On Guard Against Identity Theft: Basic Facts

Identity theft is generally considered to be the fastest-growing crime in the United States. The term itself refers to obtaining and using the personal identifying information of another person in order to fraudulently obtain goods and services. Personal identifying information includes things such as your name, date of birth, and Social Security number.

Roughly 700,000 people a year become victims of this crime. However, it is continually on the rise, with thieves employing a wide gamut of tactics from sophisticated online "phishing" scams to low-tech strategies like dumpster-diving. Thus, It is becoming more common - especially since the advent of the information age, when so much vital info about the world - and each other - is practically at our fingertips. That being the case, it goes without saying that practically anyone can become a victim.

The most common form of identity theft is credit card fraud; it is estimated to cost consumers hundreds of millions - some say billions - of dollars per year. Next is utilities fraud, followed by bank fraud. Credit card fraud can be particularly insidious, as you may not discover for quite some time that someone has, for instance, opened a new line of credit in your name and charged thousands of dollars to the account before leaving you stuck with the bill.

There are ways to protect yourself from identity theft. Credit monitoring, for instance, is absolutely critical to identity theft defense. Fortunately, you can obtain a free credit report from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) annually. Thus, you can get a free copy of your credit report - one from a different credit-reporting agency - every four months. Likewise, regularly checking and balancing your bank account statements will also help you stay abreast of any irregularities that could be indicative of identity theft.

If you are already the victim of identity theft, it can be a long and arduous road getting back to some semblance of normalcy. On average, it is believed that it takes victims of identity theft six months to a year (and sometimes longer) to get matters rectified to some reasonable extent. This includes trying to recover money taken from bank accounts, as well as avoiding liability for goods and services that were never purchased or received (at least by the victim). Unfortunately, there is no sure-fire method to avoid becoming a victim. All you can do is take what precautions you can in order to mount a adequate identity theft defense. Just remember: it's easier to avoid becoming a victim than to recover from being one. In other words, this is truly a case where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

4 Techniques Thieves Utilize To Acquire Your Personal Identity Via The Telephone

Identity thieves have gotten quite sophisticated over the years. As reported by IBM's X-Force Trend and Risk Report fraudulent emails rerouting consumers to a bogus site also known as phishing is rising. It does not stop there however. There has been a surge in online server break ins. Not surprisingly the same is true for mobile phones given that many people have gotten rid of the traditional land line and are now using their cell exclusively.

Whichever sort of phone someone uses identity thieves have a scam for it. And it's not like they have to break into it either. Speaking with you directly often produces the best results simply because it works on a number of emotions not to mention the immediacy of the issue. Some of these are

1. You Owe The Internal Revenue Service

Very few things can scare you like getting a call from the Internal Revenue Service. The scammer states that something was wrong with your tax information from this year or previous ones. In order to stop an audit, a severe fiscal fine or even going to prison it is critical that you cooperate with this fake representative.

They take the gamble that after giving you this spiel that you will be to shook up to do anything else. So you begin to provide the maximum amount of private information as is possible.

2. Jury Duty

A bench warrant has been issued for your arrest. You had jury duty on whatever day and failed to appear. Saying you never got a summons of any sort doesn't work. The sheriff's office is on the way. they ask to verify some information. After doing that they state that they will verify everything is correct and get back to you.

3. The Process Servers

This could be by means of a subpoena or an alleged debt. Like the IRS and jury duty scam, the thief can be quite demanding. This notice has to be delivered to you immediately so they need to check the home address and ensure you will be there. To your temporary relief the home address doesn't match what's on their records and so they decide to verify the social security number.

4. Congratulations You Won

It's an ancient con however it can still get the job done. Especially on senior citizens considered to be one of the segments most targeted by identity thieves. You have won a sweepstakes of some kind. The award will be sent to you right away but first the "agent" will need you to provide answers to the following questions.

Protect Yourself From Becoming a Victim of Crimes You Don't Commit

As the fastest growing and one of the most insidious consumer crimes in the United States, identity theft affects nearly ten million people every year. That's about 30,000 identities stolen every day. These are alarming statistics, but even worse is that some of these identity theft victims are arrested for crimes committed in their good name.

Take, for example, a case in which an Indiana man named Jeff Goldsmith was arrested for allegedly abusing his girlfriend's six-year-old son so badly that the child had to go to the hospital. Trouble is, Goldsmith didn't have a girlfriend, let alone a six-year-old son. In fact, he had been married for twenty years and hadn't visited the city where the alleged abuse occurred in over two years. The identity thief used Goldsmith's identity to rack up charges and then subsequently commit a brutal crime-all in Goldsmith's name. After seeing Goldsmith the mother of the actual victim confirmed that he indeed was not the man who abused her son. In like so many other ID theft cases, the real criminal remains unidentified.

Looking back, Goldsmith realized that he could have avoided becoming an identity theft victim if he would have paid more attention to the warning signs. He had received a phone bill and an insurance bill for a vehicle he didn't own. After calling the companies to clear-up the charges, Goldsmith signed-up for ID theft insurance and began monitoring his credit reports more closely. Unfortunately for Goldsmith, the identity thief was able to continue to use his identity to commit fraud and elude police following the abuse allegations.

But what about the ID theft insurance? And the credit monitoring? Goldsmith found out the hard way that identity theft insurance only covers some of the expenses to deal with the aftermath of ID theft. It does nothing to prevent it. Credit monitoring, although important, only shows unauthorized charges and damages after they have occurred. So, what could Goldsmith have done to avoid becoming another ID theft victim?

He could have been more proactive. Most ID theft protection companies only monitor credit and send alerts when someone's credit is checked. Of course, this often occurs for completely legitimate reasons as well, such as when someone (using his or her real identity) applies for a loan. Credit monitoring services and ID theft insurance companies simply do not address the root of the problem-before it becomes a real problem and claims another identity theft victim.

After all, one of the problems with ID theft is that once you're a victim you're guilty until proven innocent. Police officers are simply doing their jobs when they arrest ID theft victims. But the fallout for the victims can be devastating. Studies show that it can take three to five years and more than $1,300 to restore a stolen identity.

The only real solution is to use an identity theft prevention and recovery service that proactively prevents identity theft from occurring in the first place. Entrust America, a company that was created by law enforcement professionals for law enforcement, is the only service that both prevents ID theft and guarantees to restore identity theft victims to pre-theft status.

Too many ID theft victims unknowingly put their trust in services that masquerade as ID theft prevention or, worse, do not invest in a service to protect their identity at all. As in the tragic case of Jeff Goldsmith, it's obvious how the right ID theft prevention service could have prevented his nightmare.

Don't become another identity theft victim. Learn more about protecting your identity by visiting http://www.TheIdentityAdvocate.com or calling 310.831.4400.

Keeping Alert for Identity Theft

When your identity is stolen, it can be disastrous. A thief can use your identity to steal money, make purchases, and engage in a number of other illicit activities. Most Americans live constantly in fear of identity theft, yet it is becoming increasingly common for taxpayers to fall victim to tax scams designed to steal their identity.

There is certain information that all taxpayers should keep in mind. With these key facts, taxpayers can ensure that they correctly identify, and avoid, identity theft tax scams.

1. The IRS never communicates by email. First and foremost, remember that the Internal Revenue Service will never communicate with a taxpayer through email. If you ever receive tax-related correspondence in your email inbox - even if it claims urgency or a need for direct payment of supposed tax debt - it is advisable to consider it a scam.

For any suspicious paper correspondence, first contact the IRS first to determine if it is a legitimate correspondence. If it is legitimate, you may reply as needed. However, if it is not legitimate, contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.

2. Keep alert for Social Security Number theft. Taxpayers should always carefully monitor, and keep a comprehensive record, of any correspondence with the IRS. Sometimes it may become clear due to the nature of an IRS letter that an identity thief has stolen your Social Security Number.

In particular, these suspicious letters could include alerts pertaining to unpaid taxes related to a job you do not hold. Often an identity thief may appropriate another individuals Social Security Number in order to get a job. This can then make it appear as though the real individual did not declare all of their income on their tax return.

3. Lost or Stolen Possessions. Sometimes standard theft, such as a mugging or home break-in, can make you susceptible to identity theft. This is particularly true if the thief stole a wallet that contained a driver's license or credit cards.

If you think you might be a victim of identity theft, contact the IRS as soon as possible with proof of your identity. Do not wait to receive an inaccurate letter from the IRS. Instead, ensure that the IRS knows the risk and is aware, to avoid you receiving any undue charges. Submit a copy of a valid Federal or State issued identification, or a completed Form 14039, IRS Identity Theft Affidavit.

Proposed Law Offers Protection of Social Security Numbers and Medicaid

In this day and age, when you think of identity theft you automatically think about computers and losing your personal information over the web digitally, but there are many other ways you could have your identity stolen. Aside from computers, the easiest way to have your identity stolen is through the use of physical media like your drivers license, Social Security card, or your Medicare card, and this is why one Senator is fighting to have personal identification numbers removed from important documents.

Change is needed

Do you carry your Social Security card around with you? What happens if and you lose, or have your wallet or purse stolen? A identity thief would easily be able to steal your identity if you had your social security card in it. Most people now leave their personal identification cards at home, but what about the millions of people who are currently on Medicare?

The many millions who currently participate in the Medicare program have to carry around their Medicare card with them. The Medicare card has both the patients SSN and date of birth printed on the card, and that is a major cause for concern. Luckily one Senator has seen the light, and is now working towards changing this.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, (Democrat from New York) is seeking to stop the use of Social Security numbers on Medicare cards. Senator Gillibrand is shocked that the Medicare cards still have patients Social Security numbers, and dates of birth on them. Gillibrand said that use of personal identification numbers on the Medicare cards puts millions of people at a major risk when it comes to having their identity stolen/ Gillibrand is now hoping that the new bill will put an end to the use of Social Security numbers on the cards.

A new plan for protection

Many believe that Social Security numbers are over used, and that they are being used beyond their intended purpose. There are 33 states right now that prohibit the the use of personal identification numbers on insurance cards, simply because are not needed for patients to receive treatment.

The new legislation which is called the Social Security Number Protection Act, would make it so that Social Security numbers could not be used on a federal level. This means that new Medicare cards would not have these numbers on them, which would also mean that the millions of citizens on the Medicare program could carry their cards without having to worry about getting their number or their identity stolen.

Social Security numbers are invaluable to both you, and to identity thieves because they act as personal identification. When your SSN is used with your date of birth, identity thieves could easily open credit cards, or get other lines of credit with your personal information. If this were to happen your good name will quickly turn sour. This is why Senator Gillibrand is fighting for the new protection act.

How to protect yourself

If you are currently on Medicare, and you are worried about carrying the Medicare card around with you, there is something you can do to protect your information.

If you have access to a scanner, or photocopier, simply make a copy of both sides of your Medicare card. Once you have copied the card, cut the copies out of the paper. Carefully cut the last four digits of your personal identification number out of the card. Then simply glue the front of the card to the copy of the back.

Now you have a copy of your Medicare card that does not have your entire Social Security number on it. You can carry this card around with you knowing that if you lose, or have your purse, or wallet stolen, nobody will have access to your full Social Security number. You will still be able to receive treatment when presenting this card at hospitals and current doctors.

Keep your real Medicare card (or any important document) in a safe place, like a fire proof safe in your home. The only time you will have to take the Medicare card out with you is when you visit a new doctor for the first time. Follow these simple steps and be one step ahead of the identity thieves.

TrustedID Reviews: Credit Card Monitoring Services

Why TrustedID? No one can really know what a service can do to help you in times of bad timing. You would only find it out when you yourself are in the bad situation. But would you take the risk? If you could only know which identity theft service is willing to help you all the way before finding out they aren't what you expected it would have saved you a lot of money and would have saved your job. So here are the TrustedID reviews in terms of services and advantages collected based on a long-time operation of TrustedID identity theft protection service.

Credit card monitoring. Identity thefts according to police reports target holders as the easiest prey. Admit it or not a lot of people do not spend a lot of time checking their recent credits and purchases. They only take a second glance once there have been calls from merchandisers for debt follow-up. Unconsciously to most of us, once we use it there is a high probability that we are being "skimmed" by identity thefts, a process by which hackers can obtain our information and use it in a number of malicious ways.

What do identity thefts do with our personal information and credit card numbers? Most of the time they use it to open a new account and purchase expensive and easy to dispose things like television so they can sell it afterwards. If you file for loans or credit and being denied or have been receiving calls from people you do not know, then probably you may have been a victim of identity theft.

Credit card monitoring therefore is a kind of pre-emptive step in order to know whether there are any suspicious changes or alteration in your credit card history. According to TrustedID reviews, TrustedID has direct access to the three credit reporting agencies, namely Equifax, Experian and Transunion. Other protection services offer only reports from one or two agencies. These three agencies offer a comprehensive report of past and recent history of any card holder. TrustedID gathers report from these agencies daily and in turn update their customers with recent changes and warnings in their credit card.

Once for example that a malicious activity has been found in your credit card report, TrustedID can immediately "freeze" your credit card in all the three bureaus. This of course will be under your discretion, since "locking" all your credit files mean no companies or any other third parties can gain access to it. You also have to contact TrustedID if you want to "unlock" your files to open a new credit card account. If you choose to do this manually, going to the three bureaus and filing for each process will be taking a lot of your time. Although this would require a service charge (amount varies depending on the state), you will know that this pre-emptive step will be fast and simple to initiate. A lot of reports from TrustedID reviews found this very effectual.