Identity Theft Guide

Overview

The Surprising Truth about What Really Makes up Our Identity

 Identity theft is running rampant. You see it on all the news outlets; TV, newspapers, even online. There are even commercials for services to keep your identity safe from identity thieves. But while everyone knows that an identity thief is someone pretending to be you, do you actually know what makes up your identity?

Is ID Theft a Real Problem?

What would you say if you were arrested at your door for cocaine possession and distribution? You know you have never used cocaine and realize somebody else committed this crime in your name. Unfortunately the police have banking records with your name that prove you are a drug dealer and money launderer. You can't even post bail to get out from prison. Even if you show you are not guilty, you risk being arrested time and again because the impostor keeps using your identity.

Identity Theft can Happen to You

Identity theft can happen to anyone regardless of age and social status. ID theft increased once the world became electronic and automated. Because of computers, databases and impersonal nature of transaction, the world became exposed to identity theft.

Identity Theft wreaks Havoc

 Cases of identity theft continue to increase rapidly. Companies are responding by creating products and protective services for us to purchase and utilize. Many experts state that identity theft is statistically bound to happen to you.  

Banking and identity theft - To be online or not?

Five years ago it seemed inevitable that the Internet would become the channel by which we simplified our lives, allowing us to create electronic proxies to accomplish many of our daily tasks. Today there is an online provider for just about anything we want to do from banking, ordering a pizza, booking a spa appointment, and communicating with our doctors. Is online banking is right for you? Read on to find out.

Don’t let an Identify Theft cheat you out of your dreams

It is everyone’s worst nightmare. You are sitting at the car dealership, waiting to sign the papers on your cherry red convertible. The salesman approaches you with a long face. “Your credit has been declined,” he snarls. Your careful use of credit, meticulous scrutiny of bills, and on-time payment history now mean nothing. How do you ensure that you don’t become another victim of identity theft?

Staying Safe against Online Crime

As the Internet is becoming more and more incorporated into our daily lives, online dangers are becoming extremely prevalent. This article will teach you how to protect yourself from online crime and technological hacking, and keep your money and information safe.

Criminal Repercussions of Identity Theft

If your identity is stolen, more than just your credit rating can be hurt. Thieves can get access to your bank accounts, your home and even get criminal charges which you will have to deal with. Some of the largest consequences from identity left can come from criminal misidentification events. 

Are you Going to be the Next Victim of Identity Theft?

There are many ways that identity theft affects you. You may spend lots of time getting the records straight after someone has stolen your identity. You may be denied loans or jobs. And, though less likely, you could be mistakenly arrested for crimes someone committed using your name.

Are you a victim of Computer Bank Scams?

Using today’s sophisticated computer technology, thieves are able to construct websites that look just like the ones of legitimate companies but are created just to get you to provide personal information that can be used for identity theft. This article will discuss scams like phishing, pharming and vishing.

Secrets that Identity Thieves won't Tell You

Identity thieves are the types of criminals you should worry about. Fortunately, there are certain techniques for protecting yourself from them even if many say that you can’t be too careful.

Identity Theft: Number one Scam

Identity theft means that someone has your personal information – like a credit card number or your Social Security number- and they use this to either gain access to your accounts or they use it to obtain credit in your name to run up huge bills that will become black marks on your credit report.

9 Steps to Reclaim Your Finances after Identity Theft

 Spyware is a type of software used to monitor a computer user’s actions. When placed in well-intentioned hands, it can be completely innocuous; sometimes it even helps to protect sensitive information from being misappropriated. Many have seen it employed by bosses tracking employee activity or by parents who feel more at ease following their children’s computer usage. 

It’s Not my Debt! I Promise!

Sometimes, in reviewing your credit report, you may be surprised at what you find. Some of the reports may not even be yours, and this erroneous reporting happens frequently. Whether it’s a case of identity theft, that you cosigned on a loan for someone else, it’s a credit bureau mistake, or that you held a joint account with someone that you are no longer “joined” with, or an unscrupulous collection agency maliciously threw something on your report again, you might find a debt on your report that is not yours. What can you do with these listings in order to clean up your credit report and raise your score?

Do ID tools cause problems?

You should know that the basic identification documents that each person possesses are: the federal ID (the Social Security number); the state ID (the driver’s license) and the local ID (the birth certificate). This article will discuss what you need to know prevent identity theft. 

How do thieves commit identity theft?

Thieves commit identity theft relying on the variety of ID systems. Some thieves find personal financial information when they go through commercial and residential trash. Many thieves steal mail from mailboxes; others pick up wallets or purses and there are thieves who use information from company databases and Web sites.

Shocking Truths about Identity Theft

Not all identity thefts occur on back alleys and by criminals in the dark. Sometimes identity theft is done by individuals and business which already have a trusted relationship with the victim. This type of identity theft is terribly disturbing for individuals and often times involve much larger sums of money than the typical identity thief is capable of stealing.

Prevention

Are you Protected against ID Theft ?

 Did identity theft become a federal crime? Now the federal agencies are the ones to investigate this crime. In the cases of ID theft, you need to know how the law acts. First, the Secret Service starts the investigation of the counterfeited instruments such as currency, checks, credit cards, stocks and bonds. Second, the Secret Service aims at organized criminal groups which are involved in financial crimes. 

How to prevent ID Theft

 Identity theft prevention starts with you, the consumer. It starts with the measures you take against ID theft. How easy is it to steal someone's identity when there is so much information, too dense to prevent all ID thefts?

How to Avoid Identity Theft

Recent government reports estimate that over nine million people each year get their identity stolen. This ends up costing consumers $5 billion and businesses $50 billion, every year. The ease of the internet is only one place that is giving thieves opportunities to steal your information. There are some things that you can do to protect yourself, but you have to be diligent and stay on top of your credit profile.

Little known Tricks of Identity Thieves and What you Can Do to Protect Yourself

 We've all heard about the scam known as 'phishing' that identity thieves love. They call it 'phishing' because the thieves basically cast a wide net to try to catch as many people as possible. Although some phishing schemes are simplistic, don't let them fool you it's a numbers game and somebody is going to fall for this.

Your Privacy and Identity Protection

Think of the way in which you pay for something with a credit card. Is it safer to pay online or over the phone? The answer to this question is hard but everybody knows that the safest way to pay for something is with cash. But few people have much cash in their wallets because they are afraid of being mugged and it is not convenient or because they don’t have this money and prefer to buy on credit.

How to Protect your Credit Card from Identity Theft

When most people think of identity theft they think of stolen credit cards. While identity theft can range anywhere from a stolen credit card all the way to a complete stolen identity which can include government documents, stolen credit cards are by far the easiest way to steal someone's identity. 

How to Protect yourself on the Telephone from Identity Thieves

 Everyone's heard that identity thieves call you up pretending to be somebody else and ask you for all your personal information and the gullible person on the other end of the phone gives it. We've all heard the story, and usually it's targeted at elderly people who don't know any better, right? Wrong. This article will familiarize you with various scams and ways to protect yourself so you don't become the next statistic.

The Most Common ways thieves get your Credit Cards without you Knowing

 No, we're not going to about muggers or pickpockets here. Those you would have probably noticed. A pickpocket or a mugger is usually after money with the credit card being a bonus. However true identity thieves target credit cards specifically and they do it in such a way that you would never even know they have yours.  In this article you are going to learn about some of the most common credit card scams so you know how to protect yourself.

What you Need to know about Moving day and Identity Theft

 Moving day is a stressful time for us all. In fact moving is listed as one of the five stressors, right after death, marriage, divorce, birth and other similar life altering events. There's so much to think about when you move that you can't possibly think about it all. That's what makes moving day such a special day for identity thieves. When you're moving it's easy for sensitive information to fall into the wrong hands. This article will show you how to minimize this risk.

What you're Throwing out Could Cost you Your Identity

 It's something rarely talked about or seen on TV, but dumpster diving is an age-old way for identity thieves to get pieces of your identity. Even before identity theft started running rampant, private investigators, debt collectors and even police have been going through people's trash to get the information they want. Nowadays, you can add a new person to that mix; the identity thief. 

The Secrets of what Identity Thieves do with Your Information

 In today's day and age one of the worst fears is the identity theft. It's a total loss of control over the very thing that makes you, you. People who are the victims of identity theft often report feeling violated in addition to all the legal and civil hassles this causes. Having to clear up their identity can sometimes take years. This article is going to take a brief look at the most common ways that people misuse your identity.

Protect your Identity – You Can’t be too Careful

Identity theft is experienced on a daily basis by millions who think they are safe. This article will discuss five steps to keep you from being a victim and five steps to take if your identity has already been stolen.

Prevent Identity Theft : Phishing and fishing for your personal data

There are hundreds of scams thieves use to steal your identify. One of the fastest growing ways to acquire your personal information is through phishing. This article will give you tips on how to prevent thieves from stealing your identity.

10 Tips to Protect your SSN and Avoid Identity Theft

 To most, a Social Security number merely represents an annoyingly long sequence of digits that we were all required to copy at the top of our college applications. Unfortunately, many fail to see the grave repercussions when these numbers fall into strangers’ hands. Do you really want someone else to set your financial course? 

Worried about Electronic Pickpocketing? Foil Them!

Are you scared yet? The buzz is that fraudulent people can get access to your credit card account just by coming near you with an electronic scanner. Scary. Yes? The little device looks similar to the touch pad techie things you see teenagers and adults carrying around. And, yes. This is a real threat to your security. However, it’s not easy for the device to pick up enough information to do harm.

Recovery

First Steps for Identity Theft Victims

 You have recently discovered you are the victim of identity theft. It is overwhelming and you do not know where to start. Gather your credit reports, bank statements and credit card bills and get started on the process of fixing your identity theft issues. Take notes on everything, notify your creditors and follow up everything in writing when you are dealing with creditors. You might also need to notify the local police department.

What you Must do if Your Identity is Stolen

 If your identity is stolen the most important thing to remember is not to hesitate or ignore it. Though you're not liable for things charged if your identity is stolen you need to be able to prove that it was and that it really wasn't you. Time is your enemy on this. The longer you let it go before reporting it, less likely to creditors are going to believe that it wasn't you making the purchases.

Rebuilding your Credit Score after Identity Theft

 Applying for many new credit cards in only a few weeks is just not a good idea. In fact, if you’ve been through some sort of credit disaster, wait about six months before you even re-enter the credit world. If you apply for cards, the requests show up on your credit report negatively, especially if you are denied. This article will discuss the common mistakes when rebuilding credit score after identity theft.

Other Issues

Identity Theft Issues and Taxes

Paying taxes is part of living in the United States of America, it is not something we enjoy doing but we do it anyways. Criminals take advantage of the stigma surrounding the IRS and taxes to take advantage of individuals and steal their personal information. Fraudulent tax preparation companies, phony forms and IRS scams are just a few ways people can be victimized when trying to pay their taxes.

Identity Theft and Bank Accounts

It is difficult to know when or how an identity thief is going to strike. They might get access to your online bank account, credit card or billing statement. Once they get a hold of your money it is important to immediately notify your bank and start the process of recouping your money. Fighting back against bank account thieves involves fighting both the thief and your bank and will take time and patience as you try to get the stolen money back.

Immediate Actions to Combat Criminal Identity Theft

Combating identity theft is a long and difficult process. It will involve getting in touch with attorneys, police departments and district attorney’s. Even after the whole process is complete the identity thief might continue using your identity, forcing you to take extreme measures to prevent yourself from continuing to be a victim. This article will discuss how to combat identity theft when it happens to you.

Prisoners and Identity Theft

Even incarcerated people can have their identity stolen. In fact, prisoners are prime targets for identity theft criminals because they are not using their credit while in prison. Prisoners do not have access to checking their credit reports.