Identity fraud theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the UK. Internet business scams and Nigerian scams fall into the category of business fraud, new scams perpetrated by organised criminals.

They are set up specifically to target theft of identity. A security expert warns business owners to be vigilant to business cheats & business scams & suggests purchasing business & personal identity fraud insurance to prevent fraud

How does a perpetrator begin to steal your identity?

There are way too many variants to cover in this article, but a typical method is to play on your greed and your desire to help someone out who appears to be in grave trouble.

As a working security expert I receive many enquiries from individuals and business owners who have been contacted by business cheats promoting their version of internet business scams and/or Nigerian scams.

In all my dealings with these clients I believe the very best way to avoid your theft of identity and prevent fraud is to simply report all business scams as spam to your Internet provider and delete all business fraud, new scams immediately.

Never save them for future reading, because these organised criminals know its a percentage game. If a hundred people save one of these e-mails offering you a large sum of money then at least one or two innocent people will be tempted enough to respond.

If a hundred people eventually respond, then one or two will actually be taken in by this business fraud, new scams. When you consider that these criminal gangs are highly organised and technically savvy enough to send out millions of these e-mails every week then the number of victims can be staggering.

This means that despite world-wide condemnation of these internet business scams, individuals, and more recently business owners are falling victim of identity fraud theft.

Never forward one of these business fraud, new scams to friends and business associates because no matter how intelligent your think your friends and associates may be; you will be surprised to learn that you are in fact acting as an unpaid sales and marketing executive for organised crime gangs running business scams and/or Nigerian scams.

You also may not realise how vulnerable your friends are and they may be one of the one percent who respond to these business cheats.

If this happens then one of the following things may happen to your friend or business associate.

1: They will fall victim to theft of identity.

2: They will fall victim to identity fraud.

3: Any money in their bank account will be stolen.

4: Their identity will be utilised for other illegal and fraudulent activities.

5: They may be kidnapped for ransom.

6: They may be executed by organised criminals or terrorists.

To understand the sheer ferocity with which business owners are being targeted by internet business scams structured around theft of identity I have included the following two examples of many business scams received this week at the security expert office.

These are written verbatim.

Theft Of Identity Business Scams # 1 Paraguay – November 24 2009.

Hello,

I am very happy to inform you about my success in getting the fund transferred under the co-operation of a new partner from Paraguay. Presently I am in Paraguay for investment projects with my own share of the total sum.

Now you will need to contact the Rev Father whom used to be a God-father to me when i was in Dakar, his name is Rev john and his EAIL ADDRESS is as follows: ( revjohn.adams@hotmail.com )

Ask him to send you a certified bank draft of ($100.000.00) which I prepared and kept for your compensation for all the past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter. I appreciated your efforts at that time very much.

so feel free and get in touched with Rev john-Adams and instruct him where to send you the draft cheque. Please do let me know immediately you receive it so that we can share our joy and happiness after all the sufferings at that time.

In the moment, I am very busy here because of the investment projects which me and the new partner are having at hand, finally, remember that I had forwarded instruction to Rev john on your behalf to receive that money.

Yours Truly, Tacko

Theft Of Identity Business Scams # 2 Burkina Tunisia & Faso West Africa – November 24 2009.

From Mrs. Christabel Brown

Dear God’s elect,

I am writing this mail to you with heavy tears In my eyes and great sorrow in my heart, My Name is Mrs Christabel Brown,, and I am contacting you from my country Tunisia I want to tell you this because I don’t have any other option than to tell you as I was touched to open up to you.

I married to Mr. Brown Smith who worked with Tunisia embassy in Burkina Faso for nine years before he died in the year 2005. We were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for only five days.

Since his death I decided not to remarry, When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of US$ 8.5m (Eight Million Five hundred Thousand Dollars) in a bank in Ouagadougou the capital city of Burkina Faso in west Africa Presently this money is still in bank.

Recently, My Doctor told me that I would not last for the period of seven months due to cancer problem. The one that disturbs me most is my stroke sickness.

Having known my condition I decided to hand you over this money to take care of the less-privileged people, you will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct herein.

I want you to take 30 Percent of the total money for your personal use While 70% of the money will go to charity,people in the street and helping the orphanage. I grew up as an Orphan and I don’t have anybody as my family member, just to endeavour that the house of God is maintained.

Am doing this so that God will forgive my sins and accept my soul because these sicknesses have suffered me so much.

When I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the bank in Burkina Faso and I’ll instruct my lawyer to issue you authority letter that will prove you the present beneficiary of the money in the bank that is if you assure me that you will act accordingly as I Stated herein.

Hoping to receive your reply:

From Mrs. Christabel Brown

Identity Fraud Theft 5 Prevention Secrets From A Security Expert # 1 Home-Office Shredder

Shredding your personal documents and installing internet security on your computer can substantially reduce your likelihood of becoming a victim of identity fraud. Burn everything you have shredded in a small garden incinerator.

Identity Fraud Theft 5 Prevention Secrets From A Security Expert # 2 Internet Security

Never use a debit card to purchase online. Always use a credit card as credit card companies offer claw back protection in some events of fraudulent trading. Devote one credit card to online purchases and only buy from recognised online companies who have proven expertise in encrypting your security data.

Identity Fraud Theft 5 Prevention Secrets From A Security Expert # 3Home Security

Access control is the foundation stone of all security countermeasures. Your home security measures should be specifically designed to minimise intruder access. The same access control countermeasures should be applied to any personal or business documentation. Never discard them into your trash can.

Identity Fraud Theft 5 Prevention Secrets From A Security Expert # 4 Computer Passwords

One of the easiest ways to access your security information is by hacking into your computer IT systems. Always utilise the best security passwords you can. i.e. use a mixture of random letters and numbers that have no correlation to you or your family members.

Never use date of birth, telephone or social security numbers as organised crime gangs employ professional hackers who will access these types of passwords easily. Installing a professional Internet security programme on your computer can substantially reduce your likelihood of becoming a victim of identity fraud.

Identity Fraud Theft 5 Prevention Secrets From A Security Expert # 5 Office Security

For some strange reason most business owners pay less attention to detail to their office security systems than they do to their home security systems. In fact this should be the opposite.

Your office is wide open to employee and visitor theft and fraud on a daily basis. If you have no idea of how to produce an all encompassing office security plan then consider hiring a security expert or security consultant to draft one for you.

The good news is, if you do find yourself the victim of identity theft your homeowners insurance could be standing by waiting to help you pick up the pieces.

No, your homeowners insurance isn’t going to be able to do a whole lot to help you work things out with your creditors if you owe money as a result of someone ripping off your identity. You’re on your own there. The good news is, most creditors are already knowledgeable in the ins and outs of identity theft and are standing by waiting to help you reclaim your identity-usually with very minimal damage to your checkbook. (The average victim of identity theft usually pays only $50 or less per creditor to settle false identity claims.)

The catch is, how many government agencies and credit companies do you know that regularly do business on weekends and evenings? Few to none? Yep, unfortunately, most of the agencies you’re going to have to work with to reclaim your identity keep banker’s hours, which is great news for the people they’ve got working for them but doesn’t work out so well for you! Studies show that while you may only pay $50 to settle your claims, you’re going to miss an average of 172 hours of work going to offices, filling out paperwork and making phone calls to do it.

That’s almost an entire month’s paycheck. Can you afford to live with no income for an entire month? Even if your vacation time covers it, don’t you have something better to do with that? If not, we can give you a few suggestions!

Your homeowners insurance company can step in and help you reclaim your lost wages under your identity theft protection insurance (which may or may not be a standard part of your coverage policy-you may find you have to pay a little extra each year, although it’s still far less than you’ll lose in wages). They’ll also help you pay for any long distance phone calls and postage, since those can get fairly pricey, fairly quickly.

Then there’s the lawyer.

There’s no limits to the amount of damage a person can do if they steal your identity. You may find yourself in need of legal assistance to help you straighten things out-and a good lawyer doesn’t come cheap! Your homeowners insurance will help cover the cost of your legal expenses so you can get your life back-as soon as possible.

The Social Security Administration is not making a conscience effort to confirm consumer identification numbers. You need to be aware that identity thief’s are however and they use a number of tactics to steal your identity. Spoofing is generally used by thieves as a means to convince individuals to provide personal or financial information that enables the perpetrators to commit credit card/bank fraud or other forms of identity theft. An attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive financial or personal information, such as credit card information or a Social Security number, by impersonating a business representative or trustworthy person is also known as a Phishing attempt and is usually initiated through e-mail, phone calls or Instant Messaging.

Thieves do not just collect Social Security Numbers. They are also after your telephone records, date of birth and your bank and credit card account numbers. This information is a personal asset as well and people who illegally solicit this information are also known as pretexters.

It is yet another name for identity theft and Pretexting is (like the other practices mentioned) a means of getting your personal information under false pretenses.

Pretexters sell your information to people who may use it to get credit in your name, steal your assets, or to investigate or sue you. Pretexting is against the law. Whether it is by means of Spoofing, Phishing or Pretexting the tactics are all designed to get your personal information.

According the Federal Trade Commission For example, a pretexter may call, claim he’s from a survey firm, and ask you a few questions. When the pretexter (let’s just call it a thief) has the information they want, it is used to call your financial institution.

The thief pretends to be you or someone with authorized access to your account. They might claim that they have forgotten their checkbook and need information about their account. In this way, the criminal may be able to obtain personal information about you such as your SSN, bank and credit card account numbers, information in your credit report, and the existence and size of your savings and investment portfolios.

Keep in mind that some information about you may be a matter of public record, such as whether you own a home, pay your real estate taxes, or have ever filed for bankruptcy.

It is not pretexting for another person to collect this kind of information. Identity thieves don’t just use the schemes we’ve just talked about to get your personal information they also procure your identity by:

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

* 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;

* Rummaging through your trash, the trash of businesses and public trash dumps for personal data;

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

Even though the laws are on your side, it’s wise to take an active role in protecting your information. The Federal Trade Commission recommends the following actions;

1. Don’t give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you’ve initiated the contact or know who you’re dealing with. Pretexters may pose as representatives of survey firms, banks, Internet service providers and even government agencies to get you to reveal your SSN, mother’s maiden name, financial account numbers and other identifying information. Legitimate organizations with which you do business have the information they need and will not ask you for it.

2. Be informed. Ask your financial institutions for their policies about sharing your information. Ask them specifically about their policies to prevent pretexting.

3. Pay attention to your statement cycles. Follow up with your financial institutions if your statements don’t arrive on time.

4. Review your statements carefully and promptly. Report any discrepancies to your institution immediately.

5. Alert family members to the dangers of pretexting. Explain that only you, or someone you authorize, should provide personal information to others.

6. Keep items with personal information in a safe place. Tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, bank checks and other financial statements that you’re discarding, expired charge cards and credit offers you get in the mail.

7. Add passwords to your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information like your mother’s maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your SSN or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers.

8. Be mindful about where you leave personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates or are having work done in your home by others.

9. Find out who has access to your personal information at work and verify that the records are kept in a secure location. Checking your credit report annually can help you catch mistakes and fraud before they wreak havoc on your personal finances.

Order a copy of your credit report from the three nationwide consumer reporting companies every year. To order your free annual report from one or all the nationwide consumer reporting companies, call toll-free 1-877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form avail at their Website annualcreditreport.com, and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

If you do not have the time or expertise to put measures in place to protect you and your family’s identity consider visiting a credit protection service that can put the appropriate measures in place to preserve your good name, credit and assets.

Identity thieves make use of your name, address, account info, Social Security Number and date of birth so they can portray to be you. By doing so, they are able to do a number of frauds all in your name!

However, there are certain ways by which you can make it difficult for identity thieves to get your personal information thus saving you from identity theft or identity fraud.

* Never give your personal information over the phone or via mail unless you are the initiator or are sure about the business or person you are dealing with. Generally, identity thieves pose as banks or internet service providers to obtain your Social Security Number, your name (or mothers maiden name), bank account information and similar identifiable information. So, make sure that you are assured about the legitimacy of the person or organization before you deal.

* Never carry your Social Security Number along with you anywhere; instead, keep it in a safe place.

* It is important that you keep your personal information safe if you live with roommates, have employed domestic help or a service is being done in your home.

* Make use of post office boxes or a local post office to deposit outgoing mail instead of putting them into your unsecured mailbox. Also do not forget to remove mail from your mailbox regularly. In case, you are away from your home for some time, it is suggested that you contact the Postal Service and request a vacation hold.

* Tear or destroy all your charge receipts, credit card applications, insurance forms, bank and credit card statements.

* Never carry any more debit or credit cards than you actually need.

* Apply passwords on your credit card and bank accounts. Do not to use easily available information such as the maiden name of your mother, date of birth or other contact numbers.

* Inquire about the security process set up at your workplace or at other businesses, your physicians offices or other institutions that ask for identifying information about you. Ensure that it is handled safely and also ask about the disposal methods used by them for those records.

* Keep watch over your bill cycles. Contact the creditors in case you do not receive these bills on time, as a missing bill can also be a means for a thief to steal your identity.

* Do not respond to promotional offers, as Identity thieves can make some phony offers to get your personal information.

* Close all the credit accounts that are not in use.

To summarize, these are some of the methods which can make it hard for perpetrators to steal your personal information and can protect you from identity theft or identity fraud.

Naturally, this question comes after fraud has happened. Many software programs on the market today are promising to prevent id theft from taking place by making you aware of any flags you establish for existing accounts or new credit lines.

The Federal Trade Commission does offer a slew of great information on it’s website. There is a challenge in trying to tie together all the details about what needs to be done in order to shut down ID fraud, while cleaning up all affected records.

For example, the first piece of sage advice you’ll most often read about will say something like, “Call the credit reporting agencies immediately.” This is absolutely correct. Phone numbers for the big 3 credit reporting agencies are: Trans Union – 800-888-4213, Experian – 888-397-3742 and Equifax – 800-685-1111.

But then what?

There are a few important things you can ask for during the call. For example …

1) You need to request a free copy of your credit report. (Anyone may request a free copy of his or her credit report from CRAs each year. And if you’re denied credit, employment or insurance as a result of identity theft then you’re entitled to an additional free copy of your credit report).

2) Request that a “fraud alert” be attached to your credit profile.

Now comes the more detailed actions. After your credit reports come you must do several important things. Among them are:

3) Specifically identify fraudulent accounts and inquiries and ask that each one be removed from your credit profile. (The CRAs may tell you that you need to do this in writing, which we’ll cover in the next section). Then ask the CRA to send you a copy of the notification(s) of fraud sent to each credit grantor who they contact regarding suspected fraudulent activity.

4) Ask each CRA for a list of names, phone #’s and addresses for all businesses and organizations that looked at your credit history in the past year (and perhaps even longer, depending on how long the fraud has been going on).

Request the agency to call you whenever applications are made for new credit lines in your name. The alert can say something like, “Please contact me immediately at this phone number before issuing any credit. All new credit applications must be validated and personally authorized by me.”

6) Ask the Credit Reporting Agency to contact every company that has received your credit report in the last year and tell them you’re a victim of identity theft. Request that copies of these notices be sent to you in order to make sure the CRAs follow through with your request.

7) Now you need to call the credit grantors your information search has revealed the identity thief has set up fraudulent accounts with. Tell each one you’re the victim of identity theft and indicate the account(s) in question.

Ask each one to stop issuing credit to the fraudster who has stolen your personal information.

9) Request that fraudulent accounts be closed immediately, then ask for their removal from your credit profile. If an identity thief was able to use a valid credit account (one opened by you), such as a credit card account, then you’ll either have to get a new card issued (with a new number) or cancel the card altogether. It’s better to have this kind of request worded something along the lines of, “This account has been closed at the customer’s request.” That reads much better than, “Card was stolen or lost.”.” Wording such as that might negatively impact your credit score in the future.

10) Request all documentation associated with the fraudulent accounts (including original application). Companies are required to send you this information under federal law. Fraudulent applications often contain forged signatures and other information that might be useful to you or law enforcement. Such documentation includes: false application with forged signature, all billing statements, address and phone number where credit cards were mailed, all correspondence between a creditor and the identity thief, plus electronic, audio or video evidence related to the crime.

11) Don’t forget to ask the credit grantor, company or agency to verify your requests … in writing.

When you go to the supermarket and decide to purchase with your check card it is designed to be easier and make the transaction faster for the consumer. Get you in and out. Let’s stop and consider this transaction for a moment.

Have you ever wondered why they make the debit transaction the default? It is because the company saves money. During a debit transaction the business does not have to pay any fees to run your card. But when running the transaction as a credit card transaction it falls under the rules of the credit card companies. So they pay a percentage of the total transaction to the credit card company. You may think this is no big deal to you so you go ahead and enter your pin and away you go.

When you enter your pin into the super market computer systems they are not supposed to store this information. Sure you trust that your card number and pin are not stored together, but the moment they are hacked you discover that they did store that information and it is too late. The hacker has already drained your account since they have your card number and pin. The illusion of security is gone.

It may take an extra step to run the transaction as a credit transaction but it is well worth it to know that your pin is yours and is not getting stored in other computer systems. Protect your pin and you are on your way to protecting your accounts.

Consumers need to be aware of their surroundings when you are talking about your personal information. We are on our cell phones all the time and we conduct business daily on these phones. Most people do not stop to consider who is within ear shot of their conversations. For instance you are on your cell phone and your significant other needs your social security number to perform some HR transaction at work. So you start saying your number. Wait you are getting bad cell reception so you start talking even louder, now everyone around you has your social security number and that is the start. Only one piece of your identity is required to start working on stealing the rest.

So to protecting your identity starts with you. Be aware of who is asking for your information and what they intended to do with it. See if they can perform the same transaction without that information. Many times they can accommodate your requirement of keeping your information save. Protect yourself and you can limit your risk for theft.

There are online services that will help with protecting your identity. These work to ensure that your information is kept secure. They also provide you with insurance so if your identity is lost they help to pay for damages caused by such an event. Of course each provider is different and offer different protections and you should research them all. At www.creditscoremonster.com we offer identity theft protection from identity guard. This is always a good start to protecting your personal data.

It is estimated that each year 10 million Americans fall victim to crimes related to stolen identities. These types of incidents vary from one fraud act to more complicated crimes. Many people found that a new credit card account has been opened on their name leaving an enormous amount of unpaid purchases charged to their credit. Some people found that car loans or a mortgage has been made in their name without their slightest knowledge. Others were just as surprised when they realized their bank accounts has been completely drained using forged checks or debit cards.

How do these imposters get away with these fraudulent acts? By getting their hands on anything that contains your personal details. They steal wallets, your mail, even old mail and past bills sent by the bank, insurance agencies, telephone companies, receipts, anything that has some identification numbers on it. And yes, they do search through your trash bins and garbage. They may also be just behind you at ATM stands, watching you enter your precious PIN number. These people are everywhere; they are on the internet, in your workplace, in public places- always on the look out for private information. They can even go as far as breaking into your home just to get this vital information.

Once they got this information, it could be as easy as calling your bank to increase your credit limit and that all your bills be sent to a new address. It could take months before you realize what has happened, since your bills are being sent to a new location. The next thing you’ll know you have hundreds or even thousands of dollars unpaid balances on your credit card. Just imagine what an infuriating and disheartening situation it could be for you!

So how do you know if your identity has been stolen? The warning signs may include:

* Your mail does not reach you

* Unusual details or charges on your account

* You receive unexpected calls from creditors

* You receive notices for a new credit card

* You have been denied credit

What should you do? You don’t really need to wait to for your creditors to call you up and inform you about fraudulent charges on your account. You should always keep yourself updated on all ydsjhgjzour credit accounts. Many credit card companies offer a service called credit watch and they will alert you every time a new account or inquiry is placed against your credit report.

Be cautious about your personal information. Do not write it or leave it anywhere except in a safe place. Do not carry all your credit cards on your wallet all the time. Bring only the ones you need to use. Be careful when using ATM, especially if there is another person behind you. Shred past mail, receipts, bills before you trash them. Destroy unused credit cards. Do not give any personal information through e-mail.

If your wallet has been stolen, notify your credit card issuer immediately. It is best to have the card cancelled and get another one with a new PIN. If you have not been receiving your mail, report this to your local postal inspector.

If you do suspect of a fraud, place an alert on your accounts right away. You may choose an initial alert which lasts for 90 days on your credit report. However, if you have been a victim of identity theft, you may ask for an extended alert on your credit report which lasts up to seven years. To place a fraud alert, you may contact any of the three consumer reporting companies through their toll-free numbers:

* Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; http://www.equifax.com;

P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374 – 0241

* Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); http://www.experian.com;P.O. Box 9532 Allen , TX 75013

* TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; http://www.transunion.com; Fraud Victim Assistance Division, PO Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834-6790

You’ll be entitled for a free credit report so you can personally check on your accounts. Examine all the details on report, any companies you haven’t done business with, unfamiliar accounts, and if there are any unexplainable charges. Make sure that all your personal information like your name, address, SSN is exactly correct. If there is any incorrect detail, update it immediately.

If your account has really been corrupted, speak with someone from the fraud department of that company and notify them about it. Follow it up with a written report sent through registered mail. The letter must state that you dispute such charges due to their fraudulent nature. Request that these fraudulent debts be resolved and that the account be closed.

File a report with your local police. To find out if your state law accepts reports on identity theft, check your state Attorney General’s office at www.naag.org. You should also file a complaint at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Contact them by phone at 1-877-IDTHEFT (438-4338); TTY: 1-866-653- 4261, or by mail at:

Identity Theft Clearinghouse

Federal Trade Commission

600 Pennsylvania Avenue,

NW, Washington, DC, 20580

You can also visit the FTC website at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

Kristen Gehrig, director of global marketing for Fellowes Inc. in Itasca, the leading shredder manufacturer, said “few states–and Illinois is not one of them–require destruction of documents. Although several federal laws mandate safeguards for customer privacy, only the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) approved in June 2005 requires businesses to destroy certain types of consumer information. But what we found in our research,” she said, “is that 87 percent of small businesses are not aware of FACTA and their responsibility to make proper Disposal of Consumer Report Information and Records under this act.”

Businesses hatch identity losses all the time with security breaches that can be broken down into a number of categories. What they have in common is that they contain personal identifying information in a format easily read by thieves, in other words, your personal information is not encrypted. Breaches include but are not limited to the following;

* Lost or stolen laptops, computers or other computer storage devices

* Backup tapes lost in transit because they were not sent either electronically or with a human escort

* Hackers breaking into systems

* Employees stealing information or allowing access to information

* Information bought by a fake business

* Poor business practices- for example sending postcards with Social Security numbers on them

* Internal security failures

* Viruses, Trojan Horses and computer security loopholes

* Info tossed into dumpsters- improper disposition of information

The only solutions thus far for consumers have been shock reactive – by then, it’s too late. Identity theft can happen anyplace to anyone. In line at the store, online at home, business practices mentioned above or when you’re buying your morning coffee. If your identity is stolen, you can spend hundreds of hours cleaning up your credit and struggling to get back your good name. That’s because stolen identities are used up to 30 times, with most victims only discovering the theft after they’ve been turned down for a loan or contacted by a collection agency. You may already be a victim, many times over, and not even know it.

Unexpected effects even after the thief stops using the information, victims struggle with the impact of the identity theft crime. This might include increased insurance or credit card fees, inability to find a job, higher interest rates and battling collection agencies and issuers who refuse to clear records despite substantiating evidence of the identity crime. This “aggravation and turmoil” may continue for more than 10 years after the crime was first discovered and subsequently reported.

If you think you know all the tricks in thwarting the identity thief; think again! The criminals will just bide their time and wait for you to forget some available proactive measure and strike you down in the confusion and distraction of everyday existence. If they can’t get you individually, they’ll strike a business that fails to shred your personal information or has some security breach that avails the info needed.

There are many services in the industry that offer proactive identity theft protection with a proven solution that prevents your identity from being stolen before it happens. They protect your identity and personal information for only $10 a month – and one guarantee’s their 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 review the many identity theft services available in the market. The Federal Trade Commission recommends that the small print in all the available services be understood before commitment because, some programs are better than others.

I can’t recommend the course of action you should take to protect you identity. I can however suggest you simply recognize the fact the problem of identity theft is a growing problem. It is bigger than you and I and a proactive service supplementing our own personal initiatives to avoid identity theft; might just be the best decision ever made.

Identity theft is the wrongful use of YOUR personal information – such as your name, social security number, or credit card number – without your permission by another person to commit fraudulent or criminal acts. ID thieves take out phony loans or ring up bogus charges in your name.Identity theft is often a question of too little privacy or too much identification. How can so much information get out if you personally keep it private? Identity Theft is when someone uses someone else’s personal identifying information for illegal purposes. The illegal purpose often involves acquiring goods and services and/or obtaining credit in the victim/s name.

Identity Theft is less risky, incredibly easy, and highly profitable as compared to most other crimes. A thief who robs you at gunpoint and is caught is likely to be sentenced to 5 to 10 years in prison.

Consumers

Consumers are also wary of where their information – address and credit card numbers – goes after they have filled out the online purchase forms. Even more surprising, 34% said they are not confident in credit card companies or online retailers ability to keep personal information private. Consumers are still shopping at TJ Maxx and Marshalls because they aren’t personally feeling the pain of that mammoth data breach. Consumers battling a weight problem often fail to get proper medical treatment, instead falling for infomercial-driven scams and no-sweat schemes. New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, taking a short break from putting insurance executives in prison, suggests beefy consumers expend some energy checking whether their health plan will cover medical treatment and professional nutrition counseling for their obesity.

ID Theft Prevention

Review all medical records, claims and reports for unusual entries Look for services never rendered to you or your dependents, inaccurate diagnoses, address changes, collections, and disclosures made to other agencies or health providers. Dispute any misinformation with your insurance provider, health provider or credit bureaus for investigation and/or removal Make all disputes in writing and provide copies of any claims that include misinformation. Review your monthly statement for unfamiliar charges, and shred all papers that contain personal information. Order a free copy of your credit report from each of the three bureaus at www.annualcreditreport.com , and stagger your requests so you can review a report every four months.

A recent competitor in the credit monitoring/consumer protection products and services arena is Trusted ID. This company offers credit monitoring, identity theft, and ID theft insurance as well as other resources to consumers independently and not through one of the three major credit reporting agencies of TransUnion, Experian, or Equifax. This business is located in Redwood City, CA and more information about the company may be obtained by calling 1.888.548.7878.

ID Freeze is the title of the service provided and its features include; credit card monitoring, stoppage of pre approved credit card offers; access to ID theft and restoration specialist, “Lender Double-Check; ID theft insurance and “CreditLock.”

What are these features and why are they important? By providing credit card monitoring; consumers are able to be informed of activity that may indicate that their credit card information may have been compromised, for example additional details regarding the security breach experienced by TJMaxx and Marshall’s and how it may have affected you. The stoppage of pre approved credit card offers is important for two reasons. First, credit reporting agencies are selling your information to the marketing database – your information that you must PAY to receive. Pre-approved credit card offers are also considered the leading cause of identity theft, so your removal from this service is more important that just saving you a few minutes of time going through your mail. It may save your credit.

Subscribers to TrustedID’s ID Freeze are also provided access to id theft and to a restoration specialist 24-7. Members may access their specialist via email or telephone, have answers regarding their credit or restoration concerns answered, and obtain sample letters, emails and other resources necessary to correct credit errors.

The three more unique aspects of this product are: “Lender Double-check,” a one million dollar ID theft insurance benefit and “CreditLock. With Lender DoubleCheck, credit lenders must obtain your approval by telephone before taking any action that can affect your credit. The companies of Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian are provided with a “note” to your account with instructions. The $1,000,000 identity theft insurance benefit through AIG and Lloyd’s of London; is offered because of Trusted ID’s confidence that you won’t need it once you use their service. The feature, “CreditLock,” is a service by which consumers prohibit the release of their credit information to third parties without their express permission. However, in the event the consumer is applying for new credit, they are required to release their credit information-basically turning the “lock” on and off.

This service also automatically provides you with your yearly credit report from all three credit reporting agencies; however, this benefit hardly deserves mention. All consumers have access to one credit report annually, however the benefit of this service is that the consumer is not required to make the request for the report. It is simply provided.

With the utilization of “credit freezing” your credit information is protected before anything happens. With other services you receive information after the fact and, in some cases, too late. Scott Mitic, founder of Trusted ID, stated to consumeraffairs.com that; “The credit bureaus are in the business of selling your data,” he said, {and} “Consumer information is the new gold standard, and we want to put the power back in the consumer’s hands.” This product gives consumers the ability to be proactive instead of responding retroactively,

Trusted ID features and benefits such as StolenID Search have been featured in such publications as Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek; online at CNNMoney.com and CNBC and are recognized by the Identity Theft Resource Center.

Other products also available include assistance to corporations and small businesses with data security breaches. This company also lobbies Congress for stricter rules regarding who can access in individual’s personal and credit information. Their first feature is offered free, and is a “StolenID Search,” an online tool where consumers may search by social security number or credit card number to see if their information has been compromised. The website and service also provides an identity theft resource center with facts and information; videos of victims of ID theft and frequently asked questions.

As of Jan. 2008, the price for this service is 104.95 for a yearly subscription, providing the subscriber with a $50.00 a year savings over many other service providers. Subscribers may also purchase the services of Trusted ID on a short term basis for $12.95 a month, with the subscription ending upon non payment or cancellation.

Take a minute, or five and visit Trusted ID online to determine if this is the right credit monitoring service for you. If it is, you are there and ready to sign up; if not you will have the information you need to determine what kind of service you do want and be able to knowledgeably compare plans and benefits.