Your vulnerability increases if you do not know what can endanger you online. The more informed you are, the better you will be equipped to fight the dangers from cyber space. Have your identity theft facts known and understood so you will be prepared to not only fight such threats but also be better equipped to prevent it.

My daughter, the other day, found that someone hacked her Facebook id and opened another mirror account in her name. She was horrified to see that this hacker was chatting online with her friends in her name, using her photographs and information. She (my daughter) did not know what to do in this case, how to warn others or how close the mirror account. What would you do in this case?

Source:  Identity Theft Facts

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• www ecraonline org/blog/identity-theft/identity-theft-facts/

There are many types of identity theft out there. It is vital to be informed of all the different types of identity theft. One of the most important types of identity crimes is .

When this happens, the thief uses your identity to obtain medical benefits that you would have otherwise been entitled to. This means that when you actually need them, these benefits may not be available to you anymore.

Be careful as to how you pay your medical insurance, and how you store insurance information. Many people send themselves an email with the major details of their bank, medical and other important information so that it is easily accessible if the hard copies are lost.

However, this is not safe. It is very easy to have your email hacked or compromised.  When this happens, the hacker gains access to all your personal information – and as you can imagine, this would be a disaster.

Source:   Medical Identity Theft – What is this?

If you do not have the answers to these questions, it is time you learn. Those who are not aware of identity theft parameters and dangers are most likely to fall prey to cyber-crime.

Take time and research possible tactics that can become a threat online. Be extra careful about the use of the Internet by your children.

Children are likely to use credit cards for shopping or obtaining access to sites that require age verification. Take precautions that credit cards are out of reach of children. It is also important to make children aware of the dangers of internet use and the importance of protecting their identities.

Source:  What do you know about identity theft?

Never give your financial data online to anyone. Be aware that banks will never ask for your PIN and/ or passwords. If you find any email that has asked you for this information, report it to the bank immediately.

Install verified security software on your computer. In this day of technology simply having an anti-virus software will not do. Ensure that this program also has anti-phishing, anti-malware and antispyware so your computer is fully protected. It is very important to keep this software up to date and to run periodic scans.

Do not give your password to your friends or colleagues. You never know where they keep the password or how they use it. This can potentially leave you exposed to Internet identity theft.

Source: Internet Identity theft

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• Identity Theft on the Internet

If you access the Net from your laptop or PC you are in danger of having your data compromised. This might not be a big danger if you have nothing to do with finances or sensitive data. However, if you have any important data on your computer, then you need to take measures to ensure that no one gains access to it. A few simple steps will go a long way to ensure that you stay safe.

Whenever you access your bank account to make transactions, ensure that you not only log out, but also close the window from where you accessed the website.

Never access your bank account from any email message you have received – no matter what the message is. The email could potentially be from hackers who would absorb your passwords when you attempt to access your account through the link in the email. Close the email and open a separate window to access the bank account directly from the financial institutions secured website.

Source: Data Theft – How Is It Done?

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• can identity theft be done through home address

What should you do? Be careful as to what information you divulge about yourself on the Net. Always ensure that website URL is on a secure server. If you were on a secure server the   URL would begin with https://. If you are not on a secure server, DO NOT DIVULGE SENSITIVE PERSONAL INFORMATION.

When typing credit card details, double check that you are on a server that encrypts the number. This will be indicated by a small lock either at the top or at the bottom of the page and the page will have an announcement with something similar to this “Verified by VeriSign and Secured using SSL.”

Source:  Identity theft

How can you avoid falling victim to such identity theft software? Always use a reputed anti-virus/ anti-spyware program. Since some of these programs gain entry to your computer as a virus. Always be careful when something pops up on your screen and asks you a question. Most of us do not bother to read, and just press ‘Yes’ to continue to the next screen. Many times this oversight is an invitation for a spyware program to download itself onto your computer and begin wreaking havoc on your financial life.

This is one of the easiest ways the identity theft software gains entry.
Be careful. Stay safe.

Source:  Identity Theft Software – Be Careful

The best way to educate yourself is through the Internet. Identify and use the various forums available on the Net on this specific topic to learn from the experience of others. There is plenty to learn from the advice, complaints and information shared by the previous victims of identity scams.

You could also read about various online and offline scams from the many dedicated blogs on this matter. There are many people out there who have made it their lives’ goal to make this information available to the general public. They seek to warn people about the various scams in order to protect people at large.

Source:   Identity theft scams – Watch Out!

You need to stay aware about recent developments by following identity theft news on the Net and other media. Information translates into protection. In order to place adequate measures in place for your safety it is imperative to understand the determination and ingenuity of criminals seeking to prosper with your hard-earned money.

The habit of following identity theft news will also keep you abreast of the scams that have already been uncovered. Often, such information is very helpful to check whether you have been victimized in the past.

Source:  Follow Identity Theft News and Stay Safe

Have you heard about identity theft crime yet? Are you prepared for it? Yes, I know most people will groan inwardly saying, “Oh heck, I’m not living under a rock, buddy!” At the same time, you may be surprised that 7 out of 10 people today have their computers hacked, have their identity stolen, or are victims of some or other identity theft crime.

How does this happen, when you say you are aware of it? Aren’t you taking measures against it?

This happens because you let your guard down, safe in the knowledge that you know about the dangers. What happens actually is that in your belief that you are smart enough not to be trapped or victimized by identity theft crime, you allow yourself to be casual about it.

The moment you are casual about the identity theft crime  – that is the exact time when you are most vulnerable against it. Beware – and stay safe.

Criminals count on this lethargy people feel for identity theft checks. Most people do not “blow a hole in the wall” when they get access to your financial account. They rather milk your account slowly yet steadily, for a long-term residual income.

When at last you wake up to the problem, it will most likely not be due to an identity theft check, but will usually be due to some alert from a bank.

You want to reduce the risk of victimization in this matter, ensure that you carry out a regular and thorough identity theft check.

If you are looking at it carefully, all identity thefts are criminal activities; however, in this case, by criminal identity theft it’s meant more than just breaking the law. It means that this is done with criminal intent – such as planning embezzlement of money, stealing jobs or benefits, acquiring false insurance payments, and so on.

When you talk about criminal identity theft this is a serious matter than cannot be mistaken to be anything but a crime. Every person out there is vulnerable to such activity – especially if you are active on the Internet.

The best defense against criminal identity theft is presence of mind and alertness. Be always alert about any changes in your account, billing, Internet passwords, etc. Stay alert, stay safe.

Here are a few steps that will keep you safe and protected from harm:

* Verify closely all your bills (credit cards, debit cards, utility bills, etc)
* Scan your bills and keep them on your hard disk with a strong password; in this way, even if your computer is hacked, nobody will get to your financial data
* Instruct your bank to inform you if there is any unusual trend in transactions
* Keep a close watch on identity theft news, so you’ll know how what are the latest developments in the field.

One of the easiest ways to prevent such fraud – or at least keep it to a minimum – is to have the provider send you SMS alerts on your cell phone every time your card is charged.

This has two benefits :
(1) it keeps a close tab on your balance available, and
(2) it will alert you whenever your card is used.

In case you find that your card has been used without authorization, you can immediately alert your bank and the police regarding the credit card fraud in progress. It’s possible to track the transactions made on the card, and the culprit can be nabbed and brought to justice.

few steps that will protect your child’s identity from being stolen or misused:

1.Be careful about the Social Security Number. You might need to enter the child’s SSN in a health insurance form or similar

documents. Ascertain that this information is protected and not accessed without proper authorization.

2.Do not put the information on the Internet. Educate your child about the danger of child identity theft, and how using his or her

SSN on the Internet can facilitate it. Do not forbid the child to use it, but rather explain and convince your child about the

necessity of protecting such private information.

3.Keep all records and important papers locked up. It’s easy for children to spy through papers and use the information they find on

the Internet. Ensure that such information is always under lock and key to prevent children identity theft.

Another very effective identity theft protection measure to destroy (by burning or shredding) any an all bank statements as you receive them. Never throw these in the dustbin. Your identity theft protection measures should ensure that there is nothing in your garbage bin that will give away any information regarding you or your family.

One last very important identity theft protect measure is that you should always log out after you complete online transactions with your bank. Very often hackers have the ability to capture non-logged out accounts and impersonate you.

Avoiding identity theft may not always be easy; however, with a little care and alertness, you will be able to avert it to a large extent. Here are three tips that you should keep close to your heart:

1.Never put an automatic password feed into your laptop. You might have the laptop stolen and all your passwords with it. This will make it a walk in the park for a thief to access all your private and confidential information – making it easiest to take over your identity.

2.Never give any private information about yourself or anyone in your family over the phone. No matter how urgent the caller says it is – NEVER give any such information. Ask for the address and name, and offer to go there in person to give this information. Before doing so, check with the source for accuracy of the inquiry.

3.One other way to avoid identity theft is to change your credit card and utility bills to email statements. Most identity thieves look for and obtain information from the bills you receive in your mailbox.

One of the greatest and most harmful among the identity theft series is the social security identity theft. This enable the thief to impersonate you and avail for employment benefits, medical insurance, bank mortgage and other loans and many other such things that will leave you in a very precarious position with the law.

It’s very difficult if not impossible to identify and backtrack which tasks have been done by you, and which ones by the thief, for which legally, you remain responsible for everything that your impersonator does.

Beware – do not carry your SSN number in you handbag or wallet. Do not give this number or any other personal information over phone or email to anyone. In case any bank or other such authority asks this of you, reply that you will do it in person. You CAN prevent social security identity theft – and prevention is the only way you will remain safe.

There will come a day when, like the installation of anti virus software, you will have something that guards you and your computer from identity theft. Until then, you should use your common sense and stay alert. Your best identity guard theft is your own alertness!

Most identity thefts occur when the hackers send you a link that opens a cloned website that looks identical to that of your bank or email id provider, and asks you to fill in personal information for verification/ upgrading/ re-registration and so on. You need to make it a rule to NEVER give any personal information, especially passwords or ATM / debit or credit card numbers to anyone over the Internet or the telephone. While shopping online, ensure that the site is encrypted and marked so by Verisign – there will be a tiny yellow lock in the lower right hand corner of the page.

1) Shopping online and paying by credit card, without checking for VerisSign at the bottom of the page. Always ensure that the page that asks for your credit card details is encrypted by an approved regulatory body. This is particularly important when you receive promotional stuff in your email.

2) Accepting windfalls through email – it’s lovely to win a lottery, and everybody loves that. However, if you ever receive emails saying you have won a large sum of money for which you need to give them your personal and financial details, be careful. It’s almost certainly a scam!

3) Applying for online loan approval – let’s say you have applied online for any type of loan. They get back to you asking you very personal financial and personal details. Never give any personal details online to anyone!

Have you ever experienced ID theft? How do you prevent it?

Here are a few steps that will be of immense help:

* Always have the ID laminated in a hard transparent cover, so it cannot be easily tampered with
* Always ensure that your ID has a recent photograph of you
* Never leave your ID lying around in the office or at home
* Immediately inform the respective authorities about the loss of the ID card, as this will track the person using your identity

The risk is often dependent and proportional with how sensitive your work is and where your ID is used; if you work in any type of high security area, never let your ID out of your sight, no matter what!

I use the Internet to check my bank account a couple of time every now and then. Since my husband and I have a joint account, it’s often necessary to check the balance before we issue any checks. Therefore, for convenience sake we both have access to our account through the Internet.

The other day, while shuffling through my emails I found an email from the bank with “Very Important” in the subject line. Curious, I clicked to see what it said and found that it asked me to revalidate my personal data because changes in rules and an upgrade in technology made it necessary.

I was about to enter the date when I realized there was no VeriSign at the bottom of the page. Suspicious, I sought other signs of ID theft and found that even the link was incorrect. I immediately called the bank and they denied having sent any such letter or fax.

This is how my identity theft story ended with a positive note.

Let me give you an example that will answer your question about the online identity theft situation. Recently my friend had her email hacked. The hacker sent almost all her friends an SOS letter requesting $1,500 to bail her out of a financial jam. The letter does not represent her style – she is a SOAS London PhD and her English is impeccable – nor her spirit. So, when she learnt that such a letter was sent in her name from her hacked account, she did not worry much thinking that anyone who knew her will laugh at such an attempt at fraud.  Surprisingly though, out of the 200 odd friends, 5 did reply to the hacker asking how the money should be sent and expressing concern. My friend was stunned to hear that her seemingly world-wise, highly qualified and well-travelled friends could fall for such a ruse.    Does this tell you enough about online identity theft? Out of the millions of such emails that are sent out blindly, even if 0.01% fall for it, these crooks end up with handsome returns

Everyone needs to fight identity theft by whatever means they can. Unfortunately most people become so upset and depressed when they are victimized that they shut down completely.

Do not hide such incidents! Come online and narrate your stories. Complain to the authorities concerned. Go to the local police, find the relevant cyber police websites and report your incident. For every reported incident hundreds if not thousands will become aware of new dangers.

It’s the duty of every citizen in the world to fight identity theft as this is becoming one of the most encountered and damaging of virtual crimes. You will be surprised to learn that now you will be able to find courses that teach how to hack sites and other related software programming.

This has become a lucrative business that asks for little investment and offers great returns. Unite and fight identity theft – this is the only way we can stay protected.

Everyone needs to fight identity theft by whatever means they can. Unfortunately most people become so upset and depressed when they are victimized that they shut down completely.

Do not hide such incidents! Come online and narrate your stories. Complain to the authorities concerned. Go to the local police, find the relevant cyber police websites and report your incident. For every reported incident hundreds if not thousands will become aware of new dangers.

It’s the duty of every citizen in the world to fight identity theft as this is becoming one of the most encountered and damaging of virtual crimes. You will be surprised to learn that now you will be able to find courses that teach how to hack sites and other related software programming.

This has become a lucrative business that asks for little investment and offers great returns. Unite and fight identity theft – this is the only way we can stay protected.

It’s very difficult if not impossible to identify and backtrack which tasks have been done by you, and which ones by the thief, for which legally, you remain responsible for everything that your impersonator does.

Beware – do not carry your SSN number in you handbag or wallet. Do not give this number or any other personal information over phone or email to anyone. In case any bank or other such authority asks this of you, reply that you will do it in person. You CAN prevent social security identity theft – and prevention is the only way you will remain safe.