How Can I Prevent Identity Theft and How Can I Protect My Identity?
One of the most important things you can protect is your identity. This means making sure your personally identifying information like your social security number, driver's license number, bank account information, bank PIN numbers, computer passwords, and even your birth date are kept secret and secure. This way, there is less of a chance of someone finding this information and using it to pretend to be you or access your financial accounts.
There are several steps involved in preventing identity theft. One important step is to protect your personal information by adopting a strict policy on who has access to this information and why. Make sure you know who you are dealing with, and avoid giving out account information and your social security number in favor of less sensitive material when possible. Be prudent with your personal information, after all your identity is at stake.
Another important step in protecting your identity is learning how to keep your cards, documents, and passwords safe. Even when you are prudent about who you give your personal information to and why, identity thieves can often find this information without your consent by getting their hands on your personal documents, plastic cards, and passwords without you even knowing it.
Finally, because identity theft is not entirely preventable no matter how vigilant you are (although performing the first two steps to the best of your ability certainly puts you at a much lower risk for identity theft), it is important to monitor your financial accounts and credit information . This way, if someone does commit identity fraud using your identity, you will be able to minimize the damage and stop the process sooner.
Source: spamlaws.com
Posts tonen met het label identity theft. Alle posts tonen
Posts tonen met het label identity theft. Alle posts tonen
woensdag 3 juni 2009
maandag 1 juni 2009
How does Someone Steal your Identity?
How Does Someone Steal an Identity?
There are a number of methods a skilled identity thief may use to steal your information. These include:
- Shoulder Surfing: watching you from a nearby location as you punch in your pin codes or listening as you give someone else your personal information over the phone
- Dumpster Diving: rummaging through your trash to find bills or other documents with your name and personal information on them
- Stealing: stealing mail (including bills, credit card statements, credit card offers, and tax information), or even stealing wallets and purses to gain access to documents with your personal information on them
- Bribing: bribing employees (such as government, bank, or credit card company employees) who have access to your personal information
- Pretexting: using false pretenses to obtain your personal information from banks, phone, credit companies, and other companies
- Skimming:using a special storage device to scan and remember your credit and debit card numbers when you use your cards
- Phishing: pretending to be a financial institution or other company (like a lotto company) and sending you spam or pop-up advertisements to persuade you to reveal your personal information
- Changing your address: completing a change of address form to divert your billing statements and other mail to another location where this information is easily accessible
There are a number of methods a skilled identity thief may use to steal your information. These include:
- Shoulder Surfing: watching you from a nearby location as you punch in your pin codes or listening as you give someone else your personal information over the phone
- Dumpster Diving: rummaging through your trash to find bills or other documents with your name and personal information on them
- Stealing: stealing mail (including bills, credit card statements, credit card offers, and tax information), or even stealing wallets and purses to gain access to documents with your personal information on them
- Bribing: bribing employees (such as government, bank, or credit card company employees) who have access to your personal information
- Pretexting: using false pretenses to obtain your personal information from banks, phone, credit companies, and other companies
- Skimming:using a special storage device to scan and remember your credit and debit card numbers when you use your cards
- Phishing: pretending to be a financial institution or other company (like a lotto company) and sending you spam or pop-up advertisements to persuade you to reveal your personal information
- Changing your address: completing a change of address form to divert your billing statements and other mail to another location where this information is easily accessible
zaterdag 30 mei 2009
Why Do People Commit Identity Theft?
Why Do People Commit Identity Theft?
An identity thief may use your information to:
- Open a new credit card, phone, or utilities account in your name and then run up the bills without paying them. The delinquent account then appears on your credit report.
- Open a bank account and write bad cheques in your name, apply for a loan in your name, or use your bank information to drain your account.
- File a fraudulent tax return, or apply for government benefits in your name.
- Get a driver's license with your information but his own picture on it.
- Give your personal information to police during an arrest. Then when he does not show up for the court date, a warrant of arrest is issued in your name.
The possibilities for an identity thief are endless once he has your personal information, so you can see why this crime is so serious and why you should learn how to protect yourself from identity theft.
An identity thief may use your information to:
- Open a new credit card, phone, or utilities account in your name and then run up the bills without paying them. The delinquent account then appears on your credit report.
- Open a bank account and write bad cheques in your name, apply for a loan in your name, or use your bank information to drain your account.
- File a fraudulent tax return, or apply for government benefits in your name.
- Get a driver's license with your information but his own picture on it.
- Give your personal information to police during an arrest. Then when he does not show up for the court date, a warrant of arrest is issued in your name.
The possibilities for an identity thief are endless once he has your personal information, so you can see why this crime is so serious and why you should learn how to protect yourself from identity theft.
donderdag 28 mei 2009
How does Identity theft Effect You?
What is Identity Theft and How Can It Affect Me?
Identity theft is a serious crime affecting as many as 10 million Americans a year (as estimated by the Federal Trade Commission) and accounting for the loss of $221 billion a year worldwide (as estimated by the Aberdeen Group).
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information (like your name, social security number, or credit card information) to pretend to be you. The identity thief does this for his own personal gain at the expense of his victim.
This is fraud and it could result in serious consequences for the victim such as bad credit reports or even warrants for the victim's arrest, depending on what the thief chooses to do with the victim's personal information.
Identity theft is a serious crime affecting as many as 10 million Americans a year (as estimated by the Federal Trade Commission) and accounting for the loss of $221 billion a year worldwide (as estimated by the Aberdeen Group).
Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information (like your name, social security number, or credit card information) to pretend to be you. The identity thief does this for his own personal gain at the expense of his victim.
This is fraud and it could result in serious consequences for the victim such as bad credit reports or even warrants for the victim's arrest, depending on what the thief chooses to do with the victim's personal information.
dinsdag 26 mei 2009
What is Identity Theft?
All About Identity Theft
Identity theft is a serious crime affecting millions of people a year and accounting for the loss of billions of dollars every year as well. Find out more about identity theft, what it is, and how thieves go about stealing an identity on our What Is Identity Theft? page. You may also be interested in reading more about the history of identity theft and checking out some identity theft statistics to further understand this crime and its consequences. Also find out more about comprehensive identity theft protection and correction resources for individuals and businesses.
Now that you realize the seriousness of identity theft and the potential it has to affect your own life, you probably want to be clear about the signs of identity theft so that you can tell if you've been victimized. You probably also want to learn all about identity theft protection and prevention so you can reduce your own risk of becoming a victim. Find out how to protect your personal information, keep your cards, documents, and passwords safe, and monitor your financial accounts and credit information as major steps to keeping yourself safe from identity theft. You may also want to look into identity theft insurance to feel extra secure.
You may also be wondering what to do if your identity is stolen in case you ever become a victim of identity theft. Although it is a long, arduous process to restore your life back to normal after your identity has been stolen, it's possible if you know what to do, especially if you've already been practicing our tips on identity theft protection and prevention .
Identity theft is a serious crime affecting millions of people a year and accounting for the loss of billions of dollars every year as well. Find out more about identity theft, what it is, and how thieves go about stealing an identity on our What Is Identity Theft? page. You may also be interested in reading more about the history of identity theft and checking out some identity theft statistics to further understand this crime and its consequences. Also find out more about comprehensive identity theft protection and correction resources for individuals and businesses.
Now that you realize the seriousness of identity theft and the potential it has to affect your own life, you probably want to be clear about the signs of identity theft so that you can tell if you've been victimized. You probably also want to learn all about identity theft protection and prevention so you can reduce your own risk of becoming a victim. Find out how to protect your personal information, keep your cards, documents, and passwords safe, and monitor your financial accounts and credit information as major steps to keeping yourself safe from identity theft. You may also want to look into identity theft insurance to feel extra secure.
You may also be wondering what to do if your identity is stolen in case you ever become a victim of identity theft. Although it is a long, arduous process to restore your life back to normal after your identity has been stolen, it's possible if you know what to do, especially if you've already been practicing our tips on identity theft protection and prevention .
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