Putting in an identity theft complaint many times will prevent other similar crimes. However, most people are so dejected by the hopelessness of their own situation post the crime, that they rarely take any serious action against the perpetrator.

Do not be one among the people who take it lying down. Fight back. It is true that it is very difficult to prove identity theft.  Many find that because of the disappointment, it is easy to lose interest in pursuing the matter. However, it is important that you file an identity theft complaint as soon as you can. Even if you may not benefit from the action, the alert may prevent other thefts in the near future.

You can send your complaint online to https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/forms/idtheft.aspx. Your action will help prevent further thefts.  Moreover, there is a chance that the thief is caught and thereby your loss recovered.

Source:  Identity Theft Complaint – What Should You Do When You Are A Victim?

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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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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?

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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

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!

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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.

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There are millions of ways to pull off identity theft. However, it’s hard to list any particular identity theft steps that you could spot as a warning. The most important thing is that you be very alert when you manage your account online or whenever you use a credit or debit card for purchases online.   Among the most common identity theft steps that police constantly warn against, is attempts by these thieves to gather your personal information over the phone. They will call posing as representatives of your bank or credit card provider, and ask you questions pertaining to your personal information such as your date of birth, Social Security Number, pin number, and the like.   Beware! Such calls are fraudulent. In case you get such a call, ask them the name of the bank, address and officer details, and tell them you will go in person and provide all the information. Alternatively, call your bank manager and ask them whether such a call had been initiated from their bank.

Second, ensure that you carefully scrutinize your credit card bills; are there any entries that are unaccounted for? The same applies to credit or debits from your bank account. One of the common ways to avoid identity theft is to first deposit some money into your account and then withdraw it. So, whether your bank account shows more or shows less, you need to investigate the matter at the earliest.

Third, ensure that you do not carry sensitive personal information in your purse or handbag. This could be stolen and fall into the wrong hands.

* You get your bank to send you alerts whenever your account has been debited by any amount. This will help you keep tabs on your money pretty accurately.
* Keep a low ceiling on your credit card expenses, and require special permission to extend that ceiling
* Use only electronic statements instead of paper ones
* Ensure that you dispose of your ATM stubs safely – preferably using a shredder
* Obtain your credit report on a quarterly basis, and carefully scrutinize it for mismatches that will help you identify theft

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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.

You must take some measure to prevent it. The cost of identity theft is much more than the money siphoned!

It costs you your financial reputation, as your credit score will dip for non-payment of bills for loans that you never knew you had. It costs you your health due to the stress of worrying about how to improve your credit score, and how to pay back the siphoned amounts for which you are responsible unless you can prove 100% that you are a victim of identity fraud – which is often very difficult.

The cost of identity theft also involves your peace of mind. Once bitten, twice shy – you will be scared to work on the Internet for fear of becoming a victim yet again.

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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.

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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.

Did you know that when you send a forward to your contacts, you are actually making it easy for some hackers out there to perpetrate data theft? Each name in your contact list becomes an auction object. There are people who siphon these names and email IDs, package them, and sell them to the highest bidder. They make a pretty buck while you start wondering where such a deluge of spam emails are coming from.

Stop data theft – don’t help data thieves! Ensure that you do not send these chain letters, no matter what. In case you like a particular email and wish to forward it, make sure that you delete all the forwarded email IDs that are imprinted in your email, so as to safeguard yourself and your friends.

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

What do you understand when you hear “theft protection”? Most people will think about security guards, alarms, cameras and so on. But there is more to it than that, you know. The term theft is nowadays more used in connection with the Internet than the real world. The vast ground and the ability to go incognito in the virtual world has prompted many “brilliant” minds to carve out a career of swindling people.

It’s very easy to clone a bank website or email provider ID and ask people their personal data under the threat that if they do not comply, their account will suffer, be “locked”, etc. Most people do not even pause to think, leave alone check whether such “threats” or “directions” are genuine. As soon as they fill in their data, their lives are thrown into chaos. They find out that their accounts have been violated, used, robbed.

Do not be a victim! Ensure that you learn all that is about theft protection online, as this is as important as any other.

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There are plenty of ways to gather identity theft information and with the Net it’s very easy to impersonate you without raising any doubt. Computers do not recognize faces or understand words. They only react to the information you feed in. If the thieves lay their hands on enough data to make the computer think he or she is you – the computer will give this person access to your life. Scary!

You might not be able to stop it, but you can prevent it to a large extent and you can spread awareness about it so others too can stay alert. Awareness and over caution is the answer to countering identity theft. Most online fraud coould have been circumvented if only a little more caution had been exercised.

A word of advice to you – when you are online, do not hurry. Pay attention to what you do and what you type. Caution, awareness and alertness – these is how to stop identity step or at least reduce it to a large extent.

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Answer the following questions with “Yes” or “No.”

1. Do you receive your credit card/ bank statement by snail mail?
2. Do you keep your ATM, debit and/ or credit card PIN number along with the cards?
3. Do you dispose of your ATM/ Credit Card slips in your dustbin at home?
4. Do you carry your personal information in your wallet/ purse?
5. Do you check and re-check any website that requires you to give your credit card number?
6. Do you know what to look for to assure yourself that the web page you are using is secure?

If you answered Yes to 3 or more questions you are excellent material for identity theft. Think about it.

A majority of the people who were listed in her email contacts were sent a letter in her name saying that she was stuck in London (she is a PhD from London) and she needed about $2,000 to pay her hotel bills. Most of her close friends, who knew her whereabouts, realized that this email was a fake. However, there will be a good number of these people who will want to send her the money so she will be bailed out from her troubles. She will then be responsible for the repayment.

Beware of any such emails that ask you personal information or your user id and password.  You might be the next victim.

Most victims of identity theft are so devastated when they find out that they have been defrauded that they do not take any further action to protect themselves or prevent further siphoning of funds.  The first thing a victim needs to do is report the theft to the FBI and creditors (banks, financial institutions and credit bureaus). Even if there is nothing to do to reverse the loss and you are responsible for the repayments, it’s still beneficial to make it known that you have been defrauded.

Prevention of further fraud is the next logical step. Do not for one moment think that just because the theft has been discovered it will not be repeated. Hackers count on such assumptions and they will continue to siphon funds until you block all existing avenues. Having the credit providers message you on your cell phone after every transaction is a good way to ensure that you remain aware of all transactions made in your name.

1. You are finding small but recurring charges to your account that you cannot explain. Most people attribute these mystery charges to various bank fees. However, this is a sure sign that your account has been compromised and someone is drawing funds from your account on a regular basis.

2. Urgent sounding email messages or phone calls that inform you that your bank account or credit card account has been compromised and in order to stop the fraud they needed your name, date of birth and/or password. Never provide your user id, personal information and/or password; ask for details of the bank or credit card provider and inform them you will provide the information in person.

I was re-directed to a page that looked identical to the page of my bank. Through that page they asked me my account id, transaction id number, debit card number, the debit card (ATM) pin and lastly my date of birth.

I was about to enter the details when I noticed the address of the URL which was completely different from that of my bank. Alerted, I closed the site and called my bank. They denied sending such a mail. This is how I was saved from data theft – a very close shave indeed.

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Never leave your ATM stubs in the ATM cubicle. Carry them with you and shred these or tear them into small pieces.

Do not answer any personal questions such as “what is your birthday”, “what is your mother’s maiden name”, “where were you born”, etc on the phone. Most identity theft cases happen with the help of information gathered in this manner. If the voice on the phone says it’s from a bank, lottery, or credit card provider – ask them their name and address and say you will give them the information in person after you are sure of their identity.

1) Never enter your financial data unless you are 100 percent sure it’s encrypted. The easiest way to steal vital information is setting up a false website that will sell you something where you need to pay with your credit card.

2) Do not give your password for your email or pin number of your debit/ credit card to anyone over email or phone. Banks will never ask you this information.

3) Ask for e-statements instead of printed ones that are sent to your mail box. Avoid printing it; and if you do shred it before throwing it away. Most data theft is done through disposed financial and credit card statements.

Learn proper financial management and you are automatically free from all other worries. Another fallacy is that good financial management means budgeting, saving, investing – in general spending wisely.  But there’s more to it that that. You also need to ensure that you are safe on and off the Internet in regard to identity theft.

Identity theft is today one of the most quoted reasons for poor credit, second only to credit card abuse. Learn what it takes to be safe when making financial transaction on and off line!

May 2, 2009
- Identity theft doesn’t happen only to adults: children are even easier targets for those who would steal identity. And worst of all, sometimes the “thief” is one who’s duty it is to act in the child’s best interest.

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 Good Advice – Take It

 I know there would be enough skeptics who would deny the need for such services. However, let me give you one typical scenario (and there are many more) and we will reserve the decision until you read it all.

 Tom Walters is a successful IT professional drawing a comfortable salary, savvy about the use of the Internet. He supports his wife and two teenage children aged 15 and 17 respectively. The children, like all teenagers, love surfing and shopping on the Net. Come recession, and Tom’s company announces major layoffs. Though his job is secure, Tom decides to launch his own software company from home just to avoid in the future the tension that the recession had built in his mind.

 When he checks his credit, he is shocked to find that he has a number of negative remarks and his credit score has plummeted to dangerous levels. On checking, he finds that there are outstanding loans in his name that he never availed. What happened? The answer is simple – identity theft. It is to guess how – the children stumbled upon false websites which phished the details of credit card of Tom and voila – he got loans in his name, which were enjoyed by someone else.

 The Solution

 Credit repair companies here work like lawyers. One you put them on a standard retainer, they will keep a tab on every remark that goes into your credit report and warn you about any such scenario that looks suspicious. Identify theft is very difficult to prove or stop one it starts, but once discovered you can check the damage that is done by closing the account and raising the alarm to prevent further siphoning of your funds and damage to you reputation.

 There are plenty of other similar scenarios – misused credit cards, late submission of payment checks, and the like which not only trash your credit record and score, but also damage your credibility in the market.

 Do you still maintain that this is a laughing matter?

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.

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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.

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.