Identity Theft is when someone uses another person’s social security number, driver license, name, address, telephone number and any other information about that particular person as their own. The unauthorized person that obtains this information without the other person’s knowledge uses this information to commit theft and fraud.

How does a person committing ID theft get my information? By going through your trash, hacking into a computer that you may use, securing a copy of your credit report, stealing credit card and debit card numbers that you may have, stealing your mail,completing a change of address form to reroute your mail to a different address, stealing your purse or wallet, and scamming information from you by posing as a business person.

How would I know if I am a victim of ID theft? If you receive credit card statements for accounts you did not apply for, you do not receive your mail, your credit is being denied and you do not know why, counterfeit checks are used to withdraw money from your bank account, you receive calls from collection agencies about bills for accounts established with your personal information that you do not know about,and other problems that you may have with your personal information.

Should I order a copy of my credit reports to find out if I am a victim of identity theft? Yes, you may want to consider doing this if you suspect that you are a victim of identity theft. You would want to order a copy of your credit reports from all three credit reporting agencies which are: Equifax www.equifax.com 1-800-685-1111; Experian www.experian.com 1-888-397-3742; and; TransUnion www.transunion.com 1-800-916-8800.

What should I do if my identity is stolen by someone? Contact the three credit reporting agencies as soon as possible and let them know that you are a victim of ID theft and ask them to place a fraud alert and your statement as a victim in your credit report file. Order a copy of your credit report from each agency to check the information on your report.

Contact the credit reporting agencies fraud units at these telephone numbers or addresses: Equifax: 1-800-525-6285, P.O. Box 74021, Atlanta, GA. 30374-0241:: Experian: 1-888-397-3742, P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX. 75013:: TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289, Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA. 92834-6790.

Should I close my credit and checking accounts if ID theft has occurred? Yes, you may want to consider closing your credit and checking accounts if you suspect identity theft. Contact your bank and creditors about your identity being stolen and consider closing your accounts and establish new ones.

If your checks are stolen, request that your bank notify the check verification company that they use. You may also want to contact the major check verification companies as well.

The major check verification companies that you would want to contact are the following: Telecheck, 1-800-710-9898 or 1-800-927-0188:: Certegy Inc., 1-800-437-5120:: and; International Check Services, 1-800-631-9656.

You may also want to contact a company known as Scan at 1-800-262-7771 to find out if an identity thief has been using your checks. In addition, you should also contact your local police department and report that your identity has been stolen.

Make sure that you file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about your identity being stolen as well. You can file this report at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.



By: Nocita Carter

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Personal finance is kind of a big deal right now. Identity theft is growing. People all over the USA are declaring bankruptcy, and in general, there’s alot of worried/upset people come when the credit card comes in the mail. The problem is that we’ve lost track of our finances. We’ve got a credit card with a $3,000 balance here, and a maxed out credit card there. It all adds up, quickly.

You could say that Americans are increasingly drowning in debt. As this happens, their credit score goes down the tubes, and with it, the chance of them getting affordable credit. Their credit score goes down, and the loan payments go up. For a person already struggling to make payments, this is not a good scenario.

If you’re in debt, you need a good credit score. Without a good credit score, you can’t get low interest rates. If you can’t get low interest rates, your loan premiums are going to go through the roof. At this point, things will go downhill fast.

If that weren’t enough… Identity theft is the fastest growing white collar crime in America. One in five families have been affected by this epidemic. Identity theft protection products like the Equifax Credit Watch Gold™ with 3-in-1 Monitoring continually monitor consumers’ credit files and alert them of potentially fraudulent activity like a new credit card application that they did not initiate.

Is there a solution to both problems?

Yeah, you’ve got to monitor your credit score, and keep it low. There are several good tools for monitoring your credit. Bay Area Family Law is a big fan of Equfax’s credit monitoring tools. Credit management products like the equifax 3-in-1 Credit Report and Score Watch help consumers make informed decisions when making purchases, securing loans, paying for college educations, and managing their personal finances. Get Equifax Credit Watch Gold 3-in-1 Now!



By: Charles Smith

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Although advances in technology have made life easier for you, they have also increased the chances of you becoming the victim of financial fraud and identity theft. Many people find themselves in financial difficulties through no fault of their own when someone steals their identity and uses their financial information to obtain loans and leave the person to pay for them. You have to be extremely careful about where and to whom you give your credit card information because it could become public knowledge and thus an unscrupulous person could gain from it.

Credit card companies are always sending out promotional material with a pre-approved credit card. All you have to do to be able to use the card is to sign the form and send it back to the company. If you are not interested in this offer, make sure you shred the card and the information so that no one else can use it. In many landfills, there are people who do go through the trash to find cans and bottles that they can return for the deposit. If through the process of going through your trash, they find such an offer letter that has not been torn, they can easily sign your name, change the address and get a credit card in your name that they use and you are responsible for. Do not throw any bank statements, credit card statements or any information related to your finances in the trash without shredding it first. Even the account number can give someone else access to your account.

You are entitled to have a free copy of your credit report once a year. It is important that you take advantage of this so that you know what information your credit report contains about you. Scrutinize it carefully to make sure that all the items listed on the report do in fact apply to you. This is one way you can be sure that you are not a victim of financial fraud. If you see an item that you know for sure is not an account that you hold, you should contact the credit agency immediately and start proceedings to have the information corrected. It is too late to find out that there are inaccuracies on your report when you are turned down for a loan because of negative items that you did not know existed.

When you shop online or over the phone, you have to be extremely careful about giving out your credit card information. Before you enter your credit card information online, you must check to make sure that it is a secure site. Read the privacy policy of the site to make sure that any information you provide will not be sold or given to a third party. You also have to ensure that when you do give out your credit card information over the phone that the company you are dealing with is legitimate.

The Internet is loaded with phishing scams. These are emails you receive that seemingly come from your bank asking you to update your information. You may receive an email saying that your account is locked and until you perform certain actions, you will not be able to continue using the account. If you bank online, log onto your account immediately to see if there are any inaccuracies. If not report the email to the banking authorities. If you use an offshore account, such as Paypal, you should check your account regularly to make sure that there have not been any unauthorized deductions or deposits. Some people randomly select addresses and make small deposits just to see if such an account exists. If this is so for you, you need to take steps to have the situation investigated.

When you use a shared computer to do any of your banking, never save your password on the computer. Anyone can then use that computer and retrieve your information leaving you open to financial fraud and theft. When you use an ATM machine or use your debit card at a store, always make sure that you enter your PIN so that others around you cannot see the numbers you enter. If they can detect the number and there is a chance that you forget to take the card, then this person can then take all the money out of your account or at least up to the daily limit. By the time you discover your card has been lost, it may be too late and you money may be all gone.

Fraudsters have various ways of obtaining information about a person to gain access to his/her finances. One such scam is by telephone. You may receive a phone call telling you that you have won a trip and you have to press 9 to get more information. When you press 9, you do not receive any information but you have opened yourself up to financial fraud because the callers have access to your telephone number that they can use for long-distance calling. You do not even realize it until your receive your statement in the mail. If you receive any unwanted telephone calls, hang up immediately and never follow the instructions.



By: Peter Kenny

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You may not recognize it when the theft first occurs, but you suddenly start getting warnings that something is wrong with your credit. Maybe you were one of the smart ones who gets credit reports annually. Maybe you found out because creditors have started contacting you. Your identity has been stolen.

There are a number of steps you need to take once you realize your identity has been stolen. All of them are tedious, but it’s vital you get things back into order. And unfortunately it can take years to get your accounts back in order. The entire process is tedious and draining.

The first thing you need to do is get your credit report from all three agencies. You are entitled to this free in the instance of fraud. You can also request a fraud alert be placed on your account. This will make it harder for you to get credit, but will inhibit further fraud.

There are two types of fraud alerts. The initial fraud alert is valid for only 90 days, and is good if you suspect there is a problem, but aren’t certain. It’s good when your wallet is stolen or if you fall for a phishing scam.

An extended alert stays on your account for seven years. You have to provide the company with an identity theft report to get an extended alert placed on it. The extended alert also removes your name from the marketing lists for preapproved credit cards for five years.

You will need to keep track of all your efforts to clean up the problem. Buy a notebook and take plenty of notes. Who you talk to, the time and what was discussed. You want to have notes to refer back to so that you can prove that you have taken the steps you say you have.

Go to the FTC website to file your complaint. This can help you to gather the information the police report will require. They have a form for you at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/affidavit.pdf

File a police report. While identity thieves are rarely caught, this helps you when you are disputing the various illicit accounts. Credit agencies and creditors will probably want the information about the case.

For all illicit accounts, talk to the fraud department. Explain the problem and have them close the account per your request. It can be difficult, as many places will insist that you enter an account number, which you won’t have.

Try calling another department and explain why you need a direct connection. Then get the phone number for that before they transfer you. Don’t wait to ask the person you are transferred to; many employees are just terrible at transferring calls and accidentally disconnect them instead. If they have the number and give it to you, you can save yourself some frustration. If they can’t give you a number, make sure you get it after the transfer.

Most companies will want everything in writing. Be prepared to make copies of the various documents and to have them notarized. For your own protection you should also send them by certified mail and get a return receipt so that you can prove you sent it and that it was received.

All of this is incredibly tedious and time consuming. Don’t think you’re going to get this resolved quickly or without frustration. Identity theft is a difficult issue to clear up. Try to be patient and let the fraud representatives help you. After a while you should get used to the routine required. It’s not going to be pleasant but it is very necessary.

And don’t forget that you can get your free credit report from each bureau annually.

By: anonymous

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