a.K.a Card Update
I received a letter in the mail from the bank that issues the a.K.a Card requesting more information from me. They asked me for a copy of my drivers license, a W-2 from last year showing my gross income, and then an employment history. When I first received I was a bit taken aback. This seemed like a lot of information to be giving up for an
Free Credit Report May Be Scam
In fact, many of these sites, warn the experts, sucker consumers into spending more than $10 a month on things like credit monitoring, which you dont really need unless youre the victim of identity theft. So, the bottom line is read the fine print before you click your way into a years worth of charges. link:
Simple Guidelines on How to Avoid Identity Theft
No one wants to be the victim of a crime. Even if you never see the perpetrator face to face, knowing that someone has gained access to your personal information leaves you feeling vulnerable and angry. There are victims of identity theft every day. A person who has experienced this type of crime has had unauthorized charges to his credit cards, activity in his bank accounts or loans that have been taken out in his name.
Often the illegal activity is not discovered until some damage has already been done. It then becomes a costly headache for the victim to put his financial life back in order. It is preferable by far to learn how to avoid identity theft than to find out how to clean up the mess once the crime has been committed.
There are many lessons you can take to heart on how you can avoid identity theft. The number one principle to keep in mind is to guard all of your personal information just as you protect your cash and your other assets. Do not be willing to give away information like your social security number or drivers license number too freely. Keep account numbers, passwords and PINs in secure locations where they will not be easily found by others.
Do not throw away documents with this type of information on them until they are torn up or shredded. You should also shred papers such as applications for credit cards or loans that you do not want. It is a good rule of thumb to always consider how you can avoid identity theft as you dispose of any personal papers.
How to Avoid Identity Theft on the Internet
Cyberspace is another environment where those with unscrupulous intentions are attempting to get their fingers on your personal information. It is wise to exercise the same caution and consider how you can avoid identity theft when you are surfing the internet. For example, when you are selecting a password to access a secure website, make sure you choose something that will not be too easy for another person to figure out, such as your birthday or childs name. Change your passwords occasionally, and never use the option of remember my password. Always type your password in every time you want to access an online account.
If you are using a different computer, do not go into any of your personal accounts if someone else will be signing onto that system after you. It would be very simple for another person to gain access to personal accounts if you have both been working on the same computer.
Nobody wants to be the victim of identity theft. Fortunately, it is not difficult to learn how to avoid identity theft, and with a few simple steps you can greatly minimize your risk of falling prey to this type of crime.
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There ar yet some within reason serious down sides, identity theft is one of the quickest ontogeny crimes. Past pickings vantage from unprotected surfers, stealing their personal details, hackers can run up huge bills in someone elses name and walk away undetected. - They say NINETY% from all PCs are infected with some form of spyware
Security freezes stop identity thieves cold
If you havent heard about security freezes, its not surprising. Credit bureaus arent eager to spread the word because they have a financial incentive to make it easy for potential creditors to check credit reports. Credit bureaus also make big bucks from selling to consumers more expensive credit-monitoring services, which are unnecessary,
Identity Stolen? How To Clear Your Name Quickly!
Identity Stolen? How To Clear Your Name Quickly! June 28th, 2007 So youve discovered you are a victim of identity theft now you must clear your name. You need to do it as quickly as possible to stop the thieves spending even more money fraudulently and to regain your good name. The first thing you need to do is to contact the fraud unit
Its not a security breach
Its not a security breach in: Privacy Breaches, Data Protection, Identity Theft, Children or Students, Privacy There have been a couple of university breaches reported on PogoWasRight.org recently where university spokespersons are claim that their data loss does not represent a breach. For example, the University of TexasPan American
Ohio State Employees and Taxpayers At Risk
Ohio State Employees and Taxpayers At Risk June 28th, 2007 Data Loss Source: The names and Social Security numbers of all 64,000 Ohio state employees were stolen last weekend from a state agency intern who left a backup data storage device in his car. An additional review of data revealed that the storage device also held information on 53,
Brits more worried about identity theft than health
Not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but a recent poll of 1,500 people in Britain found that more brits worry about having their identities stolen than they do about having a heart attack or being diagnosed with cancer. The survey found that more people had some form of identity theft protection and insurance than had critical illness
How to Protect Yourself from Credit Card Identity Theft
It may have happened to you. You are paying your bills and managing your money as carefully as you can, but out of the blue one day you get a call from a collection agency explaining that you are delinquent on a credit card bill. The outstanding balance on this particular card is astronomical, and you dont remember ever applying for a card in this name, let alone charging purchases to it. After some investigation with the credit card company, and perhaps a credit reporting agency, you realize that you have been the victim of credit card identity theft.
Credit card identity theft often begins in your own trash can. Sometimes it can start out of your person mailbox at home. A thief finds a credit card application addressed to you that has been discarded without a second look or thought. The thief fills out the application, sends it in to the credit card company, and voila! You are now the proud holder of a credit card that you did not want, apply for, or make any purchases on.
The first line of defense against credit card identity theft is to shred any applications you receive for credit cards or any types of consumer loans. Paper shredders come in a variety of sizes and price ranges and are really the easiest and fastest means of destroying documents. If you dont have the budget or the inclination to invest in a shredder just yet, you can tear up your documents by hand. Just make sure the pieces are too small to tape back together before you allow it to hit the trash.
Other Types of Credit Card Identity Theft
You can also be the victim of credit card identity theft with a credit card that you currently have and use. If some unscrupulous person gets his fingers on your account number, he can use that information to change the address on your card, and make unauthorized purchases to your account. Often these account numbers are purchased by criminals from someone who had access to your credit card and is looking to make a fast buck. Sometimes it can be a store clerk or restaurant server who will scan the information before returning your card to you.
It is a good idea when using your card as payment to never let the credit card out of your line of sight. When you receive your credit card bill, check all purchases carefully to be sure you can account for each charge. If something on your bill doesnt add up, contact your credit card company immediately to investigate the charge in question.
Your credit card is a valuable asset. Protect it carefully and you may protect yourself from becoming the victim of credit card identity theft.
(Citi identity theft commercial) Permanent Link to Identity Theft Horror Story
Permanent Link to Identity Theft Horror Story Identity Theft Horror Story June 26th, 2007 I am absolutely head over heels in love with shoeboxed. Lets not be presumptuous now- my love does not stem from the fact that shoeboxed is the child we are collectively raising. Nor does it stem from the ridiculously good looking people that I live with (
Identity Theft
Don’t be foolish and naive like I was. I went years without shopping around my insurance rates, and one day it dawned on me.. All I had to do was take 5 minutes and get some free quotes and boy, did I ever save some major $$ 