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Identity Theft and Personal Data Security
- Money, Finance, Mortgages &
Loans Guides and Topics
The article below refers to identity theft and personal
data security problems in the United States. However, many of the points are
equally valid in the UK and other countries around the world.
The message is clear... keep receipts and check them
against bank and credit card statements EVERY MONTH. Immediately inform your
bank or credit card company of any suspicious charges.
if you keep any personal data on a computer; at least hide
it behind a user password. Better still, download an encryption program and USE
IT!
Identity Theft. You are not Immune.
Author: David Wilding
As identity theft becomes more prevalent, the need to regularly check your credit report is very easy to see and understand. Two big headlines in the news recently point to how closely tied your credit report and identity theft are.
First, we hear of the troubles of Choice Point, a company involved in the storage and distribution of credit information. It appears some criminals set up a fake company and used it to obtain sensitive credit information. Then in turn they used it to steal the identities of about 750 people. That number will probably grow, since more than 500,000 people across the country have been put at risk.
Second, comes the story about missing computer tapes containing credit card records of more than 1.2 million of Bank of America cardholders. Most of the accounts belonged to federal government employees. This has placed the account holders in danger of increased risk of identity theft.
Both of these companies are now in the process of notifying the people of their exposure. The truly bad part of all the problems is these leaks and losses occurred months ago. These two companies were not very quick in notifying the people affected. Way too much damage could have been done before they had been alerted to the trouble.
While the headlines may change, the need to check your credit report does not. You may be very careful. You may shred your documents, the credit card and other financial solicitations you receive in the mail. You may take great care how and where you give out your financial information. Unfortunately as these stories show, it may not be enough.
Identity theft affects about 10 million victims per year. It has been estimated to cost consumers and businesses more than 50 billion dollars a year. It is easily among the fastest growing categories of white collar crime. You need to do all you can to fight theft of your identity.
A new law has been put on the books by the Congress to help combat the losses. It allows the you, the consumer to request a free credit report from the credit agencies once a year. You should not hesitate to take advantage of it. However, the law has a rollout feature which does not allow full access for all Americans until September 1 of this (2005) year.
While this is a step in the right direction, in typical fashion the government continues to leave the populace exposed. You should access your credit report much more often than once a year. If an identity theft takes place just after receiving the free credit reports, an enormous amount of damage can be done before you can review your next free report.
The Federal Trade Commission has put together a list of questions and answers concerning this new law and the effect it will have on your credit report and your risk of identity theft. They can be helpful to you in determining your rights under the law
It makes sense to check your reports regularly, as often as, on a monthly basis. This may seem a bit much to you, but just ask a person who has had their identity stolen how much hassle it is to take your life back. They will tell you it is well worth the effort. Let's face it, no one cares as much as you, about your credit record, and the damage that identity theft could cause in your life.
(c)2005 David Wilding
About the author: David Wilding has for the past ten years worked with groups and individuals to rid their lives of debt. Visit his site
http://www.debtattack.com
for more ideas, tools, and strategies for becoming debt free.
Prevent Identity Theft
Author: Itna Yeknom
Preventing Identity Theft
Alas, it's not possible to prevent identity theft and credit fraud entirely. However, by managing your personal information carefully, and with a full understanding of its importance, you can substantially reduce the likelihood that it will happen to you. The following tips show you how to prevent identity theft.
One Step Up on Identity Thieves
Be careful about giving out personal information. Whether on the phone, by mail, or on the Internet, prevent identity theft and never give anyone your card number, Social Security number, or other personal information for a purpose you don't understand. Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible, and don't carry your SSN card. Be sure to keep it in a secure place.
Protect your mail. To stop a thief from obtaining personal information( stealing identity) about you by going through your through trash or recycling bin, tear or shred your charge receipts, credit applications, insurance forms, bank statements, expired charge cards, and
pre-approved credit offers. Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office. Remember to remove mail from your mailbox after it's delivered. If you plan to go away, call the U.S. Postal Service at 800-275-8777 and request a vacation hold.
Guard your credit cards. Minimize the information and the number of cards you carry in your wallet. If you lose a card, contact the identity theft protection division of the credit card company. If you apply for a new credit card and it doesn't arrive in a reasonable period, contact the issuer. Watch cashiers when you give them your card for a purchase. Also, when you receive a new card, sign it in permanent ink and activate it immediately.
Pay attention to billing cycles. Contact creditors immediately if your bills arrive late. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your credit card account and changed your billing address.
Safeguard personal information in your home. Especially if you are having service work done in your home, employ outside help, or have a roommate.
Find out who has access to your information at work. Be sure to verify that records are kept in a secure location, and are accessible only to employees who have a legitimate reason to access it.
Memorize your passwords and personal identification numbers instead of carrying them with you. Avoid using easily available information like your mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of your SSN or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers.
Other ID Theft Facts
Zero responsibility doesn't mean zero problems. Because credit card companies must limit consumer responsibility to $50 in most cases of fraud, and because many new cards include "zero responsibility" identity theft prevention or protection, some people think there's no reason to worry about credit fraud. But in its most advanced form -- identity theft -- credit fraud can cause wide-ranging long-term problems. Identity thieves can use your personal information to take over your credit accounts and open new ones. They may even use your good credit to get a job, take out a car loan, or rent an apartment.
Check your credit report regularly. Checking your credit report can help you catch mistakes and prevent identity theft fraud before they wreak havoc on your personal finances. Make sure your report is accurate and includes only those activities you've authorized. It's also a good idea to review your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every year -- it's possible that information is reported to one but not the others.
Quick Fact
Although the identity theft problem is nationwide, states with the highest incidence of identity theft are California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Illinois, and Washington.
About the author: Itna Yeknom is an independent author for core industry related websites.
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- Find Identity Theft
- With Britishinformation.com. A leading UK online directory.
- www.britishinformation.com
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- Credit Reports from Pocket Lolly
- identitytheft.co.uk from myservices.equifax.co.uk > Identity Theft > Credit History > Fraud Detection > Credit Reports Equifax UK Credit Reports - Order Here Get your personal Equifax UK credit rep...
- http://identitytheft.co.uk/
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- Home Office Identity Theft Home Page
- Home FAQ's Leaflet Poster Cymraeg What is Identity theft? Your identity and personal information are valuable. Criminals can find out your personal details and use them to open bank accounts and ge...
- http://www.identitytheft.org.uk/
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- Business, Market and Financial News -TimesOnline
- ... Bogus forensic scientist jailed The Note Business-critical comment and analysis on today's top stories Focus Zone Identity Management Prevent identity theft as our lives move online Cruise Revi...
- http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/
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- Halifax - Identity theft
- Jump to content accesskey 's' Jump to site navigation accesskey 'n' Jump to site tools accesskey 't' Jump to search accesskey '4' Contact us accesskey '9' Accessibility statement accesskey '0' Cont...
- http://www.halifax.co.uk/SecurityandPrivacy/identitytheft.asp
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- BBC NEWS Business UK 'lax' over identity theft
- bbc.co.uk Accessibility Links Skip to content Skip to bbc.co.uk navigation Skip to search Access keys help bbc.co.uk Navigation Search Home TV Radio Talk Where I Live A-Z Index UK version Internati...
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4342212.stm
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- The growing problem of identity theft The Register
- Skip to content Biting the hand that feeds IT Cash 'n' Carrion Events Jobs Downloads Hardware Software Music & Media Comms Security Management Science Odds & Sods Security: Crime Enterprise Securit...
- http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/12/04/the_growing_problem_of_ide ...
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- BBC ChatGuide - Glossary - Identity theft
- Home TV Radio Talk Where I Live A-Z Index 7 April 2007 Accessibility help Text only BBC Homepage Talk ChatGuide Socialising Personal Safety Anti-Social Behaviour Glossary Chat speak Texting Acronym...
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/chatguide/glossary/idtheft.shtml
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- identity theft + banking security
- identity theft + banking security Search Results for identity theft + banking security TU Berlin - Hoax-Info - Extra-Blatt: Identity Theft - Datendiebstahl ... Identity Theft ist eine Masche u.a. v...
- http://www.dine-greek.co.uk/10849-identitytheftbankingsecurity/
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- Protect yourself from Identity Fraud and Theft
- CreditExpert from Experian FREE 30 day trial,online access to your Experian credit report, identity theft assistance, alerts for early identity fraud detection more about Equifax Know within 24 hou...
- http://www.identityinsurance.co.uk/merchants.html
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- Identity Theft How to Avoid Falling Victim Guide
- Identity Theft How to Avoid Falling Victim Guide How to Protect Yourself Identity Theft Terms And Conditions Privacy Policy Disclaimer Business Links Accept credit cards today! Search the largest d...
- http://www.idspy.co.uk/business_links.php
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