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Home Page > Internet > Life Lock – Steps To Prevent Identity Theft

Life Lock – Steps To Prevent Identity Theft

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Posted: Aug 28, 2009 |Comments: 0
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Technology has been pretty amazing during these last decades. It made our lives a lot easier. However, with this convenience, there are also people who saw it as an opportunity to use other people’s information for their own financial benefit or identity theft. It is therefore necessary for anyone to adopt steps to prevent identity theft. The following tips could help you from being scammed.

Click Here For Life Lock Limited Free Trial!

1. Limit the number of credit cards that you use. This way, you limit risk of being targeted by these scam artists.

2. If you will use your credit for an online purchase, always make sure to check the link. Make sure that the start of the URL is “https://”. The extra “s” indicates that you are sending your credit card information securely. There should also be a padlock icon in the bottom right hand corner of your browser confirming the secure connection.

3. You should also make sure that you are dealing with the right website when giving out your information. Don’t trust the links found on your email. Always go to the right link from their main website. Most online fraudsters usually use email in their operations and masking the links. This makes their links look legitimate.

4. Do not share important through phone, email and other impersonal means unless you really know and trust the person you are giving it to. Identity thieves usually pretend as official representatives of legitimate business just to lure you in giving them information.

5. Finally, try to ask first if you could provide other types of identification other than your Social Security Number. This is because your Social Security Number is one of the needed data when these unscrupulous individuals try to get credit using your name.

These are just a few steps to prevent identity theft. You should always be on the alert and ready because you don’t know when the thieves will take your identity away.

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This author writes about Life Lock at Steps To Prevent Identity Theft

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Identity theft is by no means limited to online transactions. Reports and studies indicate that it is just as rampant for offline activities. How about those offers for pre-approved credit cards or reduced rate mortgages that you get much more often than necessary delivered via US mail? What do you do with them? Of course, you have purchased an inexpensive paper shredder from your local office supply store like Best Buy of Office Depot and shred them, right? Please don’t tell me that you just throw them in the trash, because that is a prime place for identity theft robbers to get the information that they need to make YOU a victim of their antics.

From an offline perspective, you are encouraged to look over your credit card bills when they arrive in the mail. This includes bank statements and your mortgage statements every month. If someone were to steal the mail out of your mailbox while you were at work, is there enough information on any of those statements to enable an identity thief to open new accounts using your identity? If so, you may wish to have your statements sent to a PO box that is much more secure than your mailbox standing out by the road all day long where someone could steal your mail, or even check with your lender to see if they could send statements electronically via a secure connection to your secure emailbox.

You should place a fraud alert on your credit report, even if you are not a victim of identity theft. There are different names for this service, but it will require you to be contacted if anyone (including yourself) applies for credit using your name. This needs to be done with each of the three major national credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. If they give you any trouble with this, you are encouraged to report them to your state’s division of financial regulation. You are trying to protect yourself, they are providing a service, and if they are uncooperative, you do not need to put up with it.

One point to be taken very seriously is that if you have become a victim of identity theft, do NOT make any payments on any of the bills opened by the thief. If you do, this action could be used by the creditor to claim that it really is your account since you made at least one payment on it. As ludicrous as that sounds, you need to understand that the creditor realizes that if identity theft can be proven, they will most likely not even be able to collect as much as a penny on the dollar for the balance owed. So the creditor will make every attempt possible to claim that the fraudulent account really is yours, and if you make any payments on it, that will only service to substantiate their claims.

Be vigilant! You have rights and you need to be aware of what they are. You should also be aware that identity theft protection is available if you wish to utilize that route to protect yourself against identity theft.

Identity theft can be defined as a crime in which a person obtains another person

Tip #1: Keep your private information private. Try to avoid giving out any of your personal/financial information as much as possible. Never reveal your social security number to anyone unless it’s an absolute emergency or is truly required to carry out some function. Instead, only be willing to use the last four digits of your social security number as means of verifying who you are. Note that there are many companies who are already employing this method as means for identity verification.

Tip#2: Practice proper disposal of valuable information. Make sure to shred any type of personal/financial documents before throwing it away. This quick and easy task will help thwart any type of attempt to steal your identity.

Tip#3: Safeguard online activities. For any type of account or login, it’s recommended to use a password that is not easy to crack. Another important tip when online is to not reply or click on links in an email that requests for your account or billing information. It’s better to contact the company cited in the email by telephone or by a valid website to verify the email content.

Tip#4: Monitor your monthly bills and credit reports. Always check your monthly bills in order to spot any suspicious charges. Moreover, make sure your bills actually arrive since many identity theft thieves are known to steal your mail in order to gain access to your personal information. It is also recommended to routinely order your credit reports.

Tip#5: Make copies of your important personal and financial documents. If your purse or wallet gets stolen, it’s helpful to have copies of everything in it so you can quickly recall all the items that need to be cancelled. It’s better though to not carry your social security card in your purse, and have your social security number memorized.

Tip#6: Be informed and updated on identity theft scams. Being informed and updated on identity theft scams can help you avoid becoming a victim. Note that the internet is not the only place where thieves can steal your personal information. Thieves even install equipment in ATM machines that can steal ATM cards and pin numbers. It’s better then to trust your instincts, check the card reader or just use ATM machines located in banks.

Tip#7: Subscribe to a credit monitoring service. With a good identity theft service, no one can do anything with your personal information even if they were able to steal all your personal belongings including your social security card. Note that this service usually costs around $100 a year.

Dealing with the damage done by identity theft to your credit and your name is a slow and painstaking process. This makes taking measures to prevent identity theft more essential. With identity theft, the old saying “Prevention is better than cure” is definitely fitting.

The first step to take if you are an identity theft victim is to file a report with the police. Once you
have filed a report, immediately call and notify your bank, notify and close credit card accounts and
other related sources that the thief would be able to access.

Next, you will need to file a report with the appropriate government authorities and identity theft
experts, including reporting lost Social Security Number to the Social Security Administration
office. You will also need to contact the three major credit unions–TransUnion, Equifax, and
Experian–to report theft, and request a freeze on your account, rather than a fraud alert.

The best identity theft legal advice to follow these steps have been taken is to continue battling
charges added to your credit reports. Keep updated copies of the reports and save all documentation
that you receive that you do not feel belong to you. You will also need to contact creditors regarding
any suspicious bills sent to your address and dispute the charges, alerting them that you are an
identity theft victim. There may come a time you will need the assistance of an attorney, but for the
most part, you should prepare to fight ongoing without a break.

Unfortunately, identity theft is one of the leading crimes in America and around the world today.
When you become a victim of identity theft, legal advice is ongoing, since in most instances, the
problems continue and the perpetrator is rarely caught. If you do not seek the proper identity theft
legal advice, you may end up with piles of bills and no real means of proving you didn’t spend the
money yourself.

The modern world, with all its sophisticated technology, still has a problem with identifying identity theft when it occurs. There are companies sprouting up that promise to secure your identity, and make you aware if anything happens in regard to fraudulent transactions occurring in your name.

There are measures you can take yourself that can reduce the possibility of identity thieves stealing your personal information. It is all about being very careful with any items that contain any of your details; one slip up could result in years of dealing with lawyers. Even though the steps below may seem irrelevant to protecting yourself from computer identity theft, they all can be used in relation to computer fraud.

Step One

Buy a paper shredder and shred any letters, bills and credit card statements before you throw them in the trash. In fact absolutely everything and anything that has you personal information printed upon it should go through the shredder. Make sure you get into the habit of checking through your bank statements and credit card bills. If anything does not look right or is an obvious fraudulent transaction then notify your issuers right away.

Step Two

Be extremely careful when dealing with companies online. Get into the habit of not trusting websites that ask you for your personal details. Only use online stores and online banking if you are absolutely certain of who you are dealing with. Even then be very skeptical and scrutinize every detail. Fraudulent websites can be set up to look like your online banking facility. Always type the URL of your banking facility into your browser.

Make sure your computer has a full version of security software on your computer such as Norton. And always use secure servers where you get the opportunity. Your bank should be using secure servers.

Step Three

Be careful with your social security number (SSN), if this item of personal information is leaked to anyone that shouldn’t have it then disaster could soon follow. If you suspect your SSN has been stolen you must contact the authorities right away. This number is a very important identifier as to who you are; this is one of the items that identity thieves will do anything to get hold of.

Step Four

Be wary of people behind you in the queue at an ATM; always check the cash point card reader for suspicious looking devices. Keep you PIN hidden, stand in front of the keypad, cover the buttons as you type in your PIN and certainly do not say your PIN aloud when you type it in. trust me it does happen!

Hide the keypad when swiping your debit card to pay for goods in a store, and always make sure you keep an eye on your purse, wallet and pockets when you put your cards away. Make sure they are secured straight away, and if they go missing, then call your card issuer right away and notify the police.

Step Five

Keep tabs on your credit report; this is a great way of discovering fraudulent behavior if it happens. If you see anything that should not be there, call the companies involved, notify the credit bureaus and speak to the police.

Step Six

It is a good idea to get Identity Theft insurance cover on all your bank accounts and credit cards, if you can find a cheaper insurer just make sure they cover for all eventualities and a good cash figure.

I lost my wallet about 3 and a half weeks ago. Immediately I canceled the debit card that was in there for one checking account and closed another checking account that was associated with a brand new book of checks in the wallet. The thing I didn’t do and should have (among many) was closed the checking account that was associated with the debit card. I didn’t because they couldn’t use the debit card if it was found since I canceled it. I also didn’t put stop payments on the checks in the checkbook (for the other account) because for some reason I didn’t know which numbers they were. I just closed the account. I now know the numbers but it’s too late since the account has been closed for so long.

However, what was in my wallet is mind-blowingly horrendous to think about: I had my driver’s license, the debit card, checkbook, social security card, a card with the checking account number associated with the debit card, a blank check my mom had given me about a year ago that I foolishly never voided or shredded, my voter ID card, health insurance cards from expired insurance plan, my AAA card, etc., etc.

Basically every last thing they needed to become me.

The first thing they did was figure out the checking account number associated with the debit card and went to that bank and wrote themselves a check into that account from the checkbook of the other checking account that I had closed. So that was the first $200. This person must look an awful lot like me to be posing as me and I got the check image in the mail that showed the forged signature which they did a pretty good job of.

So that was the first thing which I attended to immediately and am in the process of filling out an affidavit to be notarized to get that expunged so it’s not the biggest hassle ever. There was only $12 in that checking account which is why I didn’t bother to close it (dumb) but I got that back after talking to the bank.

Then the retail returned checks started coming in. Steadily at first and I was on top of them calling and making sure I knew what I needed to do. I could keep everything straight in my head and on paper and was making every plan to remedy the situation with affidavits and everything.

Before I go on, I didn’t file an immediate police report. Honestly, I did not in a million years think this would happen and it really didn’t occur to me. However, after having talked to all these retailers (well, check processors or whatever), I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s imperative. So I have a case number for the wallet and a case number for the checks, but I know I’m going to have to get them more info. I was waiting for all these check processors to send me the check images in the mail so I could show the police but everybody urges me to just file the report right away as the retailers might have video of this person that they may get rid of soon. So tomorrow, first thing in the morning I’m calling the white collar crimes division of the PD to talk to the detective assigned to my cases.

What I also did was contact Transunion very early on to notify them of possible fraud. This was just an alert as I didn’t know that I would actually become a victim. So they are aware and today I enrolled in ID Theft Protection Insurance with Zander to make sure I’m okay in the future.

The problem now is that there are too many forged, returned checks for me to keep straight and I have no idea how to go about getting all this straightened out. There is a mound of paperwork for me to fill out for each returned check and I’m completely lost at this point. It’s spiraled totally out of my control.

The question is this: What do I do now? Hire a lawyer? Can somebody professionally help me sort through all of the fraud I have on my plate? I am at a breaking point where I’m about to have a nervous breakdown. I spent 2/3 of this day crying and not getting my work done because this situation is so daunting.

Any professional advice is so greatly appreciated. I know I didn’t fill in all the details so I’ll update this if I think of any.

Have you been hearing and reading reports about the crime of Identity Theft?  

Do you have any idea what Identity Theft is?

What is Identity Theft?

It is the stealing of items of your personal information such as your social security number, Drivers  license number, address, phone number, debit card details, credit card details, bank account numbers, and even your mother’s maiden name, with the intention of using this information to defraud you and make money for the person who is perpetrating the crime.

You need to exercise extreme care at all times to protect all of your personal information. Only by being very careful at all times, can you expect to avoid becoming a victim of Identity Theft.

How can you prevent yourself from identity theft? Here are a few suggestions. More suggestions can be found in other articles that I have written on the subject of Identity Theft. See website below for further information.

When You are at Home:

• If you have roommates or visitors, or in some cases members of your family living with you, make sure that you keep your personal information secure at all times. I am not saying that these people will attempt to steal identity items from you, but there have been numerable cases that have been prosecuted, where the instigator has been close to the family and well known to the family.

• Place your outgoing mail in the post office collection box or else mail it at the nearest post office, rather than put it in your mail box, which can be accessed by anyone who wishes to do so. Remove your incoming mail from your mailbox as soon as practically possible. If you are going to be away from home, have the post office hold your mail until you return.

• Destroy all your documents that you receive in the mail, after you have dealt with them, including junk mail items that may have credit or personal information on them, such as credit card company solicitations. If you are able destroy this information by shredding.

If you are at Work:

• You may be requested to provide personal information. Enquire as to how this information is to be used and what kind of security is in place. You do not want your personal data left lying around in an office where prying eyes can acquire it.

On the Internet:

• If you are contemplating business transactions online, read thoroughly about the confidentiality of the website. Make sure you are giving any personal information to someone who is going to maintain it securely. If in doubt, do not provide the information.

• You should consider using your Pay Pal account whenever possible to make payments to third parties. This will protect the credit card information that you might otherwise be needed to provide.

• Avoid giving your personal data over the telephone, via email, or online unless you have initiated the contact or you already know the person with whom you are doing business.

In conclusion, always be alert. If someone asks for your personal information, be it a friend, acquaintance, or  business, ask the reason why they want it from you and how they will protect it if provided.

John Ritchie,

Copyright to this article belongs to John Ritchie.   

http://www.johnritchieonline.com  

For more detailed information on Identity Theft, and to sign up for our 5 part e-course, go to http://www.johnritchieonline.com .

You may download and distribute this article freely and without restrictions. You must not, however, delete the resource box link.

What You Do If It Happens To You

If you are the victim of identity theft, there are several actions you are going to want to take. One of those actions includes getting a general practice attorney , a contract attorney or an attorney litigation trial expert in cases revolving identity theft. The next thing you should do is report the crime to the authorities, as well as the Federal Trade Commission. Then, once you have found the right attorney for you, specializing in identity theft for your state, then you can proceed to take further actions. For example, you would want an Arkansas lawyer to take your case on if you are living in Arkansas or Nebraska lawyer , etc. Every state handles every case differently, depending on your state’s laws.

Next, get a credit freeze on all of your credit cards and notify the bank immediately and let them know that you are an identity theft victim. Any new credit card accounts that were open in your name that you did not personally open, close immediately with a phone call as well as in writing. If debt collectors start calling you, get the debt collectors information and the names of the people calling you, let them know that you are the victim of identity theft. You must keep a clean documented record of everything that you have done to prove that you are the victim in order to avoid major court issues. It may take you years to overcome the damage that an identity theft criminal has caused, but there are ways to prevent identity theft from happening in the first place.

Preventing Identity Theft

-avoid internet purchases

-shred documents

-get a safe and put all of your original documents inside them.

-get identity theft insurance

-Pay with cash instead of debit cards

-Let banks and creditors know when you are going on vacation and have them contact you with any suspicious banks charges.

Until there are more secure advances in how our information is protected, there will be identity theft. But you can be smart about how you give your personal information out to strangers.