, address, phone, and banking details. Some will even go so far as to send you fake documents and statements of wire transfers. There are so many ways to detect this scam that I will only give you the 3 which work 100% of the time. 1) The email you receive doesn’t have your name anywhere. 2) You have never contacted or met the person who sent you the email. 3) The "to" line doesn’t contain your actual email address. If you see any of these 3 items, the email is a scam. Here’s an example (I get these daily):
   "Hello ,I am Mr. James Evans senior manager accounts/audit department, in SPRING BANK PLC. DR. GEORGE BRUMLEY, who was a contractor with Shell-development Company in Nigeria and a personal friend died and left behind his deposit in this bank (SPRING BANK PLC) valued USD 20,723,822.90.In my department, I discovered an abandoned sum of USD 20,723,822.90.,(Twenty Million, Seven Hundred and Twenty Three Thousand Eight Hundred and Twenty-Two Dollars, Ninety Cents) only, in an account that belongs to one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family in a plane crash that took place in Kenya, East Africa, the Late DR.GEORGE BRUMLEY, a citizen of Atlanta, United States of America but resident here in Nigeria, West Africa and a physician.Since we got information about his death, we have been expecting his next of kin to come over and claim his money because it cannot be released unless somebody applies for it as next of kin or relation to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines but unfortunately, all his supposed next of kin or relation died alongside with him at the plane crash leaving nobody behind to claim this money.Therefore upon this discovery, that I now decided to make this business proposal to you and release the money to you via your foreign bank account as the next of kin or relation to the deceased for safety and subsequent disbursement since nobody is coming for it, and would not want this money to go into the Bank treasury as unclaimed Bill.The Banking law and guideline here stipulates that if such money remained unclaimed after four years; the money will be transferred into the Bank treasury as unclaimed fund. The request for your assistance and maximum co- operation as a foreign citizen is to stand as the next of kin in this business as occasioned by the fact, that the deceased customer was a foreigner. I am willing to give you 40% of this money. Upon receipt of your response indicating your willingness to work with me, I will send to you by fax or email the contact information of the paying bank, which you will use to submit the application of claims and I will direct you on how to do that. This transaction is strictly confidential and I will use my position in this Bank to effect a hitch free transfer of the fund into any nominated bank account of yours. I guarantee that this transaction will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you and I from any reach of the law. Please get in touch with me through my email: and send to me your full name telephone and fax numbers to enable us discuss further about this transaction. You can visit the website below for more information about the Plane Crash and the tragic death of the deceased and his entire family, Late DR GEORGE BRUMLEY. http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/africa/07/20/kenya.crash/index.html Awaiting your urgent reply. Thanks and my regards.Mr. James Evans."

Better yet, Get LifeLock
 

LifeLock, is the industry leader in proactive identity theft protection, and offers a proven solution that prevents your identity from being stolen before it happens. We’ll protect your identity and personal information for only $10 a month – and they guarantee our service up to $1,000,000. They also offer the only identity theft child protection program available in the market, so guarantee your good name today and get LifeLock

Verifying Your Identity Has Been Stolen

Thieves steal your identity for 1 reason; they want to gain access to your credit and use it to make money. If you think you have the victim of identity theft, here’s what you need to do to make sure:

1. Get a copy of your credit report from all 3 credit agencies. Experian, TransUnion, EquiFax Experian offers a 3 agency credit report through True Credit on their website

2. Look through the credit applications on your credit report to see if an application was filed that you didn’t request. Unlike credit use, credit applications are added to your report instantly.

3. Look through your active credit for cards for which you didn’t apply

4. Look through your balances and make sure they match up reasonably close to your credit card statements. Note that the credit report is going to be behind your actualy credit statement by 30 – 60 days.

5. Check your mortgage balances.

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